ACADEMY MEMBERS SELECTING NOMINEES FOR OSCAR®

Nominations voting for the 85th Academy Awards® opened at 8 a.m. PT, Monday, December 17, for the 5,856 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Members will have until 5 p.m. PT, Thursday, January 3, 2013, to vote electronically. Paper ballots must be received at the Academy prior to the above deadline. Any paper ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. Nominations and final Awards ballots will be tabulated and verified by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to ensure that all aspects of the balloting process are accurate and secure.

This will be the first year the Academy is providing its membership the opportunity to vote electronically. Several voting resources will be available to members, including assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, and a 24-hour support call center during voting periods.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Comedian, writer, producer Seth MacFarlane is this year’s host of the 85th Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012. Awards will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

OPTIONS FOR OSCAR® VOTING - A DEADLINE EXTENDED

NEW PROCEDURES FOR OSCAR® VOTING - A DEADLINE EXTENDED

This year, for the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® will provide its membership the opportunity to vote electronically. Several voting resources will be available to members during the transition, including assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, and a 24-hour support call center during voting periods.

The voting period for nominations begins on Monday, December 17 and closes Thursday, January 3. Members must either register to vote electronically or request a paper ballot.

The original deadline for requesting a paper ballot was November 30. The Academy announced this past week that the deadline for requesting a paper ballot has been extended to Friday, December 14. Those who have not yet registered to vote online may still register to vote online through Wednesday, January 2, 2013.

This is being done to ensure that all Academy members fully understand all the voting options that are available to them this year. The Academy reports that the majority of the 6000 plus Academy members have already registered to vote online in the 85th Academy Awards® Race.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013.

The broadcast originates live from 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.