Big winners to present at Oscars, Tony Bennett to perform at Ball

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES

Last year's best actor winner Colin Firth will serve as a presenter, as well as best actress winner Natalie Portman. Firth won for "The King's Speech" and Portman for "Black Swan."

Best supporting actor winner Christian Bale has been asked to present this year, and best supporting actress Melissa Leo will also be on hand to help out. Both Bale and Leo won for their roles in "The Fighter."

Bale, Firth, Leo and Portman join a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters including Tina Fey, Bradley Cooper, Chris Rock, Emma Stone, Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig and even Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

It was also announced on Thursday that all of the stars will be treated to a concert by Tony Bennett at the annual Governors Ball. He will perform for the ball's 1,500 guests which includes winners, nominees and presenters.

The event will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center.

Bennett, who celebrated his 85th birthday, made music history last September when his "Duets II" album debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, making him the oldest artist to grab the top spot.

In early February, Bennett also won his 16th and 17th Grammys for best traditional pop vocal album for "Duets II" and best pop duo/group performance for "Body and Soul," which he recorded with late Amy Winehouse. He won his first Grammy in 1962 for "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

Check out moments in Oscar history on the interactive timeline available on the official Oscar.com website.

Oscar.com also hosts the official Oscar blog, which will feature red carpet fashion trends and tips from chef and lifestyle experts for hosting the best Oscar party.

Leading up to the ceremony, "On The Red Carpet" co-host Rachel Smith will be doing interviews with hair and fashion stylists and makeup artists for the "Best Dressed" video series featured on Oscar.com.

The awards ceremony will air live on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 on ABC7.

  • Live coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. PT with On The Red Carpet at the Oscars.
  • Live coverage of red carpet arrivals begins at 4 p.m.
  • The 84th annual Academy Awards starts at 5:30 p.m.
  • A complete wrap-up of the winners and after parties starts at 8:30 p.m.

OnTheRedCarpet.com will have complete coverage of the Oscar season, including an exclusive interactive live stream show LIVE from the red carpet. Follow @OnTheRedCarpet on Twitter and "Like" On The Red Carpet on Facebook, and download our FREE entertainment news app for the iPhone and iPad.

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