Countdown to the Oscars: Lincoln leads with 12 nominations

By Osagie Alonge

The 2012 American historical drama film Lincoln has received the highest number of nominations, a whopping 12, at the upcoming Academy Awards aka The Oscars.

The nomination list which was unveiled on Thursday, January 10, 2012 by Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone, sees Lincoln with 12 nods including best picture director for Steven Spielberg and acting honours for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.

‘Lincoln’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ competes with ‘Les Miserables,’ ‘Django Unchained,’ ‘Amour,’ ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘Argo,’ ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ and ‘Life of Pi’ for Best Picture.

The Best Actor category fields Bradley Cooper (‘Silver Linings Playbook’), Daniel Day-Lewis (‘Lincoln’), Hugh Jackman (‘Les Miserables’), Joaquin Phoenix (‘The Master’) and Denzel Washington (‘Flight’) battling it out for the coveted spot.

Jessica Chastain (‘Zero Dark Thirty’), Jennifer Lawrence (‘Silver Linings Playbook’), Emmanuelle Riva (‘Amour’), Quvenzhané Wallis (‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’) and Naomi Watts (‘The Impossible’) all received nods in the Best female actor category.

Steven Spielberg (‘Lincoln’), Michael Haneke (‘Amour’), Benh Zeitlin (‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’), Ang Lee (‘Life of Pi) and David O. Russell (‘Silver Linings Playbook’) all battle for the ‘Best Director’ award.

The awards are scheduled to hold on February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre.