Firth, King's Speech get Oscar nods

Colin, who plays a stammering King George VI in the film, could now add an Academy Award to the Golden Globe he won earlier this month.

Helena Bonham Carter is nominated for best supporting actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the movie, set in Britain on the cusp of the Second World War, while Geoffrey Rush has a nod in the best supporting actor category.

Filmmaker Tom Hooper has been nominated for best director, and the film leads the list with 12 nominations overall.

Also nominated for best picture were the psychosexual thriller Black Swan, boxing drama The Fighter, sci-fi blockbuster Inception and Danny Boyle's survival story 127 Hours.

Completing the 10 are lesbian-family tale The Kids Are All Right, Golden Globe-winning Facebook chronicle The Social Network, animated smash Toy Story 3, Western True Grit and crime thriller Winter's Bone. True Grit had 10 nominations, including acting honours for Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld.

The best-actress field includes Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right and Natalie Portman for Black Swan - both Golden Globe winners.

Christian Bale will compete with Rush for the supporting actor gong for his role in The Fighter. The supporting-actress Oscar could prove the most competitive among acting prizes. Melissa Leo won the Globe for The Fighter, but she faces strong challenges from co-star Amy Adams and 14-year-old newcomer Steinfeld, who missed out on a Globe nomination.

Birtish director Mike Leigh has a nomination for original screenplay for Another Year, while Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy are up for adapted screenplay for 127 Hours.

The February 27 Oscar ceremony will take place in Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

Here are the nominees in the leading categories:

:: Best film:

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter's Bone

:: Best actor:

Colin Firth - The King's Speech

Javier Bardem - Biutiful

Jeff Bridges - True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network

James Franco - 127 Hours

:: Best supporting actor:

Christian Bale - The Fighter

John Hawkes - Winter's Bone

Jeremy Renner - The Town

Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right

Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

:: Best actress:

Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right

Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone

Natalie Portman - Black Swan

Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

:: Best supporting actress:

Amy Adams - The Fighter

Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech

Melissa Leo - The Fighter

Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit

Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom

:: Best director:

Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky

The Fighter - David O. Russell

The King's Speech - Tom Hooper

The Social Network - David Fincher

True Grit - Joel and Ethan Coen

:: Best documentary feature:

Exit Through The Gift Shop

Gasland

Inside Job

Restrepo

Waste Land

:: Best adapted screenplay:

127 Hours - Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy

The Social Network - Aaron Sorkin

Toy Story 3 - Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich

True Grit - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Winter's Bone - Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini

:: Best original screenplay:

Another Year - Mike Leigh

The Fighter - Scott Silver. Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson.

Inception - Christopher Nolan

The Kids Are All Right - Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg

The King's Speech - David Seidler.

© Press Association