The nominees for the 81st Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning in Beverly Hills, CA. The awards show takes place on Sunday, February 22, 2009 and Hugh Jackman is scheduled to host the festivities. Below is the list of the awards categories and the nominees.
Best motion picture of the year
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Milk
- Frost/Nixon
- The Reader
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Performance by an actor in a leading role
- Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
- Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
- Sean Penn in Milk
- Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
- Josh Brolin in Milk
- Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt
- Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
- Angelina Jolie in Changeling
- Melissa Leo in Frozen River
- Meryl Streep in Doubt
- Kate Winslet in The Reader
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Amy Adams in Doubt
- Penelop Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona
- Viola Davis in Doubt
- Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler
- Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best animated feature film of the year
- Bolt
- Wall-E
- Kung Fu Panda
Achievement in art direction
- Changeling: James J. Murakami
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Donald Graham Burt
- The Dark Knight: Nathan Crowley
- The Duchess: Michael Carlin
- Revolutionary Road: Kristi Zea
Achievement in cinematography : Person/persons
- Changeling: Tom Stern
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Claudio Miranda
- The Dark Knight: Wally Pfister
- The Reader: Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
- Slumdog Millionaire: Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
- Australia: Catherine Martin
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Jacqueline West
- The Duchess: Michael O’Connor
- Milk: Danny Glicker
- Revolutionary Road: Albert Wolsky
Achievement in directing
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: David Fincher
- Milk: Gus Van Sant
- Frost/Nixon: Ron Howard
- Slumdog Millionaire: Danny Boyle
- The Reader: Stephen Daldry
Best documentary feature
- The Betrayal
- Encounters at the End of the World
- The Garden
- Man on Wire
- Trouble the Water
Best documentary short subject
- The Conscience of Nhem En
- The Final Inch
- Smile Pinki
- The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306
Achievement in film editing
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Kirk Baxte, Angus Wall
- The Dark Knight: Lee Smith
- Frost/Nixon: Mike Hill, Dan Hanley
- Milk: Elliot Graham
- Slumdog Millionaire: Chris Dickens
Best foreign language film of the year
- The Baader Meinhof Complex
- The Class
- Departures
- Revanche
- Waltz with Bashir
Achievement in makeup
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Greg Cannom
- The Dark Knight: John Caglione Jr., Conor O’Sullivan
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Mike Elizalde, Thomm Floutz
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Alexandre Desplat
- Defiance: James Newton Howard
- Milk: Danny Elfman
- Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman
- Wall-E: Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
- “Down to Earth” from Wall-E: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
- “Jal Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman
- “O Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire: Person/persons
Best animated short film
- Le Maison en Petits Cubes
- Lavatory – Lovestory
- Oktapodi
- Presto
- This Way Up
Best live action short film
- Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
- Manon on the Asphalt
- New Boy
- The Pig
- Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Achievement in sound editing
- The Dark Knight: Richard King
- Iron Man: Frank Eulner, Christo
- Slumdog Millionaire: Tom Sayers
- Wall-E: Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
- Wanted: Wylie Stateman
Achievement in sound mixing
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: David PArker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
- The Dark Knight: Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick
- Slumdog Millionaire: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
- Wall-E: Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
- Wanted: Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montano, Petr Forejt
Adapted screenplay
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Eric Roth
- Doubt: John Patrick Shanley
- Frost/Nixon: Peter Morgan
- The Reader: David Hare
- Slumdog Millionaire: Simon Beaufoy
Original screenplay
- Frozen River: Courtney Hunt
- Happy-Go-Lucky: Mike Leigh
- In Bruges: Martin McDonagh
- Milk: Dustin Lance Black
- Wall-E: Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon