85th OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED THURSDAY

Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® will be announced by the show's host Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone, Thursday, January 10, 2013. MacFarlane and Stone will unveil the nominations at a 5:30 a.m. (PT) at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world will be gathered.

85th Academy Awards Oscar host Seth MacFarlane

 This will be the first time since 1972 an Oscar show host has participated in the nominations announcement. Before MacFarlane, the late Charlton Heston was the only host to actively engage in making the nominations announcement.

Since the first nominations announcement in 1964, the Academy president has been joined by one or more co-announcers at the event. This year the Academy will break with tradition when MacFarlane, who was named Oscar show host in October, joins Stone on Oscar nominations morning. 

Emma Stone starred in the 2011 Best Picture nominee "The Help" and the summer release "The Amazing Spider-Man." Her other film credits include "Superbad," "Zombieland," "Easy A" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Stone will be seen in "Gangster Squad" later this month and in "The Croods," due out in March.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.