News / Entertainment
Oscar Nominees Announced for 79th Annual Academy Awards; ‘Dreamgirls,’ ‘Babel,’ ‘The Departed’ Lead the Pack
The 79th Annual Academy Awards has announced their Oscar nominees for the Feb 25 show. Leading the pack with a total of eight nominations is ‘Dreamgirls,’ the same film that struck it big at the Golden Globes just a week ago.
While receiving eight nominations ‘Dreamgirls’ was shut out of the Best Picture category. Both Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy will look to turn their wins at the Golden Globes into Oscar wins. Hudson is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role while Eddie Murphy picked up a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. For Murphy, this is his first Academy Award nomination in a career that has spanned 25 years.
Both ‘Babel’ and ‘The Departed’ were nominated for Best Picture with other nominees being ‘The Queen,’ ‘Letters from Iwo Jima,’ and ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ The two high-profile names starring in ‘Babel,’ Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette, were passed over for their performances while new faces garnered the nominees. Blanchette can take solace in the fact she was nominated for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for ‘Notes on a Scandal.’ As it turned out Blanchette will be facing off against two of her co-stars in ‘Babel’ in the same category- Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi. The trio will be joined by Hudson (Dreamgirls) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine).
This could finally be the year for Martin Scorsese, as if that hasn’t been said before. With no dominant film out there Scorsese’s ‘The Departed’ could earn him that elusive Oscar. His five nominations and no wins have tied him with four other directors for futility. Scorsese will be joined by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel), Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima), Stephen Frears (The Queen), and Paul Greengrass (United 93) for Achievement in Directing.
Four of those movies were nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, ‘United 93’ was replaced by ‘Little Miss Sunshine’.
Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role for ‘Blood Diamond.’ He had two nominations in this category at the Golden Globes, the other for ‘The Departed.’ DiCaprio is joined by Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Peter O’Toole (Venus), Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness), and this year’s Golden Globe winner, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland).
The Golden Globe winner for best actress in a lead role heads up the list of Oscar nominees for Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Helen Mirren won the Golden Globe Award for ‘The Queen’ and she is expected to take home an Oscar on Feb. 25. Mirren will have to fend off Penelope Cruz (Volver), Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal), Kate Winslet (Little Children), and Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada). The nomination marks the 14th such time Streep has been recognized by the Academy, a record.
Nominees for the 79th Annual Academy Awards
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL
Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE
Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE
Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE
Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN
Achievement in directing
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93
Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY
Best documentary short subject
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS
Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93
Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER
Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS
Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN
Best animated short film
THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRO
NO TIME FOR NUTS
Best live action short film
BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY
Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS
Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN
