Nine films are in running for the Best Picture award.

The British royal family drama about King George VI and his speech therapist has collected 12 nominations.

Ex-couple James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow have dominated the Oscar nominations with their respective movies Avatar and The Hurt Locker.

Two Wellington-based productions from Weta are among the 10 nominations for best picture, the first time the number for Oscar contention have been increased from the usual five.

Avatar is up against Sir Peter Jackson’s production District 9, both of which used Weta’s New Zealand-made special effects.

Buoyant times at the box office and flood of popular and critically well received movies in recent years have prompted the Hollywood Academy Awards to double the number of best-picture nominees from five to 10.

Academy President Sid Ganis says the decision by the academy's board of governors will open the field up to more worthy films for the top prize at Hollywood's biggest party.

The change takes effect with next year's Oscars on March 7 (March 8 in New Zealand).

Sites may stream red-carpet build-up, but on-stage action will be for watchers off ye olde television only – the better to protect a shrinking advertiser base.

The 81st Oscar ceremony is going low-tech, All Things D reports.