Oscars ceremony begins in Hollywood

Billy Crystal performs during the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

HOLLYWOOD — Hollywood’s biggest night got under way on Sunday with the start of the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, as two odes to film-making — “The Artist” and “Hugo” — go head-to-head for Oscars glory.

“The Artist,” a silent black-and-white tribute to American cinema, is up for 10 Oscars, just one fewer than Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” a 3D family film that looks at the work of a early French film pioneer.