'Slumdog, 'WALL-E' Lead Oscar Music Nominees

"Slumdog Millionaire" and "Wall-E" are atop the field of music-related Oscar nominees, with both films nominated for best original score. The "Slumdog" score was penned by A.R. Rahman, while Thomas Newman wrote the score for "WALL-E."

The two films are the only contenders in the best original song category, with "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (performed by Peter Gabriel) up against the "Slumdog" songs "Jai Ho" (performed by Gulzar) and "O Saya" (performed by M.I.A.). (Read Billboard's Q&A with A.R. Rahman here)

The other best original score nominees are Alexandre Desplat for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," James Newton Howard for "Defiance" and Danny Elfman for "Milk."

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" leads the nominations with 13. That's one short of the all-time Oscar nomination, 14, which is held by "All About Eve" and "Titanic."

Besides "Button," the other nominees for best picture are "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "The Reader," and "Slumdog Millionaire."

The 81st Academy Awards ceremony will air live on ABC on Feb. 22 from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and will be hosted by Hugh Jackman.

Additional reporting by Ann Donahue.