Slumdog, Rahman sweep Oscar nominations

Director Danny Boyle’s Golden Globe-winning Slumdog Millionaire – a story based on Mumbai slums – has been nominated in five categories for the Academy Awards to be announced in February 2009.

Slumdog has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Picture, Best Original Score (A R Rahman), Best Song (One each for Jai Ho and O Saya), Best editing, Best Sound Mixing (Resul Pookutty), Best Sound Editing (Resul Pookutty), Best Cinematography and Best Director (Danny Boyle) at the Oscars.

Slumdog Millionare has already bagged four coveted Golden Globes and multiple Bafta nominations.

Other Oscar hopefuls this year are - Double golden globe winner Kate Winslet for her role in both Revolutionary Road and The Reader, Meryl Streep for Doubt, Brad Pitt for The curious case of Benjamin Button and Sean Penn for his portrayal of gay political activist Harvey Milk in Milk. Frost/Nixon, Mickey Rourke-starrer The Wrestler and Angelina Jolie's Changeling are the other key contenders.

The 81st Academy Awards will be announced on February 22 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

The romantic fantasy The Curious Case of Benjamin Button led Academy Awards contenders Thursday with 13 nominations, among them best picture and acting honors for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson, and a directing slot for David Fincher.

Other best-picture nominees are Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader.

As expected, Heath Ledger had a supporting-actor nomination for "The Dark Knight" on the one-year anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. But the Batman blockbuster was shut out for other top categories such as best picture and director.

The TEN Oscar nominations of Slumdog Millionaire:

Code:

Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy)

Best Director (Danny Boyle)

Best Film

Best Original Score (A R Rahman)

Best Song (Jai Ho)

Best Song (O Saya)

Best Sound Editing (Tom Sayers),

Best Sound Mixing (Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty)

Best Cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle) and

Best Film Editing (Chris Dickens)