The 44-year-old actress received her third Academy Award nomination overnight, being recognised in the best actress category for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine.
She is the favourite to win the award, although she will face tough competition from Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Amy Adams (American Hustle), Judi Dench (Philomena) and Meryl Streep (August: Osage County).
If Cate walks away with the coveted golden statuette it will be her second. She won the best supporting actress category in 2004 for her role in The Aviator, and was nominated for best actress prize in 1998 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth.
Costume designer Catherine Martin, the wife of director Baz Lurhmann, is the only other high-profile Australian to be nominated this year. She will contest the production design and costume design categories for her work on The Great Gatsby.
American Hustle and Gravity led the field with 10 nominations each, while 12 Years a Slave was close behind with nine nominations.
All three films will compete against Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Her, Nebraska, Philomena and The Wolf of Wall Street in the best picture category.
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Christian Bale (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) will fight for the best actor award.
The Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2, at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre.
The complete list of nominations for the 86th annual Academy Awards:
Best Picture:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Actor
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Best Director
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Foreign Language Film
The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
Omar (Palestine)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Before Midnight – Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips – Billy Ray
Philomena – Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
12 Years a Slave – John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street – Terence Winter
Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle – Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine – Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club – Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Her – Spike Jonze
Nebraska – Bob Nelson
Best Animated Feature Film
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises
Best Production Design
American Hustle
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
0Her
12 Years a Slave
Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Prisoners
1Best Sound Mixing
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor
Best Sound Editing
All Is Lost
2Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor
Best Original Score
The Book Thief – John Williams
Gravity – Steven Price
Her – William Butler and Owen Pallett
3Philomena – Alexandre Desplat
Saving Mr. Banks – Thomas Newman
Best Original Song
Alone Yet Not Alone from Alone Yet Not Alone – Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel
Happy from Despicable Me 2 – Pharrell Williams
Let It Go from Frozen – Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; The Moon Song from Her – Karen O and Spike Jonze
Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
Best Costume
4American Hustle
The Grandmaster
The Great Gatsby
The Invisible Woman
12 Years a Slave
Best Documentary Feature
The Act of Killing
Cutie and the Boxer
5Dirty Wars
The Square
20 Feet from Stardom
Best Documentary (short subject)
CaveDigger
Facing Fear
Karama Has No Walls
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
6Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall
Best Film Editing
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
12 Years a Slave
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
7Dallas Buyers Club
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
The Lone Ranger
Best Animated Short Film
Feral
Get a Horse!
Mr. Hublot
Possessions
8Room on the Broom
Best Live Action Short Film
Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)
Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)
Helium
Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)
The Voorman Problem
Best Visual Effects
9Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek Into Darkness
