Here is the complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced on Tuesday morning:

1. Best Picture: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Descendants,’’ ‘’Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,’’ ‘’The Help,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Midnight in Paris,’’ ‘’Moneyball,’’ ‘’The Tree of Life,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

2. Actor: Demian Bichir, ‘‘A Better Life”; George Clooney, ‘‘The Descendants”; Jean Dujardin, ‘‘The Artist”; Gary Oldman, ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”; Brad Pitt, ‘‘Moneyball.’’

3. Actress: Glenn Close, ‘‘Albert Nobbs”; Viola Davis, ‘‘The Help”; Rooney Mara, ‘‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Meryl Streep, ‘‘The Iron Lady”; Michelle Williams, ‘‘My Week With Marilyn.’’

4. Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, ‘‘My Week With Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, ‘‘Moneyball”; Nick Nolte, ‘‘Warrior”; Christopher Plummer, ‘‘Beginners”; Max von Sydow, ‘‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.’’

5. Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, ‘‘The Artist”; Jessica Chastain, ‘‘The Help”; Melissa McCarthy, ‘‘Bridesmaids”; Janet McTeer, ‘‘Albert Nobbs”; Octavia Spencer, ‘‘The Help.’’

6. Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, ‘‘The Artist”; Alexander Payne, ‘‘The Descendants”; Martin Scorsese, ‘‘Hugo”; Woody Allen, ‘‘Midnight in Paris”; Terrence Malick, ‘‘The Tree of Life.’’

7. Foreign Language Film: ‘‘Bullhead,’’ Belgium; ‘‘Footnote,’’ Israel; ‘‘In Darkness,’’ Poland; ‘‘Monsieur Lazhar,’’ Canada; ‘‘A Separation,’’ Iran.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, ‘‘The Descendants”; John Logan, ‘‘Hugo”; George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, ‘‘The Ides of March”; Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, ‘‘Moneyball”; Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.’’

9. Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, ‘‘The Artist”; Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, ‘‘Bridesmaids”; J.C. Chandor, ‘‘Margin Call”; Woody Allen, ‘‘Midnight in Paris”; Asghar Farhadi, ‘‘A Separation.’’

10. Animated Feature Film: ‘‘A Cat in Paris”; ‘‘Chico & Rita”; ‘‘Kung Fu Panda 2”; ‘‘Puss in Boots”; ‘‘Rango.’’

11. Art Direction: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Midnight in Paris,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

12. Cinematography: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’The Tree of Life,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

13. Sound Mixing: ‘‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Moneyball,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

14. Sound Editing: ‘‘Drive,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon,’’ ‘’War Horse.’’

15. Original Score: ‘‘The Adventures of Tintin,’’ John Williams; ‘‘The Artist,’’ Ludovic Bource; ‘‘Hugo,’’ Howard Shore; ‘‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,’’ Alberto Iglesias; ‘‘War Horse,’’ John Williams.

16. Original Song: ‘‘Man or Muppet’’ from ‘‘The Muppets,’’ Bret McKenzie; ‘‘Real in Rio’’ from ‘‘Rio,’’ Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

17. Costume: ‘‘Anonymous,’’ ‘’The Artist,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Jane Eyre,’’ ‘’W.E.’’

18. Documentary Feature: ‘‘Hell and Back Again,’’ ‘’If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,’’ ‘’Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,’’ ‘’Pina,’’ ‘’Undefeated.’’

19. Documentary (short subject): ‘‘The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,’’ ‘’God Is the Bigger Elvis,’’ ‘’Incident in New Baghdad,’’ ‘’Saving Face,’’ ‘’The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.’’

20. Film Editing: ‘‘The Artist,’’ ‘’The Descendants,’’ ‘’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Moneyball.’’

21. Makeup: ‘‘Albert Nobbs,’’ ‘’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’The Iron Lady.’’

22. Animated Short Film: ‘‘Dimanche/Sunday,’’ ‘’The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,’’ ‘’La Luna,’’ ‘’A Morning Stroll,’’ ‘’Wild Life.’’

23. Live Action Short Film: ‘‘Pentecost,’’ ‘’Raju,’’ ‘’The Shore,’’ ‘’Time Freak,’’ ‘’Tuba Atlantic.’’

24. Visual Effects: ‘‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’’ ‘’Hugo,’’ ‘’Real Steel,’’ ‘’Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’’ ‘’Transformers: Dark of the Moon.’’

