Academy Awards
Director Kathryn Bigelow (C), writer Mark Boal (L) and producer Greg Shapiro pose with their Oscars won for best picture for "Hurt Locker" at the 82nd Academy Awards in Hollywood March 7, 2010. Reuters

The number of the Academy Awards Best Picture nominees will be from 5 to 10 nominees in any year, depending on the number of votes the films get during the preliminary nominations round. The number of nominees will be unknown until the announcement.

From 1927 to 2008, the Academy Awards limited Best Picture nominees to five movies every year. In 2009, they upped the count to 10. It was only for 2 years. This year the system will be changed.

What stood out was that Academy members had regularly shown a strong admiration for more than five movies…..A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit, says executive director Bruce Davis. If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn't feel an obligation to round out the number.

The 84th Annual Academy Award nominations will be published on Jan. 24, 2012. There will be a grand ceremony on February 26.

Grammy award