With just minutes to go before the Oscar nominations are announced, we thought we would share some of the tributes coming in for Alan Rickman.

Image source, Reuters

Arguably in a bid to steer clear of the #OscarsSoWhite which trended on social media after last year's nominations, the Academy has chosen to make Chris Rock this year's Oscar host - taking over the reigns from last year's lacklustre first-timer Neil Patrick Harris.

It's Rock's second time in the role, after his first stint in 2005 when the comedian won mixed reviews, with Entertainment Weekly calling him "a springy, gleeful host" while USA Today labelled it "loud, snide and dismissive".

So will he return older and wiser? We hope not.

Read our 2005 review of Chris Rock's

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There's probably not much chance of hearing the name Dick Poop, oops, we mean Dick Pope during this year's nominations, unfortunately. 

Last year, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaac mispronounced the cinematographer's name when he was nominated for Mr Turner, sending the internet into a tizz.

Luckily, the Brit took it in good humour, and said he had "been called a lot worse in my time".   

He recently worked on the Krays biopic Legend, starring Tom Hardy as both twins, but the film has been largely overlooked during awards season.

Mark Savage
Music reporter

Pop star Sam Smith is a dead cert in the best original song category, thanks to his Bond theme Writing's On The Wall. 

But the singer could score a double nomination, thanks to his writing credit on Flashlight, from the a capella comedy Pitch Perfect 2?

To make the cut, he'll have to beat the likes of Ellie Goulding's Fifty Shades theme, Love Me Like You Do; and Wiz Khalifa's See You Again, a touching tribute to action star Paul Walker, who died during production on Fast & Furious 7. 

Other potential nominees include Simple Song #3, which is "written" by the protagonist of Paolo Sorrentino's film Youth, about a composer at the end of his career (the song is actually by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lang and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra). 

And perhaps Lady Gaga can capitalise on the goodwill from her Sound of Music medley at last year's Oscars to secure a nomination for Til It Happens To You, from the movie The Hunting Ground. 

Keily Smith
Entertainment reporter

Excited or miffed at this year's contenders for the 2016 Academy Awards. 

Let us know what you think has been overlooked or is getting far too much attention than it deserves. Or maybe you actually agree with the voters...

Here are the ways you can get in touch:

Tweet @BBCNewsEnts, external or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk

Image source, Oscar.com

Host Chris Rock heads up this year's Oscars promotional campaign, with the strapline: 'We all dream in gold'.

A series of black and white posters feature Academy Award winners including Meryl Streep, Lupita Nyong'o, George Clooney.

British stars Daniel Day Lewis and Tilda Swinton also feature in the poster campaign, alongside French star Marion Cotillard and Javier Bardem.

"Some dream of falling in love. Others dream of galaxies far, far away. And some dream of changing the world," intones Morgan Freeman in the TV ad, with clips from some of the year's biggest hits. Watch it below.

Image source, Getty Images

A family statement reads: "The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends."

Harry Potter and Die Hard actor Alan Rickman has died aged 69. 

More to follow.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson now appear to be favourites for the best actor and best actress Oscar, following their success at Sunday's Golden Globes - and if they weren't nominated today, it would signal a major snub by Academy voters.

Industry expert and Hollywood Reporter journalist Scott Feinberg updated his Oscar predictions yesterday - and perhaps the most surprising name on his list, is nine-year-old Jacob Tremblay in the best actor category.

Tremblay's performance, as a young boy who has spent his whole life trapped in a single room with his kidnapped mother, has been much admired - but expect an outcry if he nudges out Michael Fassbender's performance in the eponymous Steve Jobs, as Feinberg has intimated. FYI: DiCaprio, Eddie Redmayne, Matt Damon and Bryan Cranston are his other picks for best actor.

Image source, AP

Image source, Getty Images

A lot has happened since last year - so we'll let you off, if you've forgotten who won the major awards. 

To jog your memory, here's a rundown: 

• Best picture: Birdman
• Best director: Alejandro G Inarritu (Birdman)
• Best actor: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
• Best actress: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
• Best supporting actor: JK Simmons (Whiplash)
• Best supporting actress: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Yesterday saw the Directors' Guild announced their shortlist for this year DGAs - typically a strong indicator of Oscar nominees.

According to the Los Angeles Times, external - those directors nominated - The Revenant's Alejandro G Inarritu, Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Adam McKay (The Big Short), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) and The Martian's Ridley Scott - are now "all but certain to land Oscar nominations for best picture".

Image source, Entertainment One

The number of best picture nominees is not fixed and can be anywhere between five and 10 films. The past two years have seen eight and nine films nominated in the best picture category respectively.

Other contenders for this year's shortlist, aside from those cited in the Directors Guild Award nominations, are Carol, Brooklyn, Bridge of Spies, Inside Out and, just maybe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Another day, another list of nominations. But this time, it's the big one... The Oscars.

Life of Pi director Ang Lee - himself a two-time Oscar winner - will be joined by Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro and US Office star John Krasinski, alongside Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, to announce nominations in 24 categories.

The live broadcast is timed to coincide with the morning news shows in the States, which - in Los Angeles - means the ungodly hour of 05:30.

Fortunately for those of us here in Blighty, that's lunchtime - which gives us plenty of time to give you the critics' thoughts on whose in the running, and what to expect...