“My Week With Marilyn” is the feature adaptation of the book by the same name, written by Colin Clark. Clark penned the book by using his own journal, which he wrote while working on the set of the 1957 film “The Prince and the Showgirl,” starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. His book focuses on one particular week of production, in which he became extremely close with Hollywood’s biggest star and was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover the real Marilyn Monroe.

Philip Jackson (L) and Eddie Redmayne on the set of "My Week With Marilyn"

With “My Week With Marilyn,” newcomer Eddie Redmayne takes on his first real starring role as inspiring filmmaker Colin Clark. Desperate to work in the movie industry, Clark relentlessly pursues a job at Laurence Olivier Productions and eventually lands the role of third assistant director on Olivier’s latest picture, “The Prince and the Showgirl.” The film – set to star Marilyn Monroe (Williams) and Laurence Olivier (Branagh) – is seen as an important step in both actors’ careers. Monroe hopes that appearing in a film with Olivier will help her be taken more seriously as an actress, and Olivier hopes that appearing alongside Monroe can help resurrect his declining career.

However, it doesn’t take long for the two stars to clash on set. Olivier, a very external actor, can’t stand Monroe’s method approach to acting and her need for acting coach Paula Strasberg (played by Zoë Wanamaker) to be constantly by her side. His patience his further strained by Monroe’s habitual lateness and fairly constant emotional breakdowns, which frequently delay production for hours at a time. Amidst the tension of the production, Colin Clark suddenly makes a connection with Marilyn. She takes a liking to the youthful young man and eventually drops her guard, letting him into her private world that so few people ever got the chance to see.

In “My Week With Marilyn,” excellent performances abound, with an exceptional turn by Kenneth Branagh and impressive leading-man material from Eddie Redmayne. Branagh himself is similar to Olivier in so many ways that it seems so right that he finally portray the British movie titan. But of course everybody will be talking about Michelle Williams for her effortless transformation into Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. From the beginning of the film to the very last frame, you never even seen Williams – its as if you’re seeing Monroe, come back to life for one final farewell appearance. Be sure to expect Williams’ name on this year’s Oscar ballot – she will certainly be a strong contendor for this year’s Best Actress in a Leading Role with this performance.

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn"

But “My Week With Marilyn” offers far more than stellar acting, telling a troubling tale of celebrity that sadly transcends generations and still remains relevant in this day and age. Watching Monroe struggle with the emotional roller coaster of being the world’s biggest icon brings memories of contemporary stars whose lives were also tragically cut short. Though this story takes place over forty years ago, everything these characters face is applicable to today’s entertainment industry and our generation of icons.

What’s also refreshing about this film is that, similar to movies like “Frost/Nixon” and “The Queen,” “My Week With Marilyn” focuses on just a snippet of Monroe’s life. The film doesn’t waste time on Marilyn’s childhood, her rise to fame, or the period of her life leading up to her death. Instead it explores who she really was and what she was like when she stepped out of the spotlight. Through Colin Clark, the audience is given an unprecedented look at the private life of Marilyn Monroe.

Comparisons are already being made to last year’s “The King’s Speech,” and though “Marilyn” is a different film in many ways, it shares at least one rewarding similarity with “Speech.” Both films have a way of making you really care about the main character, regardless of whether you knew anything about them prior to seeing the film. As awards season approaches, Team Marilyn can only hope for the success that “The King’s Speech” had a year ago. Despite how the film ends up performing at the Oscars, “My Week With Marilyn” is easily one of this year’s best pictures.

Well that’s a wrap. Complete list of winners is below.

By the way, compare the winners to our predictions!

Alice in Wonderland wins Achievement in Art Direction

Inception wins Achievement in Cinematography

Melissa Leo wins Best Supporting Actress.

The Lost Thing wins Best Animated Short.

Toy Story 3 wins Best Animated Picture.

Aaron Sorkin wins Best Adapted Screenplay.

David Seidler wins Best Original Screenplay.

