'The Aviator', Martin Scorsese's film biography of Howard Hughes, received 11 Oscar nominations today, beating out Clint Eastwood's boxing tale 'Million Dollar Baby' and drama 'Finding Neverland,' which received seven nominations each for the 77th annual Academy awards.
All three films were nominated for best picture, along with the Ray Charles biography 'Ray' and comedy 'Sideways'.
Jamie Foxx ('Ray'), Leonardo DiCaprio ('The Aviator'), veteran star Clint Eastwood ('Million Dollar Baby'), Johnny Depp ('Finding Neverland') and Don Cheadle ('Hotel Rwanda') were nominated for the 2005 Best Actor Oscar.
Foxx is hotly tipped as a leader in the race for the top acting gong following his acclaimed performance as soul legend Ray Charles.
The nominees for Best Actress are Hilary Swank ('Million Dollar Baby'), Annette Bening ('Being Julia'), Imelda Staunton ('Vera Drake'), Kate Winslet ('Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind') and Catalina Sandino ('Maria Full of Grace').
Swank is tipped as favourite in the category for her role as a female boxer in the Clint Eastwood directed movie.
Nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category are Jamie Foxx ('Collateral'), Thomas Hayden Church ('Sideways'), Alan Alda ('The Aviator'), Morgan Freeman ('Million Dollar Baby') and Clive Owen ('Closer').
Foxx becomes only the tenth actor to be nominated in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories.
In the Best Supporting Actress category Cate Blanchett ('The Aviator'), Sophie Okonedi ('Hotel Rwanda'), Laura Linney ('Kinsey'), Virginia Marsden ('Sideways') and Natalie Portman ('Closer') will contest the award.
Spanish movie 'The Sea Inside', South Africa's 'Yesterday' and France's 'Les Choristes' were among the nominees for best foreign-language film.
Also competing in the category are Germany's 'Downfall' and 'As it is in Heaven' from Sweden.
The winners are due to be announced on February 27.
