The nominations are in for the 81st Annual Academy Awards, announced this morning at 5.38am local time in Los Angeles by actor Forest Whitaker, who won an Oscar two years ago for Last King Of Scotland.

The Oscar winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hollywood on February 22.

Nominations after the Jump…… 

Best Motion Picture

Slumdog Millionaire

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Best Actress In A Leading Role

Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie – The Changeling

Melissa Leo – Frozen River

Kate Winslet – The Reader

Meryl Streep – Doubt

Best Actor In A Leading Role

Mickey Rourke- The Wrestler

Frank Langhella – Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn – Milk

Richard Jenkins – The Visitor

Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler

Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis – Doubt

Taraiji P Henson – the Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Amy Adams – Doubt

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt

Josh Brolin – Milk

Robert Downey Jr – Tropic Thunder

Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road

Achievement in Directing

Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Ron Howard – Froxt/Nixon

Gus Van Sant – Milk

Stephen Daldry – The Reader

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Wall-E

Bolt

King-Fu Panda

Best Foreign Language Film

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)

The Class (France)

Departures (Japan)

Revanche (Austria)

Waltz With Bashier (Israel)

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire

Eric Roth – The Curious Case of Benjamin button

John Patrick Shanley – Doubt

Peter Morgan – Frost/Nixon

David Hare – The Reader

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Courtney Hunt -Frozen River

Mike Leigh – Happy Go Lucky

Martin McDonagh – In Bruges

Dustin Lance Black – Milk

Andrew Stanton – Wall-E

Image via FataCulture