''The Kings Speech'' gets 12 Oscar nominations

Los Angeles, Jan 25 (PTI) ''The Kings Speech'', aBritish drama about the stammering monarch King George VI,leads this year''s Oscar nominations with 12 nods, whileanother period drama ''True Grit'' follows closely with 10nominations.

Favourite ''The Social Network'' only managed the thirdspot with eight nominations, while Leonardo DiCaprio-starrerpsychological thriller ''Inception'' got seven.

Colin Firth is nominated in the Best Actor categoryfor ''The King''s Speech'' and the film''s director Tom Hooper hasbagged a nomination in the ''Best Director'' category. HelenaBonham Carter is in the run for the Best Supporting Actress,while Geoffrey Rush won a nomination for the Best SupportingActor for the same.

The film is also nominated in the Art Direction,Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, Original Screenplayand Original Score categories.

Besides ''The King''s Speech'', the Best Film categoryalso includes ''The Social Network'', ''The Fighter'', ''BlackSwan'', ''Inception'', ''The Kids Are All Right'', ''127 Hours'',''Toy Story 3'', ''True Grit'', and ''Winter''s Bone''.

Firth is facing competition from James Franco for ''127Hours'', Jesse Eisenberg for ''The Social Network'', JavierBardem for ''Biutiful'' and last year''s Best Actor winner JeffBridges for ''True Grit'' in the Best Actor in a Leading Rolecategory.

The Best Actress in a Leading Role categorynominations include Annette Bening for ''The Kids Are AllRight'', Natalie Portman for her role of a troubled ballerina''Black Swan'', Nicole Kidman for ''Rabbit Hole'', MichelleWilliams for ''Blue Valentine'' and newcomer Jennifer Lawrencefor ''Winter''s Bone''.

The Best Director race is between David Fincher of''The Social Network'', Tom Hooper ''The King''s Speech''.

''Toy Story 3'', ''How to Train Your Dragon'' and ''TheIllusionist'' are battling it out for the Best Animated FilmOscar.

The 83rd Academy Awards, to be held at Hollywood''sKodak Theater on February 24, will be hosted by Franco andAnne Hathaway, one of only a handful of times in Oscar historywhen a nominee also was an emcee for the ceremony.