OSCAR�.COM LAUNCHES 78th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARD� NOMINATIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH LIVE ANNOUNCEMENT ON JANUARY 31

Official Site Offers New Video Player with Exclusive Features and Clips, Celebrates 11th Anniversary with Fashion Expert Tom Julian, and Offers Interactive Games and Sweepstakes for Oscar� Fans

Oscar.com, the official site for the 78th Annual Academy Awards, kicked off the exciting Oscar season by announcing the nominations in real-time on www.oscar.com this morning, Tuesday, January 31, at 5:38:30 a.m., PT. Oscar.com was the first site to announce the nominees in all 24 categories, and captures all the buzz and excitement around Hollywood�s biggest night. The site includes exclusive coverage ranging from style and fashion updates, special features on nominated films and nominees, and video featurettes from official Oscar.com fashion expert, Tom Julian, who celebrates 11 years with Oscar.com.

�Fans are looking to the Internet to extend and enhance their television experience, and Oscar.com is the premier online source that offers dedicated, engaging and in-depth coverage at everything Oscars,� said Harry Lin, vice president, ABC.com, which operates Oscar.com. �With even more exciting and exclusive content this year and a redesigned site that illustrates the allure and elegance of the Academy Awards, Oscar.com continues to be the definitive site that offers viewers all around the world Oscar news and entertainment.�

Oscar.com features a complete listing of all the nominees, film trailers and exclusive photo galleries and videos from past Oscar Nights�. This year the site also includes many interactive quizzes like �Your Perfect Oscar Date,� �Name the Oscar Winner,� �Which Character Are You?� and �Know Your Oscar History,� which allow users to test their Academy Awards knowledge. Throughout the weeks leading up to Oscar Night, Oscar.com will continue to release new content to keep Oscar fans updated as the show approaches. On the big night, the site will include an exclusive live webcast from the red carpet, as well as interviews backstage from all the winners in the press room.

Other special features on Oscar.com include:

Oscar Video Player -- For the first time ever, Tom Julian, Oscar.com�s Man of Style, takes fans on an incredible ride into the world of Oscar fashion. In a series of exclusive, originally-produced fashion video pieces, visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look inside the Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive Giorgio Armani store, featuring an interview on the history of Giorgio Armani clothing on the red carpet and Awards Fashion Trends -- Past and Upcoming. There will also be a series of historical segments on various jewelry designers, as well as commentary by top designers who adorn Hollywood�s biggest celebrities for their special night.

Entertainment Weekly �World�s Biggest Oscar Pool� Presented by Netflix -- Once nominations are announced, fans can immediately begin playing by completing an online ballot with their predictions in 24 award categories. Players can compete as individuals or in teams, and can log in and change their predictions as many times as they like prior to the start of the broadcast of the Academy Awards. The entrant with the most correct predictions will win the Grand Prize -- an all expenses paid weekend in

Hollywood with seats on the Oscars 2007 red carpet, where they can view the stars as they arrive; a lifetime membership to Netflix; and an Entertainment Weekly subscription. Additional prizes will be awarded to runners-up as well.

Hold on to Your Dreams -- Building on the theme of this year�s Oscar posters, users will have the chance daily to guess whose hands are clutching the Oscar. The promotion begins today, January 31, and new images will be featured each weekday leading up to the Awards, giving Oscar fans the opportunity to play daily and increase their chances of winning the daily prize, a set of official 78th Academy Awards posters, or the Grand-Prize $2,500 shopping spree.

Designers Vision -- In celebration of style analyst Tom Julian�s 11th anniversary with Oscar.com, he has assembled a showcase of designs and commentary from the world�s top fashion designers. In a first, Oscar-famed designers open up and share the following with fans: original dress sketches, their most memorable Oscar fashion moments, forecasts for this year�s fashion trends, and what their inspirations were for this year�s red carpet designs. In the weeks leading up to the Awards, more fashion features will be rolled out.

The 78th Annual Academy Awards will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Sunday, March 5, 2006, 5:00 p.m., PT/ 8:00 p.m., ET.

About Oscar.com

Oscar.com, the official site of the Academy Awards, is a co-production of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC.com. Oscar.com provides movie fans with exclusive Oscar coverage, featuring nominee biographies, style & fashion news, and new video commentary.