This morning, at 5:30AM LA time, the Academy Awards announced their nominees for the February 22nd broadcast. Some things we predicted were right, others went missing between prediction and announcement, and one thing we’re sure about is Heath Ledger’s posthumous nomination: it happened.

The Dark Knight managed not to garner a best picture nod, or a best adapted screenplay nod, or even an original score nod, but it did score nominations across the technical categories like art direction, cinematography, editing, make-up, sound editing and visual effects.

For it’s lack of creatively-motivated categories, The Dark Knight did nab 8 nominations, only putting it behind two other films, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (13 noms) and favored Best Picture contender Slumdog Millionaire 10 noms.

More nominees inside!

Best picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
“Milk” (Focus Features)
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a leading role:

Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in supporting role:

Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role:

Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:

Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature:

“Bolt” (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction:

“Changeling” (Universal) Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography:

“Changeling” (Universal) Tom Stern
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design:

“Australia” (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Jacqueline West
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Michael O’Connor
“Milk” (Focus Features) Danny Glicker
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Albert Wolsky

Achievement in film editing:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) Lee Smith
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
“Milk” (Focus Features) Elliot Graham
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year:

“The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production - Germany
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France
“Departures” (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production - Japan
“Revanche” (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production - Austria
“Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel

Achievement in Makeup:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Greg Cannom
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Original score:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features) Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman

Original Song:

“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney)
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)

Achievement in sound editing:

“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney)
“Wanted” (Universal)

Achievement in sound mixing:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney)
“Wanted” (Universal)

Achievement in visual effects:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment)

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt” (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay:

“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh
“In Bruges” (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh
“Milk” (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Get the short and documentary noms HERE!