LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mahershala Ali on Sunday won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in dramedy "Green Book."

Ali beat out Adam Driver ("BlacKkKlansman"), Sam Elliott ("A Star Is Born"), Richard E. Grant ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?") and Sam Rockwell ("Vice") in a hotly-contested race.

This is Ali's second Oscar. In 2017, Ali won best supporting actor for his role in "Moonlight."

In "Green Book," directed by Peter Farrelly, Ali plays Don Shirley, an African-American concert pianist who becomes friends with the working-class white bouncer who drives him through the South during a tour in 1962.

The 91st Academy Awards, or the Oscars, are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to honor the best films of 2018 in 24 categories.