Even if you get a nomination for best picture but have no chance in hell of winning you can reap incredible profits at the box office.
Paris Hilton is probably the best example. She was one of many attractive starlets out there, then that tape hits and it's all the sensation. The reality show gets a boost and it propels her into one of the top five celebrity actresses in the world.
When you look at 2005, which overflowed with remakes and sequels, I think that the Academy recognized that the best films came from independent filmmakers not the big studios.