The 82nd annual Academy Awards, arguably Hollywood’s biggest night, is scheduled to begin tonight at 8 pm on ABC. In an effort to increase ratings, the Oscars are rolling out some changes that are aimed to bring in a wider audience. For the first time in decades, the Academy Awards will feature 10 Best Picture nominees, instead of the usual five. Musical performances from movies will be eliminated, due to time constraints. Young celebrities, such as Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, will be presenting at the show, with the hopes of bringing in the younger crowd. Hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin are sure to provide laughs, but the focus will be on the individuals and films that will be honored.
“Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” each received 9 nominations, including Best Picture. Ex-spouses James Cameron, of “Avatar,” and Kathryn Bigelow, of “The Hurt Locker,” are vying against each other in the Best Director category, where Bigelow is hoping to become the first female winner in the category. Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and Meryl Streep (“Julie and Julia”), the reported favorites in the Best Actress category, are facing off in what could be the closest race of the evening. Regardless of who wins in their respective categories, the best films and individuals of the year will get their due.
-Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker – WINNER
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
-Best Director
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker – WINNER
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
-Best Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side – WINNER
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
-Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart – WINNER
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
– Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds – WINNER
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
-Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – WINNER
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
-Best Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up – WINNER
The Secret of Kells
-Best Original Song
“Almost There,” The Princess and the Frog
“Down in New Orleans,” The Princess and the Frog
“Loin de Paname,” Paris 36
“The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart – WINNER
“Take It All,” Nine
-Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker – WINNER
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, Up
-Best Animated Short Film
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama – WINNER
A Matter of Loaf and Death
-Best Documentary Short Subject
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence – WINNER
Krolik po berlinsku
-Best Live Action Short Film
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
The New Tenants – WINNER
Miracle Fish
-Achievement in makeup
Il Divo
Star Trek – WINNER
The Young Victoria
– Best Adapted Screenplay
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, In the Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – WINNER
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
-Achievement in Art Direction
Avatar – WINNER
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria
-Achievement in Costume Design
Bright Star
Coco before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Young Victoria – WINNER
Nine
-Achievement in Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker – WINNER
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up
-Achievement in Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker – WINNER
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
-Achievement in Cinematography
Avatar – WINNER
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon
-Best Original Score
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Up – WINNER
Sherlock Holmes
Achievement in Visual Effects
Avatar – WINNER
District 9
Star Trek
Best Documentary Feature
Burma VJ
The Cove – WINNER
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home
-Achievement in Film Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker – WINNER
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
-Best Foreign Language Film
Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos – WINNER
The Milk of Sorrow
Un prophete
The White Ribbon