Dobby, Gollum and Yoda will fight it out to win an award from the US Broadcast Film Critics Association.

The three computer generated characters are up for Best Digital Acting Performance.

The BFCA has nominated ten films for its Best Picture of 2003. They are About Schmidt, Adaptation, Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, Far From Heaven, Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Pianist and The Road to Perdition.

Daniel Day Lewis, Jack Nicholson and Robin Williams are all nominated for Best Actor while Salma Hayek Nicole Kidman, Diane Lane and Julianne Moore are the contenders for Best Actress.

In the Best Supporting Actor category the nominees are Chris Cooper, Alfred Molina and Paul Newman. The female equivalent sees Kathy Bates, Meryl Streep and Catherine Zeta-Jones nominated.

Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski will battle it out to be Best Director.

Chicago, The Hours and My Big Fat Greek Wedding are the nominees for Best Acting Ensemble