In A Better World (Denmark) Wins Best Foreign Film

Christian Bale wins Best Supporting Actor

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross win Best Original Score for “The Social Network”

Inception wins for Best Sound Mixing

Inception wins for Best Sound Editing

The Wolfman wins for Best Makeup

Alice in Wonderland Wins Best Costume Design

Strangers No More Wins Best Documentary Short

God of Love wins Best Live Action Short Film

Inside Job wins Best Documenary

Inception wins Best Visual F/X

The Social Network wins Best Film Editing

“We Belong Together” Wins Best Original Song for Toy Story 3

Tom Hooper wins Best Director for “The King’s Speech”

Natalie Portman Wins Best Actress

Colin Firth Wins Best Actor

The King’s Speech Wins Best Picture

Here, for what it’s worth, are my 2009 Oscar predictions in the six major categories:

Best Picture:

Will Win: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should Win: “Frost/Nixon”
Common consensus is that Sunday night will belong to the Little Movie That Could from India, but for my nerdy journalistic sensibilities, the best movie of the year was Ron Howard’s engaging adaptation of “Frost/Nixon.”

Best Director:

Will Win: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should Win: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
The British director’s crafting of this Indian fairytale into the feel-good movie of the year makes him the favorite, and deservedly so.

Best Actor:

Will Win: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Should Win: Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
The Academy loves a comeback, and Mickey Rourke certainly seems to have reinvented himself with his utterly sacrificial turn in “The Wrestler.” Keep an eye on Sean Penn though, who might emerge as a dark horse victor for voters who might use their ballot to make a political statement in light of Proposition 8′s passing in November.

Best Actress:

Will Win: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Should Win: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Backlash against “The Reader” and, in turn, Winslet’s performance has been building ever since it surged ahead of (presumably) “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E” to nab a Best Picture nomination. Behind “Frost/Nixon” it was my second favorite movie of the year. Between this and her un-nominated performance in “Revolutionary Road” Winslet cemented herself as the best actress working today.

Best Supporting Actor:

Will Win: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Should Win: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Even setting aside the tragedy of his untimely death as a factor in this race, Ledger’s performance is undeniably the standout of the bunch. It’s inconceivable that the Academy would give the award to anyone else. Our condolences, Michael Shannon!

Best Supporting Actress:

Will Win: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Should Win: ????
Penelope Cruz seems to be the favorite here for her turn in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” which I can’t comment on, not having seen the film. But the Academy always reserves it’s WTF vote for one of the supporting categories (see: Alan Arkin, Tilda Swinton), and since Heath Ledger is the closest thing this year to a lock, you can bet this race will end up being a crap shoot. My reasoning is that if voters thought enough of Davis’s 15 minutes of screentime to reward her with a nomination, there’s no reason she can’t take home the prize.

Just on the coattails of the Golden Globe Awards two weeks ago, the 2009 nominees for the Academy Awards were announced Jan. 22. Films “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and “Slumdog Millionaire” were top dogs in the nominee list.

Academy President Sid Ganis, along with Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker, announced the awards at a live news conference. “Benjamin Button” led the pack with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Brad Pitt) and Best Director (David Fincher). The film, based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, is about a man (Pitt) who ages backwards.

“Slumdog Millionaire” wasn’t far behind “Button” with 10 nominations, also including Best Picture and Best Director (Danny Boyle). “Millionaire,” about a young Mumbai man who gets on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be Millionaire,” won Best Picture at the Golden Globe awards on Jan. 11. It’s considered the biggest surprise hit of the year.

One of the bigger surprises was the nomination for “The Reader” for Best Picture, Best Director (Stephen Daldry) Best Actress (Kate Winslet) and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film has gotten seriously mixed reviews, and despite garnering a Golden Globe for Kate Winslet, was largely believed to be inferior to Winslet’s other film this year, “Revolutionary Road”. The latter film received a Supporting Actor nod to Michael Shannon in the acting categories.

As predicted, Heath Ledger was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Dark Knight.” The announcement came on the one year anniversary of Ledger’s death from an accidental overdose. Ledger received a posthumous Best Supporting Actor award at the Golden Globes.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences distributes the awards. The academy is made up of professionals in all aspects of the film industry, who judge the nominees in their respective categories. The Academy Awards themselves will take place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC network on Feb. 22.

Complete list of nominees on the next page.