Avatar aims for BAFTAs

'Avatar', 'An Education' and 'The Hurt Locker' will battle it out at this year's BAFTA Awards after receiving eight nominations each.

Sci-fi adventure 'Avatar' - which won two Golden Globes on Sunday (17.01.10) - is up against British hit 'An Education' and war movie 'The Hurt Locker' in the Best Film category, while all the movie's respective creators, James Cameron, Lone Scherfig and Kathryn Bigelow, are up for Best Director.

Others in the running for Best Film are 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire' and 'Up in the Air', while Neill Blomkamp and Quentin Tarantino are the remaining contenders in the Best Director category for 'District 9' and 'Inglourious Basterds'

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Meryl Streep gained her 13th BAFTA nomination after being recognised for her role in 'Julie and Julia' and will fight it out in the Leading Actress category alongside Carey Mulligan for 'An Education', 'Coco Before Chanel' star Audrey Tatou, Saoirse Ronan for 'The Lovely Bones' and Gabourey Sidibe for her portrayal of an abused teenager in 'Precious…'.

'Up in the Air' star George Clooney is up for the Leading Actor prize along with Jeff Bridges for 'Crazy Heart', Colin Firth for 'A Single Man', 'The Hurt Locker' star Jeremy Renner and Andy Serkis for 'Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll'.

Other nominations include Alec Baldwin and Stanley Tucci in the Best Supporting Actor category for 'It's Complicated' and 'The Lovely Bones' respectively, while Best Supporting Actress nominees include Kristin Scott Thomas for 'Nowhere Boy' and 'Up in the Air' star Anna Kendrick.

The BAFTA Awards - which stands for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards - take place at London's Royal Opera House on February 21.

List of main nominations for the 2010 BAFTA Awards:

Best Film:

'Avatar'

'An Education'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Precious'

'Up In The Air'

Leading Actor:

Jeff Bridges - 'Crazy Heart'

George Clooney - 'Up In The Air'

Colin Firth - 'A Single Man'

Jeremy Renner - 'The Hurt Locker'

Andy Serkis - 'Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll'

Leading Actress:

Carey Mulligan - 'An Education'

Saoirse Ronan - 'The Lovely Bones'

Gabourey Sidibe - 'Precious'

Meryl Streep - 'Julie and Julia'

Audrey Tautou - 'Coco Before Chanel'

Supporting Actor:

Alec Baldwin - 'It's Complicated'

Christian McKay - 'Me And Orson Welles'

Alfred Molina - 'An Education'

Stanley Tucci - 'The Lovely Bones'

Christoph Waltz - 'Inglourious Basterds'

Supporting Actress:

Anne-Marie Duff - 'Nowhere Boy'

Vera Farmiga - 'Up In The Air'

Anna Kendrick - 'Up In The Air'

Mo'Nique - 'Precious'

Kristin Scott Thomas - 'Nowhere Boy'

Outstanding British Film:

'An Education'

'Fish Tank'

'In The Loop'

'Moon'

'Nowhere Boy'

Best Director:

James Cameron - 'Avatar'

Neill Blomkamp - 'District 9'

Lone Scherfig - 'An Education'

Kathryn Bigelow - 'The Hurt Locker'

Quentin Tarantino - 'Inglourious Basterds'

Original Screenplay:

'The Hangover'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'

'A Serious Man'

'Up'

Adapted Screenplay:

'District 9'

'An Education'

'In The Loop'

'Precious'

'Up In The Air'

The Orange Rising Star Award:

Jesse Eisenberg

Nicholas Hoult

Carey Mulligan

Tahar Rahim

Kristen Stewart