Pioneer-era drama "The Revenant" led the Oscar nominations on Thursday 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. - Reuters