“Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” lead Oscar nominations

The science-fiction sensation “Avatar” and the war-on-terror thriller “The Hurt Locker” lead the Academy Awards with nine nominations each, including best picture and director for James Cameron and ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow.

The Oscar nominations were announced, Tuesday, in Beverly Hills, Calif., by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For the first time, the Oscars feature 10 best-picture contenders instead of the usual five.

Bigelow is only the fourth woman nominated for a directing Oscar. She is also the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America Award, whose recipient usually goes on to earn the best-director Oscar.

Cameron’s “Avatar” won best drama and director at the Golden Globes.

Lee Daniels, who made “Precious,” became only the second black filmmaker nominated for best director.

Also nominated for best director are Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air” and Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds.”

“Up in the Air” co-writer Reitman also has a nomination for adapted screenplay, while Tarantino also earned a nomination for original screenplay.

Below is a list of nominations:

~Best picture

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“District 9”
“Up”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The Blind Side”
“Up in The Air”
“A Serious Man”
“An Education”
“Precious”

~Best actress

Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”
Meryl Streep, “Julie&Julia.”

~Best actor

George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”

~Best supporting actress

Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious.”

~Best supporting actor

Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

~Best director

Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

~Best animated feature

“Up”
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”

~Best original screenplay

“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The Messenger”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”

~Best adapted screenplay

“District 9”
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

For a list of nominations in other categories, click here.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be presented March 7 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.