Daniel Day-Lewis leads British acting hopes at the Oscars after he was nominated for best actor in US historical drama Lincoln.

A win would make it a hat-trick of best actor Oscar wins for the British-born star.

Also nominated is Naomi Watts, who was recognised for her role in Impossible with a nod in the best actress category.

And all-conquering pop megastar Adele gets nominated for her Bond theme Skyfall.

UK-born Watts faces competition from US stars including Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence who were recognised for their roles in Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook respectively.

Also nominated are Quvenzhane Wallis and Emmanuelle Riva.

Day-Lewis is shortlisted alongside Les Miserables star Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Joaquin Phoenix and Bradley Cooper.

It is his fifth nomination in the category, which he won in 1989 for My Left Foot and in 2007 for There Will be Blood.

Les Miserables, directed by The King's Speech filmmaker Tom Hooper, is in the running for best picture but Hooper failed to get a nomination in the directing category which he won in 2010.

Also nominated for best picture are Ben Affleck's Argo, set during the Iran hostage crisis, Beasts Of The Southern Wild and Quentin Tarantino's western Django Unchained.

Life Of Pi, Amour, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty complete the shortlist.

Adele's nomination for best original song puts her up against Oscars host Seth MacFarlane, who is nominated for Everybody Needs A Best Friend from his film Ted.

The nominees also include Suddenly from Les Miserables, which was co-written by London journalist Herbert Kretzmer.

Hollywood veterans Alan Arkin, Tommy Lee Jones and Robert De Niro were all named in the supporting actor category with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christoph Waltz.

Anne Hathaway's performance in Les Miserables saw her nominated for supporting actress along with Amy Adams, Lincoln star Sally Field, Helen Hunt and Jacki Weaver.

Today's announcement, by MacFarlane and Spiderman star Emma Stone, means disappointment for Dame Judi Dench and Dame Helen Mirren, who missed out despite being tipped for possible nominations for their respective performances in Skyfall and Hitchcock.

This year's ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on Sunday February 24.

Bookmakers William Hill immediately installed Day-Lewis as the 1-8 favourite to win best actor.

The firm's spokesman Rupert Adams said: "Daniel must be running out of space on his mantelpiece as he looks certain to bag another Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Lincoln."

The film, set during the last years of the American Civil War, is also favourite to win best picture, best director for Spielberg and supporting actor for Jones.