81st Academy Awards Nominations

Best Motion Picture of the Year

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Frost/Nixon
• Milk
• The Reader
• Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Directing

• David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
• Gus Van Sant, Milk
• Stephen Daldry, The Reader
• Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

• Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
• Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
• Sean Penn, Milk
• Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

• Josh Brolin, Milk
• Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
• Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
• Angelina Jolie, Changeling
• Melissa Leo, Frozen River
• Kate Winslet. The Reader
• Meryl Streep, Doubt

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

• Amy Adams, Doubt
• Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Viola Davis, Doubt
• Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

• Bolt
• Kung Fu Panda
• Wall-E

Original Screenplay

• Dustin Lance Black, Milk
• Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
• Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
• Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
• Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, WALL-E

Adapted Screenplay

• Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
• Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
• David Hare, The Reader
• Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

• The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
• The Class (France)
• Departures (Japan)
• Revanche (Austria)
• Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Original Score

• Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• James Newton Howard, Defiance
• Danny Elfman, Milk
• A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
• Thomas Newman, WALL-E

Original Song

• "Down to Earth," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; WALL-E
• "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; Slumdog Millionaire
• "O Saya," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam; Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Art Direction

• Changeling
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• The Duchess
• Revolutionary Road

Achievement in Cinematography

• Changeling
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• The Reader
• Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Costume Design

• Australia
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Duchess
• Milk
• Revolutionary Road

Best Documentary Feature

• The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
• 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
• The Dark Knight
• Frost/Nixon
• Milk
• Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Makeup

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Frost/Nixon
• Milk
• Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Short Film

• La 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
• Iron Man
• Slumdog Millionaire
• WALL-E
• Wanted

Achievement in Sound Mixing

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Slumdog Millionaire
• WALL-E
• Wanted

Achievement in Visual Effects

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Iron Man