Critical barometer, or mere Hollywood procession? Either way, the 2006 Academy Award nominations are out, and we feel strangely obliged to publish them. Not that being nominated, let alone winning, has necessarily ever meant anything. When The Return of the King made history and swept the floor two years ago, onlookers were smothered not so much with shock or even awe, but a deadweight sense of formality. Tonight, the 6 o'clock news will zero on Kong and Narnia's pittance of nominations – but again, like that means anything. Keira Knightley garnering a Best Actress nomination for Pride and Prejudice says as much. Only thing to look forward to is the torrent of Oscar-nominated films that invade our movie theatres around this time of year – hence, the reason why we're also refraining from making any major predictions.

Best Picture
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich

Actor in a Leading Role
Philip Seymour Hoffman—Capote
Terrence Howard—Hustle and Flow
Heath Ledger—Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix—Walk the Line
David Strathairn—Good Night, and Good Luck

Actress in a Leading Role
Judi Dench—Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman—Transamerica
Keira Knightley—Pride and Prejudice
Charlize Theron—North Country
Reese Witherspoon—Walk the Line

Directing
George Clooney—Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis—Crash
Ang Lee—Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller—Capote
Steven Spielberg—Munich

Actor in a Supporting Role
George Clooney—Syriana
Matt Dillon—Crash
Paul Giamatti—Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal—Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt—A History of Violence

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams—Junebug
Catherine Keener—Capote
Frances McDormand—North Country
Rachel Weisz—The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams—Brokeback Mountain

Animated Feature Film
Howl's Moving Castle
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Screenplay (Adapted)
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
The Constant Gardener
A History of Violence
Munich

Screenplay (Original)
Cinderella Man
Good Night, and Good Luck
Match Point
The Squid and the Whale
Syriana

Art Direction
Good Night, and Good Luck
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Prejudice

Cinematography
Batman Begins
Brokeback Mountain
Good Night, and Good Luck
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World

Costume Design
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Memoirs of a Geisha
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Pride & Prejudice
Walk the Line

Documentary Feature
Darwin's Nightmare
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Street Fight

Documentary Short Subject
The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club
God Sleeps in Rwanda
The Mushroom Club
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin

Film Editing
Cinderella Man
The Constant Gardener
Crash
Munich
Walk the Line

Foreign Language Film
Don't Tell
Joyeux Noel
Paradise Now
Sophie Scroll—The Final Days
Tsotsi

Makeup
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Cinderella Man
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith

Music (Score)
Gustavo Santaolalla—Brokeback Mountain
Alberto Iglesias—The Constant Gardener
John Williams—Memoirs of a Geisha
John Williams—Munich
Dario Marianelli—Pride & Prejudice

Music (Song)
"In the Deep"—Crash
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"—Hustle & Flow
"Travelin' Thru"—TransAmerica

Short Film (Animated)
Badgered
The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello
9
One Man Band

Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway)
Cashback
The Last Farm
Our Time is Up
Six Shooter

Sound Editing
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
War of the Worlds

Sound Mixing
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Walk the Line
War of the Worlds

Visual Effects
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
King Kong
War of the Worlds