Academy salute to James Bond

This year's Oscar ceremony is to feature a tribute to 50 years of 007.

The Awards' producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have stated, "We are very happy to include a special sequence on our show saluting the Bond films on their 50th birthday."

This news follows speculation that the latest Bond film, Skyfall, may be the first in the series to be nominated for more than just the traditional musical or technical categories on January 10th.

Skyfall has already   landed its first award -  The LA Film Critics Association honoured the 23rd 007 adventure with the Best Cinematography award to Roger Deakins for his outstanding work on the film, the first in the series to be shot digitally. The film has also  garnered a nomination for the top prize at the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Awards and has grossed over $1bn, making it the most successful of the franchise.

The ceremony, taking place on February 24th, is to be hosted this year by Family Guy's Seth McFarlane.