CHRIS CONNELLY TO WELCOME OSCARS(R) RED CARPET GUESTS

Academy Award(R) nominees, presenters and performers arriving on the Red Carpet on Oscar(R) Sunday, February 24, will be greeted by entertainment and sports reporter Chris Connelly, the Academy announced today. This will be Connelly's first stint as the Academy's Red Carpet greeter. Connelly's celebrity chats will be streamed live in the Backstage Pass on Oscar.com and the official Oscars App. The interviews will also be audible to the thousands of bleacher fans and arriving guests.

Connelly is a reporter for ESPN and a contributor on pop culture to ABC News, where he frequently interviews filmmakers and actors. From 2000 to 2007 he was a co-host and interviewer for the official Academy Awards pre-show -- to which he brought the wrong pants only once. He first covered the Red Carpet at the Oscars in 1989 for MTV, where he was the host of the network's movie show, "The Big Picture." From 1987 to 1996 he was an editor and writer for the movie magazine Premiere.

Connelly's stories at ESPN have won three Sports Emmys(R) and six Edward R. Murrow Awards. Since 2006 he's served as correspondent and host for ESPN's yearly "My Wish" series, in collaboration with Make-A-Wish. He was a consulting producer for ESPN Films' documentary series "30 for 30," which won a Peabody Award.

The Oscars Backstage Pass is designed to be the ultimate complement to the live telecast. With more than 20 live cameras strategically placed on the Red Carpet and throughout the backstage area of the Dolby Theatre during the telecast, fans will have insider views into the most memorable moments of the night. The Backstage Pass experience launched in 2011 to much acclaim, and has been recognized with an Emmy for Creative Achievement in Interactive Arts and an Industry Star Mobile Excellence Award. It remains unprecedented in terms of live event second screen access. This Backstage Pass is sponsored by Samsung, and is available for the first time on Android, including Samsung's Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 10.1 and GSIII.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre(TM) at Hollywood & Highland Center(R), and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane. The Oscar presentation will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.