Martin Scorsese's TheAviator has emerged as the clear front-runner for the 77thAcademy Awards with 11 nominations, ahead of Finding Neverland and MillionDollar Baby which bagged seven nods apiece.

The nominations wereannounced this morning in Los Angeles and also saw Ray receive six nodsand Sideways rewarded with five. All five of these films have beenshortlisted in the best picture category.

One of the main surpriseswas the strong showing for Mike Leigh's Vera Drake. The abortion-themedpicture was nominated in three categories - directing, actress (ImeldaStaunton) and original screenplay categories. Of course Leigh's 1996 film Secrets & Lies received five nominations and came away with nothing in the end.

Another impressive performerwas Hotel Rwanda, which scored three nominations for best actor (DonCheadle), best supporting actress (Sophie Okenedo) and original screenplay.

Jamie Foxx won twonominations: one in the lead actor category for Ray and another in thesupporting actor shortlist for Collateral.

In the directing category,Scorsese is up against Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby, TaylorHackford for Ray, Leigh for Vera Drake and Alexander Paynefor Sideways.

Scorsese is likely to be thefavourite for the director nod, but once again will have to see off anotheractor-director Clint Eastwood - before realising his long cherished hope ofwinning a best director Oscar.

In the past Scorsese haslost out to Robert Redford s Ordinary People for Raging Bull,while Goodfellas was beaten in the director category by Kevin Costner s DancesWith Wolves.

The best actress categorysees Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) and Annette Bening (BeingJulia) face off against each other once again - a repeat of 2000 s Oscarrace when Swank s performance in Boy Don t Cry beat Bening for AmericanBeauty. Other contenders in the best actress category include a surprisenomination for Catalina Sandino Moreno for Maria Full Of Grace, KateWinslet for Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Imelda Stauntonfor Vera Drake.

In the foreign languagecategory Sweden s As It Is In Heaven, France's The Chorus,Germany s The Downfall, Spain's The Sea Inside and South Africa'sYesterday have been shortlisted.

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77th AcademyAward Nominees in full:

Best Picture
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

Best Director
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Taylor Hackford - Ray
Alexander Payne - Sideways
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake

Best Actor
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Leonardo Dicaprio - The Aviator
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx - Ray

Best Actress
Annette Bening - Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full Of Grace
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Alda - The Aviator
Thomas Hayden Church - Sideways
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Morgan Freedman - Million Dollar Baby
Clive Owen - Closer

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Laura Linney - Kinsey
Virginia Madsen - Sideways
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda
Natalie Portman - Closer

Best Original Screenplay
The Aviator
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Hotel Rwanda
The Incredibles
Vera Drake

Best Adapted Screenplay
Before Sunset
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
The Motorcycle Diaries
Sideways

Best Animated Film
The Incredibles
Shark Tale
Shrek 2

Best Foreign Film
As It Is In Heaven
The Chorus
Downfall
The Sea Inside
Yesterday

Best Art Direction
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Phantom Of The Opera
A Very Long Engagement

Best Cinematography
The Aviator
House Of Flying Daggers
The Passion Of The Christ
The Phantom Of The Opera
A Very Long Engagement

Best Costume Design
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Ray
Troy

Best Sound Editing
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Spider-Man 2

Best Sound Mixing
The Aviator
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Ray
Spider-Man 2

Best Visual Effects
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
I, Robot
Spider-Man 2

Best Film Editing
The Aviator
Collateral
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray

Best Makeup
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Passion Of The Christ
The Sea Inside

Best Score
Finding Neverland
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The Passion Of The Christ
The Village

Best Song
Accidentally In Love - Shrek 2
Al Otro Lado Del Rio- The Motorcycle Diaries
Believe - The Polar Express
Learn To Be Lonely - The Phantom Of The Opera
Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin) - The Chorus

Best Short Film(Animated)
Birthday Boy
Gopher Broke
Guard Dog
Lorenzo
Ryan

Best Short Film (LiveAction)
Everything In This Country Must
Little Terrorist
7:35 In The Morning
Two Cars, One Night
Wasp

Best Documentary Feature
Born Into Brothels
The Story Of The Weeping Camel
Super Size Me
Tupac: Resurrection
Twist Of Faith

Best Documentary Short
Autism Is A World
The Children Of Leningradsky
Hardwood
Mighty Times: The Children's March
Sister Rose's Passion