Ang Lee's romantic drama "Brokeback Mountain" continued its awards-season dominance yesterday morning by garnering eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, the most of any film released last year.

The increasingly popular film, which chronicles a lifelong affair between two ranch workers, also earned a Best Actor nod for star Heath Ledger, Best Supporting Actor and Actress nods for co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams, and a Best Director nod for Lee, his second following his 2000 nod for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Original Score rounded out the film's eight nominations.

Other Best Picture nominees include "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Capote," "Crash" and Steven Spielberg's "Munich," which explores the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack. The controversial film had been largely ignored in other year-end competition.

James Mangold's hit Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" and Woody Allen's "Match Point" were among the films most notably passed over for Best Picture nominations.

In a rare occurrence, each film in the Best Picture category also earned a Best Director nomination, including surprise nods for first-time directors Bennett Miller and Paul Haggis for their work on "Capote" and "Crash," respectively. George Clooney received his first of three total nominations for directing "Good Night, and Good Luck." He was also nominated for co-writing "Good Night" and for his supporting performance in the international thriller "Syriana."

Joining Ledger in the Best Actor category was a trio of acclaimed portrayals of mid-20th century American icons: Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line," Phillip Seymour Hoffman as author Truman Capote in "Capote" and David Strathairn as newsman Edward Murrow in "Good Night, and Good Luck." Breakout star Terrance Howard also earned a nomination for the up-and-coming rapper tale "Hustle & Flow," a sleeper hit last summer.

Reese Witherspoon earned her first career nomination for her turn as June Carter-Cash in "Walk the Line," along with 20-year-old British actress Keira Knightely, who received her first nod for the more youth-oriented take on Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice." Perennial favorites also shone through, with former winners Charlize Theron ("Monster") and Judi Dench ("Shakespeare in Love") earning nods for their acclaimed performances in the miner drama "North Country" and the little-seen "Mrs. Henderson Presents."

Following her Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, Felicity Huffman, star of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," also made the cut for her performance as a transsexual reconnecting with the son she fathered in "Transamerica."

On the female end of the supporting categories, Amy Adams earned a nod for Phil Morrison's "Junebug," despite the film's inopportune late-summer release and limited distribution. Rachel Weisz also earned a nod for her turn as a doomed young activist in "The Constant Gardener," while former "Fargo" winner Frances McDormand joined her for her work in "North Country." As expected, one-time "Dawson's Creek" star Williams was also nominated for portrayal of a young wife thrown into emotional tumult in "Brokeback Mountain."

Matt Dillon led the supporting actor nods for his standout turn among more than 20 notable performances in the ensemble drama "Crash." His was the film's only acting nomination. Paul Giamatti overcame last year's "Sideways" with a nod for his role in "Cinderella Man." William Hurt also earned a surprise nomination for his brief but central performance in "A History of Violence," while Clooney continued his streak with a nod for "Syriana." Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal stepped out of costar Ledger's shadow with recognition for his work in "Brokeback Mountain."