“DJANGO UNCHAINED,” “TED,” “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” AND “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” LEAD NOMINATIONS FOR THE “2013 MTV MOVIE AWARDS”

Winner Voting For 12 Returning and All-New Categories Opens Today, March 5 at MovieAwards.MTV.com

Jennifer Lawrence, Seth MacFarlane, Emma Watson, Jamie Foxx, Bradley Cooper, and Rebel Wilson Vie for the Most Golden Popcorns during the “2013 MTV Movie Awards” Airing Live on Sunday, April 14 at 9:00 P.M. ET/PT on MTV

NEW YORK, NY (MARCH 5, 2013) – MTV announced the categories and nominees for the “2013 MTV Movie Awards” live today on MTV and MTV.com honoring the actors and films that enthralled and electrified audiences this year. Leading the pack with seven nominations each are Quentin Tarantino’s sweeping American slavery Western Django Unchained and Seth MacFarlane’s bromantic comedy Ted, followed by the critically acclaimed Silver Linings Playbook with six nods and the epic blockbuster conclusion to the Batman trilogy The Dark Knight Rises with five. Rounding out the most nominated films are The Avengers, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Pitch Perfect and Skyfall with four each. Fans will have the “Power of the Popcorn” in their hands as voting begins today, Tuesday, March 5 at MovieAwards.MTV.com through Saturday, April 13.

Airing LIVE on Sunday, April 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT from the Sony Pictures Studios Lot in Culver City, CA, the “2013 MTV Movie Awards” will serve as the official kick off to the Summer Blockbuster season with its trademark irreverent celebration of the movies, actors and music that audiences love. Previously announced, rising superstar Rebel Wilson, nominated for “Best Female Performance” and “Breakthrough Performance” as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect, will star as host and be joined by MTV’s Inaugural “Comedic Genius Award” recipient Will Ferrell, who is nominated for “Best On-Screen Duo” with Zach Galifianakis for The Campaign.

Keeping with the show’s tradition of celebrating current cultural memes, this year’s telecast will introduce two new categories. Abdominally blessed nominees Channing Tatum (Magic Mike), Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), Daniel Craig (Skyfall) and Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises) will sweat it out against fan-favorite stuffed bear Seth MacFarlane as Ted for the crown of “Best Shirtless Performance,” while unforgettable moments from Les Misérables, Magic Mike, Pitch Perfect, Silver Linings Playbook and The Perks of Being a Wallflower will compete to win the inaugural “Best Musical Moment” award.

Leading lady and recent Academy Award® winner Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook and House at the End of the Street) joins fellow female front-runners Emma Watson (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect), Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables) and Mila Kunis (Ted) for the chance to take home the most Golden Popcorns. At the head of the pack for the men are Seth MacFarlane as Ted (Ted), Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and Channing Tatum (Magic Mike). As in previous years, the category of “Movie of the Year” will remain an ongoing battle throughout the 22nd annual “2013 MTV Movie Awards” telecast. Additional presenters, performers and special award recipients will be announced at a later date.

Emma Watson (“Best Female Performance,” “Best Kiss,” “Best Musical Moment”) had the following to say about her nominations: "I am so excited to have been nominated for three MTV Movie Awards for Perks of Being a Wallflower! I love the show and I love this movie! I'm so thrilled."

Nominees for the “2013 MTV Movie Awards” are as follows (*denotes new category):

MARK WAHLBERG AND TED TO PRESENT AT OSCARS®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Mark Wahlberg and his teddy bear co-star “Ted” will be presenters on the Oscar® show, telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

"We are happy to make it possible for Mark and Ted to make their debut appearance on the Oscar stage," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. "And we won't deny that Ted used his pull with our host to get himself the booking."

Wahlberg and Ted starred in the hit summer comedy “Ted,” which is now the highest-grossing R-rated original comedy of all time.

"I'm excited to present an Oscar with Mark Wahlberg," said Ted. "I'm spending the next month learning to pronounce 'Quvenzhané.'"

Wahlberg has twice been nominated for Academy Awards®, in 2006 for his supporting role in “The Departed,” and in 2010 as a producer of the Best Picture nominee “The Fighter.”

Wahlberg and Ted join a stellar list of previously announced Oscar performers including Adele, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

NORAH JONES TO PERFORM NOMINATED SONG FROM "TED" LIVE ON OSCAR® TELECAST

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter Norah Jones will perform “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from the motion picture “Ted,” telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. “Everybody Needs a Best Friend,” with music by Walter Murphy and lyrics by Seth MacFarlane, is nominated for an Original Song Oscar.  This will be Jones’s first time performing on an Oscar show.

"I had such a great time recording this song with Seth, and was thrilled to find out that it was nominated for an Oscar,” said Jones.  “Getting to perform it at such a prestigious event, which my friend is hosting, is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

 "We are happy to have Norah Jones perform Seth's and Walter Murphy's nominated song on our Oscar telecast," said producers Zadan and Meron. "We are big admirers of Norah's singing and she will help celebrate the unique circumstance of having an Oscar host who is also nominated for Best Original Song."

Jones emerged on the world stage with the 2002 release of her debut “Come Away With Me,” which sold more than 10 million copies and earned her five Grammy Awards. Since then, Jones has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums – “Feels Like Home” (2004), “Not Too Late” (2007), “The Fall” (2009), and “Little Broken Hearts” (2012) – as well as two albums with her country collective, The Little Willies.  The 2010 compilation “...Featuring Norah Jones” showcased Jones’s versatility through collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock and Foo Fighters.

Jones’s songs have been featured many times on motion picture soundtracks, and she made her feature film acting debut in “My Blueberry Nights” in 2007.

Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

SETH MacFARLANE TO HOST 85TH OSCARS®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Seth MacFarlane will host the 85th Academy Awards®, telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. This will be MacFarlane's first appearance on Oscar's stage. The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, on the ABC Television Network.

"We are thrilled to have Seth MacFarlane host the Oscars. His performing skills blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh," said Zadan and Meron. "He will be the consummate host, and we are so happy to be working with him."

"It's truly an overwhelming privilege to be asked to host the Oscars," said MacFarlane. "My thoughts upon hearing the news were, one, I will do my utmost to live up to the high standards set forth by my predecessors; and two, I hope they don't find out I hosted the Charlie Sheen Roast."

"Seth is unbelievably talented," said Academy President Hawk Koch. "We couldn't be happier with the creative team we've assembled. With Craig, Neil, and now Seth, we're off to a great start."

MacFarlane made his feature directorial debut this summer with the box office success "Ted. "He also co-wrote and produced the film, and voiced the title character. "Ted" has brought in over $420 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

MacFarlane is the creative force behind the television series "Family Guy" and co-creator of "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show. "In September he hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time, for the show's 38th season premiere. An accomplished live performer, MacFarlane has played to sold-out audiences at London's Royal Albert Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall.In 2011 he released his debut album, "Music Is Better Than Words," which earned two Grammy® nominations. He also has earned 13 Emmy® nominations and won two for his work on "Family Guy."

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®. Don Mischer will direct the telecast for the third consecutive time. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

SOURCE The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences