James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster 'Avatar' and his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama 'Hurt Locker' will fight it out for top honours at this year's Academy Awards after receiving nine nominations each.
Both the films have been nominated in the 'Best Picture' category with Cameron and Bigelow being pitted against each other in the Best Director category. Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds' came second notching up 7 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor. The 'Best Film' category has been expanded this time with 10 nominees, instead of the usual five.
Also nominated for best-picture are sci-fi thriller 'District 9', the animated comedy 'Up'; the World War II saga 'Inglourious Basterds'; the American football drama 'The Blind Side'; the recession tale 'Up in The Air'; the 1960s drama 'A Serious Man'; the growing up drama 'An Education' and gritty Harlem tale 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire'. The Best Director category has shaped up as a showdown between the ex-spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. Bigelow is only the fourth woman nominated for a directing Oscar and no woman has ever won the Oscar in the coveted category. Other nominees in the category include Lee Daniels for 'Precious', Jason Reitman for 'Up in the Air' and Quentin Tarantino for 'Inglourious Basterds'.
The Best Actress category's nominees included favourites Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep as well as debutante Gabourey Sidibe. The nominees are Sandra Bullock for the football drama 'The Blind Side; Helen Mirren for 'The Last Station'; Carey Mulligan for 'An Education'; Gabourey Sidibe for 'Precious..' and Meryl Streep for 'Julie & Julia'. The nominees in the Best Actor category are Jeff Bridges for 'Crazy Heart', George Clooney for 'Up in the Air'; Colin Firth for a 'A Single Man'; Morgan Freeman for 'Invictus' and Jeremy Renner for 'The Hurt Locker'.
The Best Supporting Actor category include Matt Damon, for 'Invictus'; Woody Harrelson for 'The Messenger'; Christopher Plummer for 'The Last Station'; Stanley Tucci for 'The Lovely Bones' and Christoph Waltz for 'Inglourious Basterds'. The nominees for Best Supporting Actress include last year's winner Penelope Cruz for 'Nine'; Vera Farmiga for 'Up in the Air'; Maggie Gyllenhaal for 'Crazy Heart'; Anna Kendrick for 'Up in the Air' and Mo'Nique for 'Precious...'. The nominees were announced by actress Anne Hathaway in a ceremony in Beverly Hills.
The ceremony will take place on March 7, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. PTI
