BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- "The Aviator" led the field with 11 Oscar nominations when nominees were announced Tuesday for the 77th Academy Awards.
The biography of Howard Hughes was nominated for Best Picture, Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Director (Martin Scorsese) and screenplay. It also earned Supporting Actress and Actor nominations for Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda.
"Finding Neverland" and "Million Dollar Baby" tied for second behind "The Aviator" with seven nominations each, including Best Picture. The other Best Picture nominees were "Ray," with six nominations overall; and "Sideways," with five.
Along with DiCaprio, the nominees for Best Actor were Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda"; Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland"; Clint Eastwood "Million Dollar Baby" and Jamie Foxx, "Ray."
The nominees for Best Actress were: Annette Bening, "Being Julia"; Catalina Sandino Moreno, "Maria Full of Grace"; Imelda Staunton, "Vera Drake"; Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby" and Kate Winslet, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" won three nominations while "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's anti-President Bush film that won the Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film festival last year, was not given any Oscar nominations.
The Academy Awards will be presented Feb. 27 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood with Chris Rock as host, televised on ABC.
