Academy Awards, Avatar | featured news

Many critics dissed the hosting combo of James Franco and Anne Hathaway, but considering that the ceremony lacked a huge crowd-pleasing nominee such as last year's "Avatar," Sunday's 83rd Academy Awards telecast on ABC held up pretty well in the ratings.

Early indications are that an Academy Awards telecast where "The Hurt Locker" topped the popular "Avatar" for best picture was popular with viewers.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Science-fiction adventure "Avatar" and war movie "The Hurt Locker" on Tuesday earned nine Oscar nominations each, including best movie, to lead the field in the competition for the world's highest film honors.

The science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" won best drama at the Golden Globes and picked up the directing honor for James Cameron on Sunday, raising the "Titanic" filmmaker's prospects for another Academy Awards triumph.