2011 Oscar Nominations Honor Character-Driven Films

By MTV Tr3s Staff

It's time to start those annual Oscar pools, the 2011 Academy Award nominees are in. Academy Award-winning actress Mo'Nique and Academy president Tom Sherak revealed this year's finalists early this morning in Los Angeles, truly acknowledging the year's most critically acclaimed films and performances.

The King's Speech led with 12 nominations, including nods for best picture and director, while True Grit followed with 10 nominations and The Social Network with eight. The other best picture contenders (there are 10 in all) are Black Swan, The Fighter, 127 Hours, Winter's Bone, Inception, The Kids Are All Right and Toy Story 3.

As predicted, Golden Globe winner Colin Firth earned his second consecutive best actor nomination for overcoming a stutter in The King's Speech, while James Franco and Jesse Eisenberg each received their first for 127 Hours and The Social Network, respectively. Last year's winner, Jeff Bridges, earned his sixth nomination for True Grit, and Javier Bardem earned his third for Biutiful, which itself received a nod for best foreign film.

There were no major surprises in the best actress category either. Natalie Portman was recognized for her performance as a disturbed ballerina in Black Swan, Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine, Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right, Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone and Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole.

The race for best supporting actors and actresses looks just as tight as for their leading counterparts. Christian Bale (The Fighter), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right) and John Hawkes (Winter's Bone) will battle it out for best supporting actor. Interestingly, Andrew Garfield was not nominated for his praiseworthy role as Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network. Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) will face off for best supporting actress.

Sorry Christina fans, Burlesque didn't make the cut, not even for best song.

Congratulations to this year's super-talented Oscar contenders! Winners will announced Sunday, Feb. 27. Click here to see the full list of nominees and to pick your favorites.

Who do you think will win the 2011 Academy Awards? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Academy Award Nominees, Academy Awards, Annette Bening, Award Shows, Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Hailee Steinfeld, Helena Bonham Carter, James Franco, Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, Michelle Williams, Movies, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Oscars