Performance by an actor in a leading role
- Richard Jenkins in The Visitor (Overture Films)
- Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon (Universal)
- Sean Penn in Milk (Focus Features)
- Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Josh Brolin in Milk (Focus Features)
- Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt (Miramax)
- Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.)
- Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Angelina Jolie in Changeling (Universal)
- Melissa Leo in Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Meryl Streep in Doubt (Miramax)
- Kate Winslet in The Reader (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Amy Adams in Doubt (Miramax)
- Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)
- Viola Davis in Doubt (Miramax)
- Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
Best animated feature film of the year
- Bolt (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
- Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
- WALL-E (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton
Achievement in art direction
- Changeling (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
- The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
- The Duchess (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
- Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt
Achievement in cinematography
- Changeling (Universal), Tom Stern
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
- The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
- The Reader (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
- Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
- Australia (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
- The Duchess (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O'Connor
- Milk (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
- Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky
Achievement in directing
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
- Frost/Nixon (Universal), Ron Howard
- Milk (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
- The Reader (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
- Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
Best documentary feature
- The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
- Encounters at the End of the World (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
- The Garden A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
- Man on Wire (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
- Trouble the Water (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal
Best documentary short subject
- The Conscience of Nhem En A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
- The Final Inch A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
- Smile Pinki A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
- The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306 A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde
Achievement in film editing
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
- The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
- Frost/Nixon (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
- Milk (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
- Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens
Best foreign language film of the year
- The Baader Meinhof Complex A Constantin Film Production, Germany
- The Class (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
- Departures (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
- Revanche (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
- Waltz with Bashir (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel
Achievement in makeup
