by Ramona Taylor

Created on: February 22, 2010   Last Updated: May 07, 2010

On the first Sunday in March 2010, the 82nd Academy Awards will take place and the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, California will be the center of the entertainment world.   With veteran host Steve Martin and newbie Alec Baldwin, the night should prove to be one to remember.   From the Best Picture contest to the Best Director race, fans won’t be disappointed!

Best Picture

When the Academy of Motion Picture Acts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced that it would expand the field for films being considered for Best Picture, the entertainment world was surprised. Some thought the most a discredit to the category. Others thought the move open the field for broader selection of noteworthy pieces.  The 2010 Academy nominees were no disappointment.  The nominees, in alphabetical order, for Best Picture are:

Avatar (Sci-Fi);

The Blind Side (Drama);

District Nine (Sci-Fi);

An Education (Drama);

The Hurt Locker (Thriller);

Inglourious Basterds (Comedy);

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (Drama);

A Serious Man (Black Comedy );

Up (Animated Comedy); and

Up in the Air (Drama).

While Avatar has set many domestic and international box office records this year, the Hurt Locker has received more critical acclaim.  Precious and Brit offering An Education have also received a great deal of buzz from critics.  However, given the results from the Golden Globes and UK Awards, many predict that Hurt Locker may grab the Oscar.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

There are familiar faces in the Best Actor category.  Oscar winners and former nominees fill the line-up with two talented men receiving their first Best Actor nominations.   The nominees for Best Actor are:

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart;

George Clooney - Up in the Air;

Colin Firth - A Single Man;

Morgan Freeman– Invictus; and

Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker.

Jeff Bridges has always offered stellar performances and his career is at a point of resurgence.  He is the odds on favorite. However, you can count out George Clooney and Morgan Freeman, who are no strangers to the Academy with five prior nominations each, and one win for Best Supporting Actor each.  However, it’s Jeremy Renner’s portrayal of Staff Sargent William James that might pull out a surprise win for the first time nominee

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

From sass to sugar, the women in the Best Actress category represent some of the most electrifying performances of the

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