Sachas Baron Cohen presenting at the Golden Globes.  He's hit the big time now.

Credit: AP Photo

Oscar producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic may have had their first choice to host the Academy Awards swatted down by the Academy board, but they have still found a way to get Sacha Baron Cohen on the big show.

It was announced today Cohen will make his first appearance on this year's 82nd Academy Awards to present an award. Cohen has previously only appeared in person, and not as one of his famously outlandish characters, to present  at the Golden Globe Awards.  Joining him are returning presenters Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Ben Stiller.  Additionally, Jason Bateman has attend the show previously, but this will be the first time he will present.  Fey had a very memorable bit with this year's co-host Steve Martin during last year's show as did Ben Stiller alongside Natalie Portman.

On a side note, Bateman stars in "Up in the Air," one of the Best Picture nominees.  He also appeared in former Best Picture nominee "Juno."

In other "comedy" Oscar news, the cast of "Jersey Shore" have been recruited to reenact scenes from Best Picture nominees on "Lopez Tonight."  In a coup for the TBS talk show, Snooki, "The Situation," Pauly D., Sammi, J-Wow, Vinnie and Ronnie will parody cinema's finest films this year including "Avatar," "Hurt Locker," "Up In The Air," "Precious," "Inglorious Bastards" and "Blind Side" (no word if they were intoxicated or not during the shoots, but we're hoping).  The different parodies will appear all next week, March 1-4 on "Lopez Tonight."  George Lopez's talk show airs at 11 PM ET/PT on TBS.

We think if Shankman and Mechanic really wanted to shake things up this year, they should have recruited the "Jersey Shore" clan to present, but knowing that group they'd never never pry them away from the open bar off camera.

All the laughs begin on Sunday, March 7 on ABC at 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT.  Look for complete coverage all day long on HitFix.