In a move somewhat akin to having George Clooney announce the Oscar nominations, Uggie the dog announced on Wednesday that the top nominee for the first Golden Collar Awards, which honor canine performances in film and television, is -- Uggie the dog.

Uggie, the much-celebrated star of The Artist, received a pair of nominations in the marquee category of Best Dog in a Theatrical Film - one for The Artist, and the other for his performance as Queenie in Water for Elephants.

He'll be going up against Cosmo, Denver and Hummer, who were nominated for their roles in Beginners, 50/50 and Young Adult, respectively.

Uggie was on hand to help with the nominations announcement, which was made with the help of his human co-star in The Artist, Penelope Ann Miller.

The most interesting race in the other four categories in clearly the impending dogfight in the Best Dog in a Reality Television Series category, where three nominees from Real Housewives shows (Giggy and Jackpot from Beverly Hills and Millou from New York City) are expected to make mincemeat of Spartacus from Ice Loves Coco and Hercules from Pit Boss before turning their claws on each other.

And while Aki Kaurismaki's Le Havre was surprisingly left off the shortlist in the Oscar Foreign-Language category, the Finnish director can no doubt console himself with the knowledge that his canine lead, Laika, is up for Best Dog in a Foreign Film.

The Golden Collar Awards are the creation of the online magazine Dog News Daily, and will take place on Monday, February 13 at the dog-friendly Hotel Palomar in Los Angeles. Proceeds will benefit L.A.-area dog rescue shelters and organizations.

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