Oscar nomination ballots due Friday; nominees to be announced Jan. 24

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The first round of voting for the 89th Academy Awards closes Friday.

The Academy Awards, also known as Oscars, are voted on by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is comprised of approximately 7,000 film artists and industry professionals.

The organization is divided into 17, specific branches, which elect the nominees in their related categories. Everyone is invited to vote for Best Picture during the nominating process.

Once the nominees are determined, all academy members are eligible to vote in all of the categories.

Nominees for the prestigious prizes, which recognize excellence in cinema, will be announced Jan. 24.

Winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Feb. 26 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel will serve as host.