DANIEL Day-Lewis leads British acting hopes at the Oscars after he was nominated for best actor in US historical drama Lincoln.
A win would make it a hat-trick of best actor Oscar wins for the British-born star.
Also nominated is Naomi Watts, who was recognised for her role in Impossible with a nod in the best actress category.
And all-conquering pop megastar Adele gets nominated for her Bond theme Skyfall.
UK-born Watts faces competition from US stars including Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence who were recognised for their roles in Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook respectively.
Also nominated are Quvenzhane Wallis and Emmanuelle Riva.
Day-Lewis is shortlisted alongside Les Miserables star Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Joaquin Phoenix and Bradley Cooper.
It is his fifth nomination in the category, which he won in 1989 for My Left Foot and in 2007 for There Will be Blood.
Les Miserables, directed by The King’s Speech filmmaker Tom Hooper, is in the running for best picture but Hooper failed to get a nomination in the directing category which he won in 2010.
Also nominated for best picture are Ben Affleck's Argo, set during the Iran hostage crisis, Beasts Of The Southern Wild and Quentin Tarantino's western Django Unchained.
Life Of Pi, Amour, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty complete the shortlist.
