"The Matrix" is nominated for Academy Awards in 4 categories.

1. Film editing (Zach Staenberg, film editor)
2. Sound (John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, David Campbell and David Lee)
3. Sound effects editing (Dane A. Davis)
4. Visual effects (John Gaeta, Janek Sirrs, Steve Courtley, and Jon Thum)

1. Shakespeaar in Love
2. Elizabeth
3. The Sixth Sense
4. Matrix
5. La Vita E Bella(Life is Beautiful)

Bruce Willis's supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense has topped the shortlist nominations for the Empire film awards.

It is in the running for every one of the five categories for which it is eligible, including Best Film.

The highest scoring British films are Notting Hill - the UK's most successful movie of all time - and Shakespeare In Love, with four nominations each.

Fight Club and The Matrix are also nominated for four awards, which will be be handed out on February 17 at a ceremony hosted by comedian Phill Jupitus and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup.

Organised by Empire magazine, they are the only UK film awards to be voted by cinemagoers.

Two stars of romantic comedy Notting Hill - Hugh Grant and newcomer Rhys Ifans - will be battling it out for the Best British Actor title. They are up against Joseph Fiennes, Ewan McGregor and Sir Ian McKellen.

Helena Bonham Carter, nominated for her role in Fight Club, will be slugging it out with Kate Winslet, Minnie Driver, Olivia Williams and Brenda Blethyn for Best British Actress.

Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Willis, Pierce Brosnan and Tom Cruise feature in the general Best Actor category.

Cruise's wife Nicole Kidman is in the running for Best Actress along with Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow.

Notting Hill is up for Best British Film and Best Film.

Here is a list of all the nominations Empire 2000 Awards:

Nominations Announced 03/02/2000

Well we've ruminated, cogitated and digested (and counted all your votes) and come up with the shortlists for the Empire 2000 Awards. Enjoy.

Best Debut

1. Tim Roth for Warzone
2. Haley James Osment for Sixth Sense
3. Jewel for Ride with the Devil
4. Carrie Anne Moss for The Matrix
5. Eduardo Sanchez and Dan Myrick for The
6. Blair Witch Project

Best British Actress

1. Joseph Fiennes for Shakespeare In Love
2. Rhys Ifans for Notting Hill
3. Ewan McGregor for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
4. Sir Ian McKellen for Gods And Monsters
5. Hugh Grant for Notting Hill

Best British Actress

1. Minnie Driver for An Ideal Husband
2. Helena Bonham Carter for Fight Club
3. Kate Winsley for Hideous Kinky
4. Olivia Williams for Rushmore and Sixth Sense
5. Brenda Blethyn for Little Voice

Best British Director

1. John Madden for Shakespeare In Love
2. Roger Michel for Notting Hill
3. Damien O'Donnell for East Is East
4. Mark Herman for Little Voice
5. Justin Kerrigan for Human Traffic

Best British Film

1. East is East
2. Human Traffic
3. Little Voice
4. Notting Hill
5. Shakespeare in Love

Best Director

1. Ang Lee for Ride With The Devil
2. David Fincher for Fight Club
3. George Lucas for Star Wars
4. M Night Shyamalan for Sixth Sense
5. The Wachowski Brothers for The Matrix

Best Actor

1. Brad Pitt for Fight Club
2. Pierce Brosnan for The World Is Not Enough
3. Keanu Reeves for The Matrix
4. Bruce Willis for Sixth Sense
5. Tom Cruise for Eyes Wide Shut

Best Actress

1. Sophie Marceau for The World Is Not Enough
2. Nicole Kidman for Eyes Wide Shut
3. Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare In Love
4. Toni Collette for The Sixth Sense
5. Rene Russo for The Thomas Crown Affair

Best Film

1. Austin Power 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me
2. The Matrix
3. Notting Hill
4. The Sixth Sense
5. Fight Club

Lifetime Achievement Award

Inspiration Award

The Empire 2000 Awards take place in London on 17 February 2000. To be the first to find out who's won what, check out Empire Online from 2.00pm GMT onwards on the day.