84th Academy Awards Ceremony Begins At Hollywood

Hollywood's biggest night got under way on Sunday with the start of the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, as two odes to
film-making -- "The Artist" and "Hugo" -- go head-to-head for Oscars glory.
"The Artist," a silent black-and-white tribute to American cinema, earned 10 Oscar nominations, just one fewer than Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," a 3D family film that looks at the work of a early French film pioneer.
Billy Crystal, in his ninth appearance as Oscars host, opened the show with a comic video montage of scenes from films nominated for best picture and others from 2011 that earned warm applause from the A-list audience.
Following months of campaigning and a flurry of lesser prizes, Tinseltown's annual awards season has reached its high point with the most prestigious honors of them all the coveted golden Oscar statuettes.
Hundreds of millions around the globe were expected to tune in for the ceremony, after A-listers strutted their stuff down the most-watched red carpet in the world.