While the Oscars announced Sunday brought new names to the Academy Awards roster, all but one of the major winners had been nominated or won in previous years.

Scott Rudin may be regretting his decision to abandon The Reader after yesterday’s Academy Award nominations, which put up the film for five awards, including best picture, best director and leading actress.

Though it’s still in pre-production, the movie Nine is already generating buzz. The cast has yet to be confirmed, but rumored co-stars are all familiar with the Academy Awards.

This was a year in which some of the least connected actors won the most coveted awards.

The often reclusive Daniel Day-Lewis took the Oscar for best actor, beating the omnipresent George Clooney. (Clooney has so many celebrity friends, colleagues and co-stars, he qualifies as a Hollywood hub.)

One of the biggest events this weekend for Oscar A-listers, aside from the awards ceremony itself, took place last night. The sixth annual Night Before Fundraiser raised $6 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Hosts included George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Reese Witherspoon.

While he hasn’t been nominated for any Academy Awards, Josh Brolin may be the actor most connected to the current Oscar nominees.

Brolin obviously made good choices, taking roles in three films with Oscar nominations. He appeared in No Country for Old Men, which was one of the most nominated films of the year, taking eight Academy Awards noms, including best motion picture and best director.

Brolin had a role in In the Valley of Elah, in which Tommy Lee Jones is up for best actor. He also appears opposite Denzel Washington in American Gangster, which picked up two nominations. (Story continues below interactive map.)