This past year, the musical was represented on screen by the adaptation of Nine and Disney’s first traditionally animated film musical in a long time, The Princess and the Frog. Both have picked up a couple of nominations for the Academy Awards, which will be presented next month at the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Center.

The over-hyped and, it seems, almost universally underwhelming Nine picked up four nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Penélope Cruz), Best Art Direction (John Myhre); Best Costume Design (Colleen Atwood); and Best Original Song (Maury Yeston’s “Take It All”). The design nominations are no surprise really, perhaps the others aren’t either. But where is Marion Cotillaird’s nomination? If anyone in the cast of Nine deserved to walk away with a nomination for Nine, it’s her. What a disappointment – and just another mark against the credibility of the Oscars.

The Princess and the Frog scored nominations for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song (Randy Newman’s “Almost There” and “Down in New Orleans”). While Disney is not quite in top form with this film, it’s represented a welcome return to a genre of animation that has been sorely missed during the past decade or so.