Oscar Presenters 2009

Every year, the Oscars feature celebrities (typically actors and actresses) as on-stage presenters to announce the nominees and winners in each category. Presenters often appear in pairs, briefly reading scripts from a teleprompter before presenting the award. Although, the 2009 awards, up to five former winners would present the award to the winner.

Though the ceremony's presenters are often announced prior to the telecast, 2009's 81st Annual Academy Awards broke the mold by keeping the list a secret from the public. Twilight star Robert Pattinson was one of the only confirmed presenters for the night.

Presenters

Performers

Keeping Secrets

For 2009's Academy Awards ceremony, show producers Bill Condon and Laurence Mark made the decision to keep the presenters a secret until the telecast on February 22nd. Citing an added element of mystery, Condon and Mark hoped that it would generate some extra interest in a show that they perceived to have recently lost some of its edge by compromising the element of surprise and spontaneity.

Bloggers and writers began buzzing over who may or may not present at the show. Robert Pattinson, who shot to stardom as Edward Cullen in the 2008 vampire movie Twilight, was leaked as a confirmed presenter for the night.

Possible Performers

In addition to those who present the awards, the Oscars feature several musical performances by well-known artists. Performers for the 2009 ceremony include Beyonce, Amanda Seyfried (from Mamma Mia), and High School Musical stars Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Zac Efron.

2008 Presenters and Winners

2008's 80th Annual Academy Awards featured 31 presenters, among them Jennifer Garner, Tom Hanks and Indiana Jones 4 star Harrison Ford. Traditionally, winners of the Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress return as presenters for the following year's ceremony. 2008 was no exception, with Alan Arkin, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson and Helen Mirren all returning to the stage to hand out awards.

If this custom is to continue, viewers could expect Daniel Day-Lewis (Winner: Best Actor, 2008), Marion Cotillard (Winner: Best Actress, 2008), Javier Bardem (Winner: Best Supporting Actor, 2008) and Tilda Swinton (Winner: Best Supporting Actor, 2008) to present Oscars at the 2009 event.

Award Categories

There are 24 award categories that are televised for the Oscar ceremony, including Best Picture, Best Actor/Actress in a Lead Role, Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Typically, the prestigious Best Picture Oscar is the final award presentation.

About the Academy Awards

The Academy Awards are an annual event celebrating the best in film. Winners are voted on by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The awards are gold statuettes that are widely known by the nickname "Oscar."