‘Avatar’ and ‘The Hurt Locker’ lead Oscar nominations

Sean Collins-Smith

Staff Writer

James Cameron’s “Avatar” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” each earned nine Academy Award nominations Tuesday, furthering the two films’ tight awards race against each other. Each garnered nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, with “Avatar” taking multiple nods in technical categories and “Locker” capturing more celebrated nominations for Best Actor (Jeremy Renner) and Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal). “Inglourious Basterds” followed closely with eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino, who directed and penned “Basterds.”

It is the first time since 1939 that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has allowed 10 Best Picture nominations, a move that is expected to help raise ratings by including films that might not have normally made the cut. Others that were nominated include Pixar’s “Up,” Neill Blomkamp’s directorial debut “District 9,” Lee Daniels’ “Precious: based on the Novel Push by Sapphire” and the Sandra Bullock-led drama, “The Blind Side.” “Up” picked up a Best Picture and Animated Feature nod. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

The 82nd Academy Awards will be presented on March 7 on ABC, and will be co-hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.