A turbocharger having a variable-nozzle assembly, comprising: a compressor housing and a compressor wheel mounted in the compressor housing and connected to a rotatable shaft, and a turbine housing and a turbine wheel mounted in the turbine housing and connected to the rotatable shaft, the turbine housing defining a chamber surrounding the turbine wheel for receiving exhaust gas from an engine and for supplying the exhaust gas through a nozzle leading from the chamber generally radially inwardly to the turbine wheel; a center housing connected between the compressor housing and the turbine housing; a fixedly mounted nozzle ring having opposite first and second faces, the nozzle being defined between the second face and an opposite wall, the second face having an annular recess formed therein, the nozzle ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart bearing apertures each extending axially from the first face into the recess, and having a plurality of communication orifices each extending from the first face into the recess for providing communication of exhaust gas adjacent the first face into the recess; a vane sealing ring disposed in a floating manner within the recess in the nozzle ring, the vane sealing ring being substantially flat and sized to substantially fill the recess; and a plurality of vanes disposed in the nozzle and each having a proximal end and a distal end, axles being joined to the proximal ends and being received into the bearing apertures of the nozzle ring and being rotatable in the bearing apertures, the vane sealing ring being adjacent the proximal ends of the vanes, wherein the vane sealing ring has a plurality of openings accommodating the axles of the vanes; wherein the exhaust gas adjacent the first face of the nozzle ring is substantially stagnated and therefore at a higher pressure than exhaust gas flowing through the nozzle adjacent the second face thereof, the exhaust gas adjacent the first face being communicated through the communication orifices so as to urge the vane sealing ring against the proximal ends of the vanes. a compressor housing and a compressor wheel mounted in the compressor housing and connected to a rotatable shaft, and a turbine housing and a turbine wheel mounted in the turbine housing and connected to the rotatable shaft, the turbine housing defining a chamber surrounding the turbine wheel for receiving exhaust gas from an engine and for supplying the exhaust gas through a nozzle leading from the chamber generally radially inwardly to the turbine wheel; a center housing connected between the compressor housing and the turbine housing; a fixedly mounted nozzle ring having opposite first and second faces, the nozzle being defined between the second face and an opposite wall, the second face having an annular recess formed therein, the nozzle ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart bearing apertures each extending axially from the first face into the recess, and having a plurality of communication orifices each extending from the first face into the recess for providing communication of exhaust gas adjacent the first face into the recess; a vane sealing ring disposed in a floating manner within the recess in the nozzle ring, the vane sealing ring being substantially flat and sized to substantially fill the recess; and a plurality of vanes disposed in the nozzle and each having a proximal end and a distal end, axles being joined to the proximal ends and being received into the bearing apertures of the nozzle ring and being rotatable in the bearing apertures, the vane sealing ring being adjacent the proximal ends of the vanes, wherein the vane sealing ring has a plurality of openings accommodating the axles of the vanes; wherein the exhaust gas adjacent the first face of the nozzle ring is substantially stagnated and therefore at a higher pressure than exhaust gas flowing through the nozzle adjacent the second face thereof, the exhaust gas adjacent the first face being communicated through the communication orifices so as to urge the vane sealing ring against the proximal ends of the vanes.