The musical "Dreamgirls" starring newcomer Jennifer Hudson and veteran Eddie Murphy led Academy Awards contenders Tuesday with eight nominations, but surprisingly was shut out in the best picture category after being considered a potential front-runner.
Other best-picture nominees were the bloody crime saga "The Departed," the World War II spectacle "Letters From Iwo Jima," the road-trip comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" and the monarchy-in-crisis chronicle "The Queen."
Except for the best picture and best director categories, this year's oscars may be easier to predict. The front-runners in the four acting categories should win at the awards ceremony on February 25 in Los Angeles: Helen Mirren for best actress as British monarch Elizabeth II in "The Queen"; Forest Whitaker for best actor as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland"; and Eddie Murphy and former "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson as soulful singers in "Dreamgirls."
For best director, Martin Scorsese has been nominated a sixth time for "The Departed" (he's gone 0-for-5 in past nominations), and Clint Eastwood is nominated as expected for "Letters from Iwo Jima."
The best-actress category featured a 14th nomination for two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, padding her record as the most-nominated actor ever, this time as a demonically demanding boss in "The Devil Wears Prada."
For Hudson, her nomination caps a speedy rise to stardom with her first film role, just two years after making her name on "American Idol" where she lost out to eventual winner Fantasia.
