No Oscars nods for Keira or James McAvoy

The 80th Academy Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday and while it included many British names, Golden Globes nominees Keira Knightley and James McAvoy missed out.

The two stars of First World War tragedy Atonement were expected to have strong chances to make the Best Actor and Actress categories.

However, neither were nominated.

Atonement was nominated as Best Picture and Irish actress Soairse Ronan got a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role in the film.

And there will be plenty of other Brits to cheer on Oscars night (Sunday, Feb 24) - Daniel Day-Lews was nominated as Best Actor, Julie Christie for Best Actress, Tom Wilkinson for Best Supporting Actor and Tilda Swinton for Best Supporting Actress.

Also among the main Oscars categories were:

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney - Michael Clayton

Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah

Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd

Viggo Mortenson - Eastern Promises

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Julie Christie - Away From Her

Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

Laura Linney - The Savages

Ellen Page - Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James

Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men

Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War

Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild

Tom Wilkinson - Michel Clayton

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

Ruby Dee - American Gangster

Soairse Ronan - Atonement

Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

BEST PICTURE

Atonement

Juno

Michael Clayton

No Country for Old Men

There Will Be Blood

BEST DIRECTOR

Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Jason Reitman - Juno

George Clooney - Michael Clayton

Joel and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood