Dashing India's only hope at the Oscars this year, music maestro A R Rahman’s chance to win back-to-back Academy awards ended on Tuesday as he failed to win a nomination in the ‘Best Original Song’ category.

The 'Mozart of Madras', who won a double Grammy a couple of days ago, was long-listed in the category for his score ‘Na Na...’ in his Hollywood debut venture 'Couple’s Retreat'.

However ‘Na Na...’ was defeated by ‘Almost there...’ ('The Princess and the Frog' by Randy Newman); ‘Down in New Orleans...’ (‘The Princess and the Frog’ by Newman); ‘Loin de Paname...’ (‘Paris 36’ by Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas); ‘Take it all...’ (‘Nine’ by Maury Yeston) and ‘The weary kind...’ (‘Crazy Heart’ by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett).

The nominees were announced by actress Anne Hathaway in a ceremony in Beverly Hills. The ceremony will take place on March 7, hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Meanwhile, James Cameron's 'Avatar' and his former wife Kathryn Bigelow's 'Hurt Locker' will fight it out for top honours at this year's Academy Awards after receiving nine nominations each.

Both the films have been nominated in the 'Best Picture' category with Cameron and Bigelow being pitted against each other in the Best Director category.