The Oscars:

The Oscar season has finally arrived. President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Tom Sherak, and actress Jennifer Lawrence, who is best known for her Oscar - nominated performance in 2010's Winter's Bone, announced the Academy Award nominations on Tuesday,

Jan. 24. The following films were announced.

Hugo

Martin Scorsese's love letter to classic cinema, scored 11 nominations including best picture, best director Scorsese) and best adapted screenplay. The Artist, a comedic black-and-white film that pays tribute to the silent era of cinema scored 10 nominations which included best picture, best director (Michel Hazanavicius), best original screenplay, best actor (Jean Dujardin) and best supporting

actress (Bérénice Bejo). Unlike last year the Academy

allowed voters to choose between five to 10 nominees for best picture. This year the other best picture nominees included The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly

Close, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse. The Descendants A dramedy about a land baron trying to reconnect with his two kids after his wife suffers a boating accident, was also nominated

for best actor (George Clooney), best director (Alexander Payne), best adapted screenplay and best editing.

The Help

A drama about an author during the Civil Rights Movements who decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which she works, also received nominations for best actress (Viola Davis) and best supporting actress (Octavia Spencer).

Midnight in Paris A romantic comedy about a screenwriter who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his fiancée and their divergent goals due to his magical experiences in the city beginning each night at midnight. It also scored nominations for best director

(Woody Allen), best original screenplay and best art direction. The Oscars: many will enter, few will win

Moneyball

A baseball drama about a general manager trying to employ

computer-generated analysis to draft his players scored nominations which included best actor (Brad Pitt) and best original screenplay.

The Tree of Life

This drama about origins and meaning of life, also scored nominations for best director (Terrence Malick) and best cinematography.

War Horse

Steven Spielberg's epic drama about a boy and his horse trying to find each other after being separated by World War I, scored a best picture nomination in addition to five others.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The biggest surprise of the best picture nominees. The 9/11 drama has received mixed to negative reviews, but

apparently the members of the Academy did not care about that. The film also received a best supporting actor nomination for Max von Sydow. Yet, as with every year there

were several this year that included The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Bridesmaids, Drive, 50/50 and Harry

Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. All of these films received great reviews, but unfortunately did not make the final cut. — In the acting categories Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Demian Bichir (A Better Life), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy), Jessica Chastain (The Help) and Melissa McCarthy

(Bridesmaids) received their first ever nominations. Just like with the best picture categories there were plenty of

actors who got snubbed. Albert Brooks (Drive), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) and Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March)

all received some critic awards, but that momentum did not lead them to any Oscar nominations. In addition, the host of this years Oscars is none other than Billy Crystal. This will be the comedian's ninth time hosting the show after Eddie Murphy suddenly dropped out several months ago. The 84th Academy Awards will air on Feb. 26 on ABC.