Alumni of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA) and the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development are among the nominees of the 81st Academy Awards. The alumni are nominated in the categories of Actor in a Supporting Role, Art Direction, Film Editing, Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Adapted Screenplay.

The Tisch School of the Arts alumni are from the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television and the Department of Drama. The nominees are: Philip Seymour Hoffman ‘89, for Actor in a Supporting Role in Doubt; Victor J. Zolfo ‘85, for Achievement in Art Direction for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Elliot Graham ‘99, for Achievement in Film Editing for Milk; Dan Jinks ‘85, for Best Motion Picture for Milk; and Lora Hirschberg ‘85, for Achievement in Sound Mixing for The Dark Knight. In addition, Brian Grazer, a TSOA Dean’s Council member, is a nominee for Best Motion Picture for Frost/Nixon.

Steinhardt School alumnus John Patrick Shanley ‘77 is a nominee for Adapted Screenplay for the film Doubt. Shanley is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play on which the movie is based.