Oscar Noms Out Today

The prestigious list of films, actors, and actresses nominated for Academy Awards came out early this morning. Leading the pack for the 79th annual event is Dreamgirls, the movie based on the Broadway musical of the same name, earned a total of 8 nominations. Yet, it was shut out of the Best Picture category.

And the nominees are...

Best Picture

The Departed

Babel

Letters from Iwo Jima

The Queen

Little Miss Sunshine

Best Actor

Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson

Peter O'Toole, Venus

Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond

Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness

Best Actress

Penélope Cruz, Volver

Judi Dench, Notes On A Scandal

Helen Mirren, The Queen

Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

Kate Winslet, Little Children

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine

Jackie Earle Haley, Little children

Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond

Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes On A Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Best Director

Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima

Stephen Fears, The Queen

Paul Greengrass, United 93

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel

Martin Scorsese, The Departed

It is most certainly going to be an entertaining show come February 25th. This year's host is the ever popular and funny Ellen DeGeneres.

Complete List of Nominations

Fun fact of the day: This Meryl Streep's 14th Academy Award Nomination, a new record.

My Opinion: Some real surprises this year. Dreamgirls didn't get a Best Picture nomination?! I'm very happy that Little Miss Sunshine did get a nom over the musical. I'm excited for 10 year old Abigail Breslin being nominated for her heart warming role as the nerdy beauty queen wannabe, also in Little Miss Sunshine.

Here are my picks:

Best Picture goes to The Departed (though I am pulling for Little Miss Sunshine).

Best Actor is DiCaprio. He's been waiting for a long time, and even though it's not for The Departed, he deserves it for a year of hard work and excellent acting.

Best Actress goes to the Devil herself, Meryl Streep.

Best Supporting Actor...I'm going out on a limb and saying Eddie Murphy. He was given a great opportunity to shine in Dreamgirls, and that is just what he did.

Best Supporting Actress will be Jennifer Hudson. The American Idol runner up will silence Simon forever. Her powerful voice and emotional performance in Dreamgirls has won her this category. I am pulling for little Abigail though!

Director will be Martin Scorsese. His Boston mob movie was an extremely entertaining work, with outstanding acting and plot.