Oscar nominations 2010: the key films

Nine nominations: James Cameron's 3D space saga Avatar tops the Oscar nominations tally with nine nods, including best director and best picture. But there will be disappointment that it failed to score any recognition for its actors or for its soundtrack, particularly Leona Lewis's theme tune, I See You
Photograph: PR

Nine nominations: The Iraq bomb disposal drama The Hurt Locker by Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, however, mopped up rather more nominations than predicted, including best actor for Jeremy Renner and best original score (for Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders), to tie with Avatar for the lead
Photograph: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment/PR

Eight nominations: Perhaps the really big winner at this stage was Quentin Tarantino's second world war farce, Inglourious Basterds, which far exceeded expectations to pick up eight nominations. As well as the predicted nod for Christoph Waltz in the best supporting actor category, Tarantino himself was named for his direction and screenplay, as well as for best picture
Photograph: PR

Six nominations: Mo'Nique is regarded as something of a dead cert for best supporting actress in Precious, Lee Daniels's Sundance-winning saga about an abused black teenager in Harlem, but there was also a surprise nomination for lead Gabourey Sidibe in her debut film role
Photograph: PR

Six nominations: Jason Reitman's corporate comedy Up in the Air led the Golden Globe nominations but failed to close the deal when it came to the gongs. However, it is up in all the big Oscar categories, including best lead actor for George Clooney, picture and adapted screenplay, as well as twice in the supporting actress race
Photograph: PR

Five nominations: Pixar's four-hankie cross-generational animation Up is one of the year's biggest crowdpleasers, and the Academy seemed equally keen on it, even nominating it for best picture
Photograph: PR

Four nominations: Nine, Rob Marshall's Fellini-inspired musical, wasn't a great hit with the critics, but it has nonetheless picked up four nods, though only one for its acting (for Penélope Cruz; Daniel Day-Lewis is a notable omission)
Photograph: PR

Three nominations: Word was that Jeff Bridges's turn as a washed-up country singer in Crazy Heart was better than the film itself – but it has picked up a couple of nominations other than best actor: for best song and a shock nod for co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal
Photograph: PR

Three nominations: Husband and wife team Nick Hornby and Amanda Posey are in the running for two Oscars for An Education: he's recognised for his adapted screenplay based on Lynn Barber's memoir; she's in the best picture race as one of the producers of Lone Scherfig's film. Carey Mulligan also got a much-hoped-for nod for best actress
Photograph: PR

Three nominations: Not one but two Randy Newman tunes in Disney's love letter to New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog, were recognised in the best song category, possibly nudging out the likes of Leona Lewis and AR Rahman (whose Na Na from Couples Retreat got a nod at the Golden Globes). An expected nomination for best animation gave it a hat-trick
Photograph: PR

Four nominations: A slightly better than expected showing for District 9, the hit apartheid-fable-cum-sci-fi saga. Its nominations included one for the big one: best picture
Photograph: PR

Three nominations: The Young Victoria's Rupert Friend and Emily Blunt missed out, but technical award nominations were the order of the day for the lavish British costume drama
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: Wes Anderson's stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox picked up nominations for best original score and best animated film
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: Had Michael Haneke's fascist parable The White Ribbon been left off the best foreign film list, the European press would most likely have staged a mass boycott. As it turned out, the Academy also recogised it for best cinematography
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: The costumes and art direction of Terry Gilliam's London-set fantasia picked up nominations, but there was sadly nothing for the acting talent in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, including Heath Ledger and Lily Cole
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: A mixed haul for the Coen brothers' latest, A Serious Man – nothing for leading man Michael Stuhlbarg, but there was a best picture nod as well as one for Joel and Ethan's screenplay
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: Michael Hoffman's Tolstoy drama The Last Station received two acting nods: best actress for Helen Mirren and best supporting actor for Christopher Plummer
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: The sober drama The Messenger, still to be released in the UK, is about a soldier who becomes involved with the widow of a dead colleague. It received a best supporting actor nomination for Woody Harrelson as well as a nod for Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman's original screenplay
Photograph: PR

Two nominations: Clint Eastwood may have missed out on best director and best picture nods, but both his lead (Morgan Freeman) and supporting (Matt Damon) actors are in the running for Oscars
Photograph: PR