UPDATED: And the nominees are...

UPDATED: Check out some of the magic in Weta Digital's Avatar Shot breakdowns!

The 2010 ACADEMY AWARD® nominees have been announced and Weta is very pleased to note that three of the movies we've been involved in, Avatar, District 9 and The Lovely Bones, all feature in the nominations.

Avatar and District 9 are nominated neck and neck for the Best Achievement in Visual Effects award. Out of only three nominees. Big congratulations to Weta Digital for this awesome achievement.

Visual Effects Supervisor Matt Aitken is one of the nominees:

The Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Visual Effects is a great honour and acknowledges the hard work put into District 9 by the talented artists at Weta Digital. The team found the process of helping director Neill Blomkamp and producer Peter Jackson realise their vision for the film to be hugely enjoyable and rewarding."

District 9 has been nominated in four categories, including Best Motion Picture for producers Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham and Best Adapted Screenplay for Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell.

Not surprisingly, Avatar is a contender in a total of nine categories, including Best Motion Picture and Best Director.

Stanley Tucci has received a nomination for his performance in The Lovely Bones.

Huge congratulations to all for these nominations, and we look forward with great anticipation to the 82nd Academy Awards® night on 7 March.

Read more on the OSCARS® website.