SPACE drama Gravity and crime caper American Hustle lead the pack at this year's Oscars.

Both films have 10 nominations, including nods for Amy Adams and Sandra Bullock for the best actress award.

Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave is also a strong contender, picking up nine nominations including best film, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and best director.

Ejiofor faces competition for the best actor statuette from Welsh actor Christian Bale for American Hustle, veteran Bruce Dern for Nebraska, The Wolf of Wall Street's Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club.

Also nominated for best actress are Dame Judi Dench for Philomena, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, and Meryl Streep for August: Osage County.

Irish rockers U2 are nominated for best original song for Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom but its star Idris Elba missed out on the nominations.

There was recognition too for Britain's Sally Hawkins, who was nominated for best supporting actress for Blue Jasmine.

She was nominated alongside Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle, Lupita Nyong'o for 12 Years a Slave, Julia Roberts for August: Osage County and June Squibb for Nebraska.

Another of 12 Years A Slave's stars, Irish/German actor Michael Fassbender, is nominated for best supporting actor along with Barkhad Abdi from modern-day pirate drama Captain Phillips, Bradley Cooper for American Hustle, Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street and Jared Leto from Dallas Buyers Club.

McQueen's best director nomination puts him up against Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle's David O Russell, Gravity's Alfonso Cuaron and Alexander Payne for Nebraska.

There are nine contenders for best film with American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity and Philomena all nominated.

The Spike Jonze film Her, Nebraska and The Wolf of Wall Street complete the short-list.