Zoe Saldana has been selected to announce the nominees for the 2013 Spirit Awards.

The "Avatar" actress will conduct the announcement alongside actress Anna Kendrick and rapper/actor Common on Nov. 27 at the W Hollywood in Los Angeles.

"Anna, Zoe, and Common have become an integral part of the Film Independent family and we are honored to have them join us for this big moment to announce and celebrate the best independent artists of the year," Sean McManus, co-president of Film Independent, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards, produced by McManus' company, will be held on Feb. 23, 2013. The event will air on the Independent Film Channel later that night.

Saldana has been busy with two flim projects- playing Nyota Uhura in the "Star Trek" sequel and portraying Nina Simone in the upcoming "Nina."

The casting of Saldana to portray the late Simone in a biopic about the singer's life has created controversy. There is speculation that Saldana was cast because she is light-skinned, however, Simone's fans have commented that a dark-skinned actress should have been selected to portray the famed singer, according to multiple reports. 

The "Avatar" actress' portrayal of the Simone, nicknamed The High Priestess of Soul by her fans, inspired a group to start an online petition asking the film's executive producer, Jimmy Lovine, and the movie's director and screenwriter, Cynthia Mort, to "replace Zoe Saldana with an actress who actually looks like Nina Simone." 

"It is without a doubt straight up disrespectful to Ms. Simone and her legacy to get an actress who looks nothing like she did to portray her in a movie about her life," the petition at Change.org reads. "Getting light complexioned actors to play the roles of dark complexioned historical figures is not only a sign of blatant disrespect to the persons they are portraying, but it is also disrespectful to their families, to history, to the people who look like the persons being whitewashed, and to the intelligence of the audience."

The petition has garnered 9,000 signtaures at time of publication. Simone Kelly, the singer's daughter, also did not agree with Saldana being cast to play her mother in the film. 

"My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark. Appearance-wise [Saldana] is not the best choice," she said.

Photos leaked from the movie set show Saldana wearing a prosthetic nose and an afro wig. Her skin darkened for the role as Simone has also drawn criticism, suggesting that the movie producers have put Saldana in "blackface" for the role.