The Academy has received 15 submissions for the animation feature category for the 83rd Academy Awards, paving the way for three nominations in January.

Under the rules for the category, a maximum of three features may be nominated in any year in which eight to 15 animated features are released in Los Angeles County. If 16 or more are submitted and accepted in the category, a maximum of five motion pictures may be nominated.

The 15 features in alphabetical order are:

Alpha And Omega
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore
Despicable Me
The Dreams Of Jinsha
How To Train Your Dragon
Idiots And Angels
The Illusionist
Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole
Megamind
My Dog Tulip
Shrek Forever After
Summer Wars
Tangled
Tinker Bell And The Great Fairy Rescue
and
Toy Story 3 (pictured).

The Dreams Of Jinsha, The Illusionist, Summer Wars and Tangled have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run.

The Academy has nominated five features only twice in the nine years since it introduced the animated feature category in 2001.

Submissions are also eligible for consideration in other categories including best picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The nominations will be unveiled on January 25, 2011, and the Oscar ceremony is scheduled for February 27.