Pioneer-era drama "The Revenant" led the Oscar nominations with 12 nods, including best picture, while gritty action movie "Mad Max: Fury Road" landed 10.
"The Revenant" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" will vie with "The Big Short," "Bridge of Spies," "Brooklyn," "The Martian," "Room" and "Spotlight" for best picture, the top Oscar award.
The Oscars, voted on by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, can have up to 10 best picture nominees, but voters selected eight this year. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and hip-hop movie "Straight Outta Compton" were among those not making the cut.
"The Revenant" also landed a best actor nomination for Leonardo DiCaprio, best director for Alejandro Inarritu and best supporting actor for Tom Hardy.
"Mad Max: Fury Road" scored a best director nomination for Australian filmmaker George Miller.
DiCaprio, who has yet to win an Oscar, will compete with Bryan Cranston in Hollywood blacklist tale "Trumbo," Matt Damon in space adventure "The Martian," Michael Fassbender as technology visionary "Steve Jobs" and Eddie Redmayne as transgender artist Lili Elbe in "The Danish Girl."
In the best actress category, previous Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence return to the race this year.
Blanchett was nominated for her role in lesbian romance "Carol," and Lawrence for playing the Miracle Mop inventor in "Joy." They will compete against Brie Larson for psychological thriller "Room," Charlotte Rampling for British drama "45 Years" and Saoirse Ronan for immigrant tale "Brooklyn."
No actors of color were nominated in the best acting or supporting acting categories this year, despite a backlash last year over a lack of diversity in the 2015 awards.
The Oscar winners will be announced at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Chris Rock in Hollywood on February 28.
Key nominations for the 2016 Oscars
BEST PICTURE
"The Big Short"
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
"Room"
"Spotlight"
BEST DIRECTOR
Oscar nominees for Best Director are shown in this combination of Reuters file photos.Adam McKay, "The Big Short
George Miller. "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Alejandro G. Inarritu, "The Revenant"
Lenny Abrahamson, "Room"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
BEST ACTOR
Oscar nominees for Best Actor are shown in this combination of Reuters file photos.Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
BEST ACTRESS
Oscar nominees for Best Actress are shown in this combination of Reuters file photos.Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Brie Larson, "Room"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"
Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"
Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor are shown in this combination of Reuters file photos.Christian Bale, "The Big Short"
Tom Hardy, "The Revenant"
Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"
Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies"
Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress are shown in this combination of Reuters file photos.Jennifer Jason Leigh, "The Hateful Eight"
Rooney Mara, "Carol"
Rachel McAdams, "Spotlight"
Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl"
Kate Winslet, "Steve Jobs"
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Bridge of Spies"
"Ex Machina"
"Inside Out"
"Spotlight"
"Straight Outta Compton"
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"The Big Short"
"Brooklyn"
"Carol"
"The Martian"
"Room"
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Anomalisa"
"Boy and the World"
"Inside Out"
"Shaun the Sheep Movie"
"When Marnie Was There"
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Amy"
"Cartel Land"
"The Look of Silence"
"What Happened, Miss Simone?"
"Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom"
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Embrace of the Serpent" Colombia
"Mustang" France
"Son of Saul" Hungary
"Theeb" Jordan
"A War" Denmark
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"Bridge of Spies" Thomas Newman
"Carol" Carter Burwell
"The Hateful Eight" Ennio Morricone
"Sicario" Jóhann Jóhannsson
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" John Williams
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Earned It" from "Fifty Shades of Grey"
"Manta Ray" from "Racing Extinction"
"Simple Song #3" from "Youth"
"Til It Happens To You" from "The Hunting Ground"
"Writing's On The Wall" from "Spectre"