'Benjamin Button' dominates Oscar noms

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button has secured 13 nominations at the 81st Academy Awards.

The love story, about a man who is born old and ages in reverse, leads this year's Oscar pack, with British movie Slumdog Millionaire close behind with ten nods. Superhero sequel The Dark Knight and political biopic Milk landed eight apiece.

Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire will contest the best picture prize, while their respective filmmakers David Fincher, Ron Howard, Gus Van Sant, Stephen Daldry and Danny Boyle all picked up nods in the director category.

Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Sean Penn (Milk) and Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon) were all recognised for acting, along with surprise inclusion Richard Jenkins (The Visitor).

Meryl Streep received her 15th Oscar nomination for Doubt, where she will compete with Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Kate Winslet (The Reader), Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) and Melissa Leo (Frozen River).

The Dark Knight's Heath Ledger is up for a supporting actor award against Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Josh Brolin (Milk) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road).

Amy Adams wins her second Oscar nomination for Doubt, joining her co-star Viola Davis, Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler) and Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin Button) in the supporting actress field.

The Oscars ceremony takes place at Los Angeles's Kodak Theatre on February 22.

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