Oscars 2022: Liza Minnelli makes rare appearance to present 'CODA' with Best Picture

Watch: Liza Minnelli presents Best Picture at the Oscars alongside Lady Gaga

Liza Minnelli made a rare appearance to present Best Picture at the Oscars alongside Lady Gaga, with Sian Heder's CODA emerging victorious.

The 76-year-old star of stage and screen appeared on stage in a wheelchair and delivered an introduction to the Best Picture nominees, declaring she was Gaga's "biggest fan".

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Minnelli has rarely been seen in public in recent years, with her last screen appearance coming in the 2019 fashion world documentary Halston.

The star appeared to struggle with her words as she introduced the category, but Gaga whispered "I've got you" and guided her back on track.

Minnelli was then able to announce that CODA had won the award, besting Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog in one of the hardest Best Picture races to call in several years.

CODA tells the story of a young woman who is a Child of Deaf Adults — aka a CODA — and serves as an interpreter for her family, but wants to pursue her love of singing.

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The film was nominated for three awards on the night and left with all of them, with Heder winning Best Adapted Screenplay and Troy Kotsur winning Best Supporting Actor.

After the Best Picture win was announced, the CODA cast and crew took to the stage while the assembled Hollywood stars delivered a sign language applause.

Accepting the award, the CODA team declared their thanks to the Academy "for recognising a movie of love and family on this difficult time".

They also thanked Apple for "putting this movie everywhere in the world" through their streaming service Apple TV+ after acquiring it for a record fee at the Sundance Film Festival.

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Elsewhere at the Oscars, Dune was the big winner on the night with six awards, ahead of CODA's three and The Eyes of Tammy Faye with two.

But the actual awards were overshadowed by a bizarre altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock, in which Smith hit the comedian following a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

Watch: Troy Kotsur wins Best Supporting Actor for CODA