Clint Eastwood's war epic FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, musical DREAMGIRLS and BABEL have emerged as early Oscars favourites after picking up 26 US Satellite Awards nominations between them. The stunning Iwo Jima battle sequences in Eastwood's new film earned the project a string of technical nominations among it's 10-honour haul, while Dreamgirls picked up two Original Song nominations and nods for stars Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce Knowles. Babel, which stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, earned seven award nominations, but only RINKO KIKUCHI is named in the acting categories, securing a Best Supporting Actress honour for her role. Leonardo Dicaprio earned two acting nominations - a Best Actor nod for BLOOD DIAMOND and a Best Supporting Actor honour for THE DEPARTED. And controversy seems to have served Sacha Baron Cohen and Mel Gibson well - the British funnyman lands a Best Actor nod in the Comedy or Musical category, while Gibson's APOCALYPTO is among the Best Foreign Film nominees. In the Satellite Awards' TV categories, acclaimed new drama STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP and the Salma Hayek-produced UGLY BETTY lead the way with four nominations apiece. Secured for honours at the International Press Association gala on 17 December (06) are the cast of THE DEPARTED (Best Ensemble, Motion Picture), the cast of medical TV drama GREY'S ANATOMY (Best Ensemble, Television) and actor Martin Landau, who will be presented with the Satellite's Mary Pickford Award For Outstanding Artistic Contribution. The full list of movie nominees is: Actress In A Motion Picture, Drama PENELOPE CRUZ - VOLVER HELEN MIRREN - THE QUEEN JUDY DENCH - NOTES ON A SCANDAL GRETCHEN MOLL - THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL - SHERRYBABY Actor In A Motion Picture, Drama DEREK LUKE - CATCH A FIRE JOSHUA JACKSON - AURORA BOREALIS FOREST WHITAKER - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND RYAN GOSLING - HALF NELSON PATRICK WILSON - LITTLE CHILDREN LEONARDO DiCAPRIO - BLOOD DIAMOND Actress In A Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical TONI COLLETTE - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE JODIE WHITAKER - VENUS BEYONCE KNOWLES - DREAMGIRLS MERYL STREEP - The Devil Wears Prada JULIE WALTERS - DRIVING LESSONS ANNETTE BENING - RUNNING WITH SCISSORS Actor In A Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical JOSEPH CROSS - RUNNING WITH SCISSORS AARON ECKHART - THANK YOU FOR SMOKING SACHA BARON COHEN - BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN PETER O'TOOLE - VENUS WILL FERRELL - Stranger Than Fiction Actress In A Supporting Role ABIGAIL BRESLIN - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE LILY TOMLIN - A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION BLYTHE DANNER - THE LAST KISS RINKO KIKUCHI - BABEL CATE BLANCHETT - NOTES ON A SCANDAL JENNIFER HUDSON - DREAMGIRLS Actor In A Supporting Role DONALD SUTHERLAND - AURORA BOREALIS ADAM BEACH - FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS LEONARDO DiCAPRIO - THE DEPARTED ALAN ARKIN - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE BRAD PITT - BABEL JACK NICHOLSON - THE DEPARTED Motion Picture, Drama HALF NELSON THE DEPARTED FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS THE QUEEN THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND BABEL LITTLE CHILDREN Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE THANK YOU FOR SMOKING THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA STRANGER THAN FICTION VENUS DREAMGIRLS Motion Picture, Foreign Language THE LIVES OF OTHERS (GERMANY) VOLVER (SPAIN) CHANGING TIMES (FRANCE) WATER (CANADA) SYRIAN BRIDE (ISRAEL) APOCALYPTO