The nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning by Academy President Sid Ganis and Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is comprised of members from the film industry who vote for the year’s strongest contributions to cinema in 24 different categories. All members vote only in the category of their own profession (e.g. actors vote in the acting category, directors in directing, sound artists in sound etc.), with the exception of the category of Best Picture, which everyone can vote in.

Leading this year’s list is Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain with 8 nominations, trailed closely by Crash and Good Night, and Good Luck both with 6. These three films are also up for the ‘Best Film’ award, along with Munich and Capote, while Ang Lee, Bennett Miller, Paul Haggis, George Clooney or Steven Speilberg can hope for the Best Director Award. One of either Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix or David Strathairn will be Best Actor, while Judi Dench, Felicity Huffman, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon are nominated as best lead females.

Most of these nominations mirror those of the previous awards such as the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards or The Directors Guild Awards. Big exception are Munich and Crash, which were mostly ignored at other prize-givings, but are now both vying for the main award. The Academy Award winners will be announced at the 78th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Sunday, March 5, at 5pm PST. The show will be hosted by Jon Stewart (The Daily Show) and broadcast live on television (ABC in the United States).

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Best Motion Picture
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MUNICH

Best Director
Ang Lee / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Bennett Miller / CAPOTE
Paul Haggis / CRASH
George Clooney / GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Steven Speilberg / MUNICH

Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman / CAPOTE
Terrence Howard / HUSTLE & FLOW
Heath Ledger / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix / WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn / GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK

Best Actress
Judi Dench / MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman / TRANSAMERICA
Keira Knightley / PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Charlize Theron / NORTH COUNTRY
Reese Witherspoon / WALK THE LINE

Best Supporting Actor
George Clooney / SYRIANA
Matt Dillon / CRASH
Paul Giamatti / CINDERELLA MAN
Jake Gyllenhaal / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
William Hurt / A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams /JUNEBUG
Catherine Keener / CAPOTE
Frances McDormand / NORTH COUNTRY
Rachel Weisz /THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Michelle Williams / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Best Original Screenplay
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MATCH POINT
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
SYRIANA

Best Adapted Screenplay
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
MUNICH

Best Art Direction
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
PRIDE & PREJUDICE

Best Cinematography
BATMAN BEGINS
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
THE NEW WORLD

Best Editing
CINDERELLA MAN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
CRASH
MUNICH
WALK THE LINE

Best Costume Design
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
WALK THE LINE

Best Make-Up
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
CINDERELLA MAN
STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

Best Sound Editing
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WAR OF THE WORLDS

Best Sound Mixing
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WALK THE LINE
WAR OF THE WORLDS

Best Visual Effects
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
WAR OF THE WORLDS

Best Original Score
Gustavo Santaolalla / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Alberto Iglesias / THE CONSTANT GARDENER
John Williams /MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
John Williams / MUNICH
Dario Marianelli /PRIDE & PREJUDICE

Best Original Song
“In the Deep” from CRASH
“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from HUSTLE & FLOW
“Travelin’ Thru” from TRANSAMERICA

Best Animated Film
HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE
TIM BURTON’S CORPSE BRIDE
WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT

Best Foreign Language Film
DON’T TELL
JOYEUX NOEL
PARADISE NOW
SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL
TSOTSI

Best Documentary Feature
DARWIN’S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
MURDERBALL
STREET FIGHT

Best Documentary Short Subject
THE DEATH OF KEVIN CARTER: CASUALTY OF THE BANG BANG CLUB
GOD SLEEPS IN RWANDA
THE MUSHROOM CLUB
A NOTE OF TRIUMPH: THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORMAN CORWIN

Best Animated Short Film
BADGERED
THE MOON AND THE SON: AN IMAGINED CONVERSATION
THE MYSTERIOUS GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS OF JASPER MORELLO
9
ONE MAN BAND

Best Live Action Short Film
AUSREISSER (THE RUNAWAY)
CASHBACK
THE LAST FARM
OUR TIME IS UP
SIX SHOOTER

Discuss the nominees in our movies forum.

Posted by Tai in Awards, Commentary, Movies • Add to del.icio.us Add to Digg