Oscar Buzz Builds as Celebs and Fans Get Psyched for the Big Night

With the country so wrapped up in the Winter Olympics these last two weeks, it seemed like Academy Award buzz was a little late in coming.

But with the awards show around the corner — this Sunday, to be exact — the excitement is officially building and millions of folks across the globe are eager to see which flicks and stars bring home the top honors this year.

The Best Picture race promises to be particularly intriguing this year because there are now 10 films vying for the trophy, up from the usual five.

According to Agence France Presse, the move was designed to help boost TV ratings, the idea being that the list now includes more mainstream box office hits that translates into more fans tuning in to see if their faves win.

"The decision followed the controversial omission at last year's awards of 2008 Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight, a much-admired movie that many in Hollywood felt was deserving of a best picture nomination," wrote Paula Bustamante of AFP.

This year's Best Picture nominees include:

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

And just in case you were worried, we can officially report that celebs in Hollywood are definitely not waiting until Sunday to celebrate the big show. According to The Associated Press, the entertainment website The Wrap held its Oscar bash Monday night, which attracted former Oscar winners like Adrian Brody and Robert Duvall. The Envelope, the Los Angeles Times' awards section, hosted its soiree Tuesday at The Hollywood Museum, which featured items from several Oscar-nominated films, including military uniforms from The Hurt Locker, Sandra Bullock's dress from The Blind Side, Meryl Streep's costumes from Julie & Julia and Brad Pitt's Nazi-whupping outfit from Inglourious Basterds.

Expect the Oscar din to get progressively louder with each upcoming day, and have fun watching the big event Sunday!

Photo by Greg in Hollywood via Flickr.