"This is my fifth nomination and I'm more proud of that than all the rest of it, I think. Getting nominated, to me, that's the plateau. After you're nominated, it's like a crap shoot, it's like throwing dice."

- Morgan Freeman, best actor nominee for "Invictus."
 

"I thought I was managing my expectations, but on hearing the news, I discovered new and unfamiliar vocal tones. Perhaps I should do another musical."

- Colin Firth, best actor nominee for "A Single Man" (whose other film credits do include a musical, "Mamma Mia!").
 
"I'm just going to carry on with my life and be thankful and that's it. My celebration days, which were huge, are now slightly modified, shall we say. At my exalted age I can't quite do the old 24-hour nightly shifts that I used to."

- Christopher Plummer, age 80, on receiving his first Academy Award nomination, for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Leo Tolstoy in "The Last Station."
 
"As soon as I heard, I jumped up and down and for some reason I kept screaming, 'I'm gonna get a car, I'm gonna get a car.' I don't know why."

- Gabourey Sidibe, best actress nominee for "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire."
 
"I'm very happy and honored for Christopher, myself and our film. I think Tolstoy himself would have been perplexed by all this, but Sofya, his wife, would have been over the moon. So in that spirit, I am too."

- Helen Mirren, nominated for best actress for her role as Tolstoy's wife in "The Last Station."
 

 "I certainly, if one can give the impression that the impossible is possible, then I am perhaps overwhelmed with joy. But I do think that I hope someday we can lose the modifier and that becomes a moot point whether the person is male or female and they're just filmmakers making statements that they believe in."

- Kathryn Bigelow on becoming only the fourth woman nominated for a best director award, for "The Hurt Locker."

 
"Maybe with the nomination, people will have a chance to understand what a Palestinian living in Israel is. It will put us on the map."

- Scandar Copti, one of the two directors of "Ajami," nominated for best foreign language film.

 
"I knew the announcement was going to be made today, but I had tried not to think about it because we're such a small film. So I made sure I had a busy day today just so I was distracted. When I got the news I had forgotten about it...I never expected this. This is a screwball comedy and the script is the lead character. So for it to get the recognition, I'm very pleased."

- Armando Iannucci , writer and director of "In the Loop," nominated for best-adapted screenplay.

 
"I am completely surprised and elated. Rob Marshall is not only a genius but an absolute joy to work with. I woke up every morning excited to collaborate with this amazingly talented group of actors. "Filming this movie was such a special experience and to be nominated for this role makes me so happy."

- Penelope Cruz, nominated for best supporting actress in "Nine."
 

 "It's been a bit of a ride for this film. It started as a small-budget indie film and now it's standing shoulder to shoulder with 'Avatar.' It's a victory for small films and I'm delighted.

- Barry Ackroyd, best cinematography nominee for "The Hurt Locker."

 
"After 82 years, it's the first film nominated for best picture directed by an African American. Isn't that great? It's so exciting. How can you lose? You can't lose!"

- Lee Daniels, best director nominee for Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire

 
"I'm so grateful to Marion Cotillard for doing such a beautiful job with that song. It's a very special honor to be singled out by the Academy and the world of film and my first foray into that world."

- Tony winning Broadway composer Maury Yeston on his first Oscar nomination, for best original song, for "Take It All," from "Nine."

 
"It's nice to be taken seriously."

- Henry Selick, director of "Coraline," which was nominated for best animated feature film.

 
"It's a good morning. We knew there was a chance for the films to get recognized but between the voting rules and all the changes you just never know. 'The Messenger' is so deserving of even more awards. The major reason we brought it on was to get as much attention for the film and the story and the soldiers. "With 'Burma VJ,' what's happening in Burma now and what the film captures is very important. We'll see what happens next month."

- David Fenkel, co-head Oscilloscope Laboratories whose 2-year-old company garnered three Oscar nods, including two for "The Messenger:" bestsupporting actor for Woody Harrelson and best original screenplay for Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, and one for "Burma VJ:" best documentary feature.

 
"It was fun doing a musical again. We were really excited that Randy Newman got the two song nominations. It was well deserved."

- Ron Clements, co-director of "The Princess and the Frog," nominated for best animated feature.

 
"I would have been happy with one, but six - are you kidding? We've been screaming. We don't talk on these days. There's just a lot of emotion: crying, screaming, happiness. (Director) Lee (Daniels) and I are very passionate people. We tend to show our passionate side at many moments. So, today was no exception. We got Gaby (Sidibe) on the phone and Lee and I and Gaby were screaming. What can you say on a day like this? It's one of those universally exciting moments of your life."

- Sarah Siegel-Magness, producer for "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire."

 
"I can't crack champagne because I've been cracking champagne throughout all these awards ceremonies and I'm on this psychotic diet, so I'll celebrate in the gym. It is an Oscar diet. I gotta fit ... in that tux."

- Lee Daniels, on his plans to celebrate becoming only the second black director nominated for an Academy Award.

 
"We were in Stockholm, Dublin, London and Madrid for premieres because our films are starting to open in those countries. So we just got back a few days ago. So, I was very jetlagged when I was awake this morning, which I normally shouldn't have been at that time. So I don't know exactly what time it is, but I'm excited whatever time it is."

- John Musker, co-director of "The Princess and the Frog," nominated for best animated feature.

 
"It was like a really good, friendly punch in the stomach. It's a good feeling, but it's like a jolt. You can be in as many top-five lists and have as many people say things to you on red carpets as you like, and it doesn't for a single second make you honestly think that you're going to get nominated."

- Carey Mulligan, best actress nominee for "An Education."

 
"Hallelujiah! We can have a film like 'Avatar' and a film like 'Precious' and a film like 'Hurt Locker' all in the same grouping, and that is truly a unique experience."

- Sarah Siegel-Magness, producer for "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire."

 
"It was 5:45 and I was asleep when my friend, Rose, called and gave me the news. My first reaction was exhileration and then there was a vague thought that she might be joking. "She wasn't. "

- Alessandro Camon, co-writer of "The Messenger," nominated for best original screenplay.


 "Quentin continues to be a trailblazer and I am honored to be on this journey with him. This nomination is a thrill not only for me but everyone who has worked so hard to make 'Inglourious Basterds' a success. Thank you to The Weinstein Company and Universal for all of their support."

- Lawrence Bender, Oscar nominated producer of "Inglourious Basterds."

 

"I never imagined being in this position coming from being a reporter in Iraq and having an idea for a movie. I know how many writers don't get to see their passion projects realized. And so, I feel so incredibly grateful to the writer's branch for nominating me, for being kind to a defrocked journalist... I'm also really grateful to Kathryn Bigelow for believing in the screenplay especially at a time when Iraq projects were radioactive."

- Mark Boal, writer, "The Hurt Locker" nominated for best screenplay.
 

 "My wife and I got up, we grabbed the computer and then crawled back into bed and watched the stream. We heard them say our names. That was pretty cool. There's all sorts of talk and predictions and things but you never know. So we just remind ourselves of how lucky we are to be working first of all and doing what we love. So this is just a cherry on top, or whatever you want to say. Frosting. I love frosting."

- Pete Docter, writer, nominated for best original screenplay for "Up."

 
"It was a phone call that interrupted a wonderful night's sleep that I was having. It was the phone call. It was the phone call that you always hear people saying, 'I was awoken by the ring of the phone' and that's exactly what happened with me."

- Sandra Bullock on how she learned of her first Oscar nomination, for best actress for "The Blind Side."