# Best Picture nominees at the 2012 Oscars: all nine films

> All nine Best Picture nominees at the 2012 Oscars, from winner The Artist to Hugo, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris and The Help.

Source: https://rankiew.app/blog/oscars-2012-best-picture-nominees
Published: 2026-10-07
Author: Rankiew
Tags: oscars, oscars 2012, best picture, the artist, oscar history

The 84th Academy Awards took place on February 26, 2012, hosted by Billy Crystal. The Artist and Hugo won five Oscars each, two love letters to early cinema, and the silent French film took the top prize.

# The nine Best Picture nominees of 2012

## 1. The Artist (2011) · Winner

::film[The Artist|2011]

A silent film star sees his world fall apart with the arrival of sound.

- **Director:** Michel Hazanavicius
- **Genre:** Drama, Comedy

**Worth it if:** you want a love letter to old Hollywood.

**Oscars:** Winner: Best Picture

## 2. The Descendants (2011)

::film[The Descendants|2011]

A Hawaiian landowner learns of his dying wife's affair and reconnects with his daughters.

- **Director:** Alexander Payne
- **Genre:** Drama, Comedy

**Worth it if:** you enjoy bittersweet family comedies.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

::film[Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close|2011]

A boy who lost his father on 9/11 searches New York for the lock of a mysterious key.

- **Director:** Stephen Daldry
- **Genre:** Drama

**Worth it if:** you are ready to cry over a very sad story.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 4. The Help (2011)

::film[The Help|2011]

A young writer in 1960s Mississippi records the stories of Black maids.

- **Director:** Tate Taylor
- **Genre:** Drama, History

**Worth it if:** you want an emotional drama about racism in the South.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 5. Hugo (2011)

::film[Hugo|2011]

An orphan in a Paris station discovers the secret of a pioneer of cinema.

- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Genre:** Adventure, Drama

**Worth it if:** you love the history of cinema.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 6. Midnight in Paris (2011)

::film[Midnight in Paris|2011]

A writer in Paris is carried back to the 1920s every midnight.

- **Director:** Woody Allen
- **Genre:** Comedy, Fantasy

**Worth it if:** you want a light fantasy for lovers of art and Paris.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 7. Moneyball (2011)

::film[Moneyball|2011]

Billy Beane rebuilds the Oakland Athletics using statistics.

- **Director:** Bennett Miller
- **Genre:** Drama, Biography

**Worth it if:** you like smart sports films about numbers.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 8. The Tree of Life (2011)

::film[The Tree of Life|2011]

A 1950s Texas family's story is intertwined with the origin of the universe.

- **Director:** Terrence Malick
- **Genre:** Drama

**Worth it if:** you want a poetic, cosmic and demanding film.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

## 9. War Horse (2011)

::film[War Horse|2011]

A boy and his horse are separated by World War I.

- **Director:** Steven Spielberg
- **Genre:** War, Drama

**Worth it if:** you love grand old-style war adventures.

**Oscars:** Nominated: Best Picture

# What won Best Picture at the 2012 Oscars?

The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, won Best Picture, and Jean Dujardin won Best Actor.

# Which one is your favorite?

Pick your favorite on Rankiew: rate every film, write reviews, build lists and start clubs to talk movies with friends.

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**More from the series:** [Oscars 2021: every nominee and winner, category by category](/blog/oscars-2021-all-nominees)