*Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson received their first Oscar nominations this morning and will compete against each other in the supporting actress category for their performances in "Doubt" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," respectively.

       Nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning from the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Other actresses in the supporting category are Penelope Cruz for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Amy Adams for "Doubt" and Marisa Tomei for "The Wrestler."

       Henson's nomination is one of a leading 13 for "Benjamin Button," which also earned a best actor nod for Brad Pitt, best director for David Fincher and best picture.      

       Other best picture nominees are "Frost/Nixon," "Milk,' "The Reader" and Slumdog Millionaire.

      The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be presented one month from today on Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST) and broadcast live on ABC. Here are the nominees in the top categories:

BEST PICTURE
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Angelina Jolie (The Changeling)
Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)

ACTOR
Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
Frank Langella (Frost Nixon)
Sean Penn (Milk)
Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis (Doubt)
Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Amy Adams (Doubt)
Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin (Milk)
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

DIRECTOR
David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
Gus Van Sant (Milk)
Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

SCREENPLAY
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

ANIMATED
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E