Achievement in sound editing

• "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.): Richard King
• "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment): Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
• "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight): Tom Sayers
• "WALL-E" (Walt Disney): Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
• "Wanted" (Universal): Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
• "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.): Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
• "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
• "WALL-E" (Walt Disney): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
• "Wanted" (Universal): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
• "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
• "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.): Screenplay by Eric Roth
• Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
• "Doubt" (Miramax): Written by John Patrick Shanley
• "Frost/Nixon" (Universal): Screenplay by Peter Morgan
• "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company): Screenplay by David Hare
• "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight): Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

• "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics): Written by Courtney Hunt
• "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax): Written by Mike Leigh
• "In Bruges" (Focus Features): Written by Martin McDonagh
• "Milk" (Focus Features): Written by Dustin Lance Black
• "WALL-E" (Walt Disney): Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon
• Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter