The nominations for the 74th Annual Academy Awards were announced on February 12, 2002. Effects-heavy THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING topped the list with 13 nominations including Best Visual Effects alongside A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE and PEARL HARBOR. LORD also won spots in major categories like Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Joining LORD OF THE RINGS in the Adapted Screenplay category is DreamWorks' 3D blockbuster SHREK, which was also one of three nominees in the brand new Animated Feature Film category. The two other nominees were also hit films, and also 3D animated: JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS and MONSTERS, INC. Is it telling that the three nominees were the highest-grossing films on the Best Animated Feature shortlist? MONSTERS, INC. scared up three other nominations as well: for Original Score, Original Song and Sound Editing. The Best Animated Short Film nominees are Ruairi Robinson’s dark 3D vision FIFTY PERCENT GREY, Cathal Gaffney’s "animated documentary" GIVE UP YER AUL SINS, Pixar’s latest 3D short FOR THE BIRDS, Joe Merideth’s caveman comedy STUBBLE TROUBLE and Cordell Barker’s tale of other-worldly love STRANGE INVADERS. The Academy will present the awards on March 24, 2002 during a ceremony at the brand new Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California.

For the fifth year in a row, AWN is proud to bring you its annual Oscar Showcase, highlighted with clips, stills and information from all the nominees. And once again, we give you the chance to vote for your favorites in our unofficial Oscar poll. We will announce our winners in the Animated Short Film and Animated Feature categories on March 24, 2002, Oscar Day. So visit the Oscar Showcase, learn more about the nominees and tell us which films you think will win the awards!