Meryl Streep And The 2012 Oscars

It has been just less than three months ago that “The King's Speech” obtained the top honors at the Oscars,the 2012 race has already begun with many contenders.

On top of the list is Meryl Streep who stars as the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady". The versatile actress Meryl Streep, has racked up a record 16 Oscar nominations.Streep had won her first Oscar award for her performance in "Kramer Vs Kramer" (1979). Streep also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her film "Sophie's Choice" in 1982. She was last nominated for the Oscars in 2009 for her performance as French chef Julia Child in "Julie and Julia". However, sadly she had lost that race for Best Actress to Sandra Bullock, who won it for "The Blind Side".

Electronic Voting To Be Used for The Academy Awards

The annual mailing of the official Oscar ballots, one of the rituals in the annual Academy Awards cycle will soon be a thing of the past. Lately, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which presents the Oscars, sent a letter advising its 6,000 voting members that an electronic system for Oscar voting will be implemented at the earliest and will positively be in effect by next year.

The letter, which was signed by Kimberly Roush, the academy’s director of membership asked its members for a personal email address which is different from anything that goes to an assistant or intermediary. Ms Roush stated that at some point, once the system is up and running, mailed ballots will be eliminated.

The much expected shift to electronic voting could have a huge impact for the awards season. By eliminating the lag time that arrives with paper ballots, which were sent through the mail, the academy’s governors could change the awards night from late February to an earlier weekend.

Nicole Kidman Allows Fans to Touch Her Oscar

Nicole Kidman has said jokingly that people are welcome to visit her parents' house and touch her Oscar Award. She had won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours in 2002 and had narrated the experience as magical. 

The Hollywood star was raised in Sydney, Australia during most of her childhood, and it carries an exceptional place in her heart. Hence she decided the iconic golden statue should remain at her parents' home in the city.

She told the British edition of InStyle, that it’s on the mantle of her parents' house in Sydney. People in the neighbourhood could come and touch that gold Oscar.

Remembering her childhood, the Australian actress also explained that as a little girl, Hollywood seemed like a fairy-tale place to her. Nicole recalled watching the Academy Awards on TV and compared the American movie industry to a magical, yet surreal, place.

She mentioned that as a little girl in Australia, she had watched the American film industry from afar. She added that she remembered being six or seven and watching the Oscars in her pyjamas, drinking hot chocolate, in this tiny little suburb of Sydney and that it had seemed like a faraway land, like Oz.

Her words were…There's a bit of magic involved in winning an Academy Award .

AMPAS Releases Dates for 2012 Oscars

Inspite of 2011’s uninspiring affair, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has  announced that no changes will be made to the date for the 84th Academy Awards that will be held in 2012.The Oscar Awards 2012 will be held on Sunday, Feb 26 with final ballots due on Feb 21.

Last year, the academy contemplated moving the affair up at least a month in an effort to battle the awards fatigue that has crept into the season due to manifold award shows that begin in January and carry on, practically every weekend, upto the Oscars. Eventually, the academy held off on moving up the event due to uncertainties that the NFL playoff season would get in the way and that voters wouldn't have sufficient time to see all the films before voting.Though Academy President Tom Sherak has indicated that he'd still like to push up the timing of the show, that issue has been tabled for the approaching year.

Nominations will be announced on Jan. 24 2012.

Cate Blanchett And Her Couture At The Academy Awards 2011

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett’s Givenchy Couture gown at this year's Academy Awards, created quite a stir, leaving most people with several different of opinions. The others present for the Awards either loved it, or hated it. And Cate Blanchett spoke about her bold fashion choice with Instyle Magazine while promoting her film Hanna.

She said that majority of people get so worried about dressing for other people, on the other hand one needs to wear what one likes. In case people get it, they get it and if they don’t, then it doesn’t matter. There are so few houses that can manage to do couture,and since the red carpet is such an amazing showcase that one needs to celebrate it. She stated that the reason behind the choice of her dress that was it was very architectural and the breast piece was made all out of elastic.Additionally she said that she was really tempted to wear it due to the color combination.