The 2013 Oscars LIVE: Complete Coverage of Nominees, Winner and Losers

Culture

The 85th Academy Awards promises to be this year's biggest night in Hollywood.

With a completely new voting system that already promises surprises for this season's outcome, the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be sure to take charge of every aspect of the show this year.

After the controversy surrounding the development of the 84th program, host Seth McFarlane will be free to explore quite a range of hosting personalities, so long as he tries something different from last year's tried-and-true Billy Crystal and performs better than the oft-panned duo of James Franco and Anne Hathaway.

This year's focus will more likely be on the pictures themselves, with the first milestone being the announcement of major category nominees on January 10th by McFarlane and Emma Stone. Unlike last season where The Artist had been the clear front-runner for some time, 2012 presents a more level playing field. Though it was the year of the big-franchises, superhero movies and action blockbusters, historical-with-a-twist films are crowding the Academy's radar, with no clear lead and no hints as to even how many nominees there will be. As the campaign goes on and the big night approaches, keep checking back for all of your Oscar needs.