Flying high: Michael Keaton and Edward Norton in the showbiz comedy 'Birdman'.
Show business satire Birdman and colourful caper The Grand Budapest Hotel led the Academy Awards nominees with nine nods apiece, including best picture, in the quest for Hollywood’s top film prize.
The other best picture nominees are American Sniper, Boyhood, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything and Whiplash. The Academy chose only eight films, although it can nominate up to 10. British World War Two biopic The Imitation Game garnered eight nominations, including best actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, while Iraq war portrait American Sniper and Golden Globe winner for best drama, Boyhood, each earned six.
The Oscars are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This year’s winners will be announced at a ceremony hosted by actor Neil Patrick Harris in Los Angeles on Feb. 22. -Reuters
The following is a list of nominees in leading categories:
BEST PICTURE
“American Sniper”
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”
BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Inarritu, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Meryl Streep, “Into The Woods”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Armando Bo, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Ida” (Poland)
“Leviathan” (Russia)
“Tangerines” (Estonia)
“Timbuktu” (Mauritania)
“Wild Tales” (Argentina)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“CitizenFour”
“Finding Vivian Maier”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Virunga”