Sideshow: Awards on the way to the Oscars

Oscar contenders descended on the California desert for the awards gala of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Among attendees Saturday night were James Franco, a possible nominee for the drama 127 Hours, and cohost of the Feb. 27 Academy Awards telecast. Franco presented his 127 Hours director Danny Boyle with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, named after Palm Springs' late mayor, who helped create the festival. Colin Firth received the Desert Palm Achievement Actor Award for The King's Speech. And Javier Bardem was honored with the International Star Award for his work in Biutiful. "I don't know what it means," Bardem said of the award's name. "It guess it means I don't speak English."

No second season is expected for Sarah Palin's Alaska, which ended Sunday. The TLC reality series, which featured caribou hunting and Pennsylvania's eight little Gosselins, will not be renewed, Entertainment Weekly reported Sunday. The episode was scheduled to feature the Palins doing a bit of gold digging, mining in Nome. Tourism officials in the Last Frontier hoped the scenic exploits of the former Republican vice presidential candidate would spark more visits from folks in the Lower 48.

Comedian Jim Carrey was the first host of the new year for Saturday Night Live and this show could certainly be termed lively, funny, and, at times, vulgar. He parodied The Black Swan, did a rendition of Alan Thicke, and tapped back into the physical comedy that helped launch his career on In Living Color. Maybe it was the buffalo wings tattooed on his back that really made his tights-wearing Swan a standout. Gwyneth Paltrow will serve as host next Saturday and she will have to go a long way to best that man in tights.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and her husband, David, are expecting a child this year, their fourth. David Beckham, a former England captain, played for Manchester United and Real Madrid before moving his sporting career to California when he signed up with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The 35-year-old is a major figure in English soccer, and is still hopeful of being recalled to the England team by Fabio Capello despite having been dropped from the squad in August. His wife is known as a fashionista. They have three boys: Brooklyn, 11; Romeo, 8; and Cruz, 5.

True Grit seized the reins at the weekend box office with $15 million, taking the No. 1 spot and becoming the first western to top the $100 million mark since the 1990s, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The Paramount release starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon bumped off the Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller comedy Little Fockers, which slipped to second with $13.8 million, raising its total to $124 million. Nicolas Cage's supernatural thriller Season of the Witch opened at No. 3 with $10.7 million; Tron: Legacy was fourth at $9.8 million; and Natalie Portman's Black Swan rounded out the top five with $8.4 million.