Quvenzhané Wallis star of the widely acclaimed "Beasts of the Southern Wild," earned a best-actress Oscar nomination on Thursday morning. ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ was also nominated for the coveted Best Picture award. Wallis was only 6-years-old when she appeared in her first acting role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild." She competed with thousands of other elementary-aged girls for the role of Hushpuppy, a child who struggles to come to the gripes with the pending loss of both her father and her coastal home. The full list of nominees in the performance by an actress in a leading role category are: > * Jessica Chastain in "Zero Dark Thirty" > * Jennifer Lawrence in "Silver Linings Playbook" > * Emmanuelle Riva in "Amour" > * Quvenzhané Wallis in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" > * Naomi Watts in "The Impossible" This year the category includes the youngest nominee and the oldest nominee, as Riva is 85-years-old. The 85th Academy Awards will air live on February 24.