By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Oscar certainly loves mothers. Over the last eight decades, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has bestowed nominations and Oscars to loving mothers, grieving mothers, widowed mothers and divorced mothers.

But one of Oscar's favorites is the unwed mother.

Though it's no longer the scandal it once was to be pregnant out of wedlock, the unwed mother is still a popular character in films today. In fact, two of this year's contenders play women who have brought children into the world without the benefit of a husband.

Here's a look at several actresses who were either nominated for or won an Oscar for playing unwed mothers.