Music News
82nd Annual Academy Awards: A Preview
And the Oscars go to...well, we'll find out this Sunday. The 82nd Academy Awards will be presented at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host the event, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on ABC
The front runners for the best-picture Oscar remain James Cameron's Avatar and the war drama The Hurt Locker, which was directed by Cameron's ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow. Both films have plenty of competition in that category, since it has been expanded to 10 nominees. The other best-picture nominees are The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, A Serious Man, Up, and Up in the Air.
Crazy Heart star Jeff Bridges is a popular pick for best actor. The category also includes Up in the Air actor George Clooney, Invictus star Morgan Freeman, The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner, and A Single Man's Colin Firth.
Sandra Bullock is the clear favorite to collect the best-actress Oscar for The Blind Side, though awards show expert Tom O'Neil believes she's "vulnerable" because of what he describes as her "lightweight" performance. She'll contend with heavyweight competition from Julie & Julia star Meryl Streep, Precious actress Gabourey Sidibe, The Last Station actress Helen Mirren, and An Education's Carey Mulligan.
Kathryn Bigelow and Precious director Lee Daniels both stand to make history in the best-director category. If Bigelow's name is called, she'd become the first woman to win the honor. Similarly, Daniels has a chance to become the first African-American to claim the prize. James Cameron, who won in 1998 for Titanic, is also a nominee for best director.
A host of stars will serve as presenters, with Bridges, Bullock and fellow Oscar nominee Matt Damon among the most recent names that have been announced.
After the ceremony is over, the stars will head over to the Governors Ball, the official post-Oscar party catered by Wolfgang Puck. This year's menu is heavy on seafood, and will also include the traditional replica Oscars made of chocolate and covered in gold foil.
The Academy Awards ceremony will begin on ABC at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, following the network's red carpet special.
Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Best Director
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Up in the Air
Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up
Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up
Best Foreign Language Film
Ajami, Israel
El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow, Peru
Un Prophete, France
The White Ribbon, Germany
Best Original Score
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up
Best Original Song
"Almost There," The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname," Paris 36, Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas
"Take It All," Nine, Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)," Crazy Heart, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Best Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Best Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up
Best Art Direction
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria
Best Cinematography
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon
Best Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
Best Film Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Best Costume
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria
Best Makeup
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria
Best Documentary Feature
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home
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
Rabbit a la Berlin
Best Animated Short Film
French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Live Action Short Film
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants
