After a decade of absence, director Steven Spielberg is once again dominating the Oscar Nominations in 2013. The filmmaker's historical epic, "Lincoln" led the pack of contenders with 12 Academy Award nominations, including best picture.
While he's easily one of the most financially and critically successful directors ever - six of his films have been previously nominated for Oscars, including "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List" - Speilberg's name hadn't been mentioned much in recent years at the ceremony. The filmmaker's movies, such as "War Horse" and "Munich," in recent years had earned little more than respect at the award show.
But Speilberg owned the 85th Oscar nominations. In addition to best picture, "Lincoln" also received best director, best actor (for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of the 16th president's battle to end slavery), best supporting actress (Sally Field), best supporting actor, and best adapted screenplay (Tony Kushner) nods.
Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's iconic novel "Life of Pi" came in a close second place to Speilberg's film, taking home 11 nominations. Many who had hoped to work on the movie had long deemed the project "unfilmable", but Lee has been lauded for his groundbreaking use of 3D to bring the story of a young spiritually curious boy surviving in a lifeboat with a tiger following a shipwreck to brilliant life. "Life of Pi" brought hom nominations in coveted categories such as best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay.
"Les Miserables" and "Silver Linings Playbook" were 2013's other big winners at the nominations, each scoring eight nods from the Academy, including best picture.
As Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone announced the Oscar nominations Thursday morning, a few much buzzed about names were conspicuously missing from the best director category: Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty"), Tom Hooper ("Les Miserables"), and Ben Affleck ("Argo"). All were highly anticipated to receive nominations, but when McFarlane listed the nominees they were nowhere to be found.
They weren't forgotten entirely, though. "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo" did receive nods for best picture, where they'll compete against "Amour," "Django Unchained," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln" and "Silver Linings Playbook."
Filmmakers who received nods for their Achievement in Directing this year include Steven Spielberg ("Lincoln"), David O. Russell ("Silver Linings"), Ang Lee ("Life of Pi"), Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts") and Michael Haneke ("Amour").
Familiar faces grace the Academy's nominations for best actor this year. Daniel Day-Lewis ("Lincoln"), Hugh Jackman ("Les Miserables"), Joaquin Phoenix ("The Master"), Denzel Washington ("Flight") and Bradley Cooper ("Silver Linings") will duke it our for the award.
Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings"), Emmanuelle Riva ("Amour"), Quvenzhane Wallis ("Beasts") and Naomi Watts ("The Impossible") are all in the running for best actress. At nine-years-old, Wallis is the youngest actress to ever be nominated for the award; at 85-years-old, Riva is the oldest.
The best supporting actor award will go to a veteran award winner no matter who takes home the trophy this year. Every nominee in the category has won an Oscar before. The nominees include Alan Arkin ("Argo"), Robert De Niro ("Silver Linings"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Master"), Tommy Lee Jones ("Lincoln") and Christoph Waltz ("Django").
Amy Adams ("The Master"), Sally Field ("Lincoln"), Anne Hathaway ("Les Mis"), Helen Hunt ("The Sessions") and Jacki Weaver ("Silver Linings Playbook") will compete for best supporting actress.
For a full list of nominees click here.
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