Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) with Academy President Hawk Koch. Photo: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Unlikely Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis standing in front of a roomful of the Academy's Class of 2012 paints a poignant portrait. One year ago, Beasts of the Southern Wild was heading from its dramatic debut at the Sundance Film Festival to a surprise Closing Night slot at Film Society of Lincoln Center, wrapping up New Directors/New Films 2012. The film built momentum throughout the year en route to four Oscar nominations and Wallis's shining moment with her new peers on Monday at an Academy Award Nominee lunch in Beverly Hills. 

Rare pairings were captured by AMPAS photograhers as they roamed around the exclusive event on Monday. A handful of notable shots are gathered here courtesty of our friends at the Academy.

Who are you rooting for as Oscar night approaches? We invite you to share your picks in the comments section below.


Nominees Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Amy Adams (The Master), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln) and Sally Field (Lincoln). Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Nominees Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) and Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables). Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Nominees Joaquin Phoenix (The Master) and Sally Field (Lincoln). Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Nominees Steven Spielberg (Lincoln) and Ang Lee (Life of Pi). Photo: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Dan Sudick (The Avengers), David France (How To Survive A Plague), Andy Nelson (Les Miserables), Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty), Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) and Timothy Reckart (Head Over Heels). Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Nominees Anne Hathaway (
Les Miserables) and Tim Burton (
Frankenweenie). Photo: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Nominees Bradley Cooper (
Silver Linings Playbook) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained). Photo: 
Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.


Photo Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Row 1 (L-R): Sam Fell, Rich Moore, Dan Hennah, Seamus MacGarvey, Sari Gilman, Paco Delgado, Jackie Weaver, Donna Gigliotti, Ethan Van der Ryn, Pilar Savone, Quvenzhane Wallis, Bradley Cooper, Naomi Watts, Joanna Johnston, Paul N.J. Ottoson, Janusz Kaminski, David Womark, Jedd Wider, Karen Baker Landers, Malik Bendjelloul, David O. Russell

Row 2: Gil Netter, Michael Kahn, David Gopman, Ronald Judkins, Philip Brennan, Chris Butler, David Clayton, Debra Hayward, Tim Squyres, Brenda Chapman, J Ralph, DM Hemphill, PES, Guillaume Rocheron, John Alpert, Ron Bartlet, Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly, Jim Erickson, Sam French, Michael Dawson

Row 3: Nikolaj Arcel, Megan Ellison, Claudio Miranda, Scott Millan, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Tammi Lane, Sean Fine, Rick Carter, Dan Janvey, Erik Aadahl, Dan Sudick, Andy Nelson, Hugh Jackman, Jessica Chastain, Roman Coppola, Drew Kunin, Robin Honan, Mino Jarjoura, David Silverman, Tom Von Avermaet, Mychael Danna, Mark Paterson, David Magee, Reginald Hudlin, Helen Hunt, Steven Spielberg.

Row 4: Joachim Ronning, Howard Gertler, Walter Murphy, Yan England, Eric Saindon, Ariel Nasr, Martin Hill, Andrea Nix Fine, Ellen De Waele, Benh Zeitlin, Jeff White, Josh Penn, David France, Mark Boal, Espen Sanberg, Timothy Reckart, Richard Stammers, John Kahrs, Wylie Stateman, Cori Shepherd Stern, Minkyu Lee, Matthew O'Neil, Janek Sirrs, Philip Stockton, Alexander Desplat, Krispin Struthers, Kathryn Bigelow, Robert De Niro.

Row 5: Peter Montagna, Eugene Gearty, John Reitz, Dylan Tichenor, Eric Fellner, Jonathan Gordon, Kirby Dicky, Tim Burton, Amy Adams, Per Halberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Sally Field, Lucy Alibar, Eve Stewart, Guy Williams, Anne Hanthaway, Neil Corbould, Mark Andrews, Michael Gottwald, Shawn Christensen, Donald Elliot, Jose Antonio Garcia, Ra Vincent, Brian Buckley, Guy Davidi, Kief Davidson, Katie Spencer, R. Christopher White, Kin Nguyen, Martin Samuel.

Row 6: Erik-Jan De Boer, Droh Moreh, Tony Kushner, William Goldenberg, Bill Westenhofer, George Stevens Jr., Stacey Sher, Sarah Greenwood, Ben Affleck, John Gatins, Howard Berger, Colleen Atwood, Denzel Washington, Kathleen Kennedy, Jay Cassidy, Ang Lee, Thomas Newman, Jennifer Lawrence , Cynthia Wade, Alain Boublil, Jeffery Katzenberg, Joe Letteri, Bruce Cohen, Christoph Waltz, Amy Zeiring, Tommy Lee Jones, Hal Needham, Greg P. Russell, Emand Burnat, Gregg Rudloff, Simon Bright.