The 2009 Oscar nominations were announced by actor/director Forest Whitaker on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT. The awards show is generally held on the last Sunday in February with the nominations announced on a Tuesday approximately four weeks before the awards ceremony.People: Forest Whitaker to Announce Nominations (January 20, 2009)

In 2009, the last Sunday in February is February 22. Normally, that would mean the Oscar nominees would have been announced on January 20. However, since January 20, 2009 is Inauguration Day, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences delayed announcing the nominees by two days.USA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)

• December 26, 2008: Nominations ballots mailedUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)
• January 12, 2009: Nominations ballots dueUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)
• January 22, 2009: Nominees announcedUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)
• January 28, 2009: Final ballots mailedUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)
• February 17, 2009: Final ballots dueUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)
• February 22, 2009: 81st annual Academy AwardsUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)

• "We have to look at other major global events. It didn't make any sense for us to try to compete with (the inauguration) from a news point of view. I know that whoever produces the show would like to have more time and this will be two days less than they've had in past years."—Ric Robertson, Executive Administrator, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesUSA Today: Pushed Back by Inauguration (April 14, 2008)

The Baader Meinhof Complex

Departures

Waltz with Bashir

• Tom Stern for Changeling

• Claudio Miranda for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

• Wally Pfister for The Dark Knight

• Chris Menges and Roger Deakins for The Reader

• Anthony Dod Mantle for The Reader

• Australia

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

• The Duchess

• Milk

• Revolutionary Road

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, music by Alexandre Desplat

Milk, music by Danny Elfman

Wall-E, music by Thomas Newman