LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Catholic school drama "Doubt" led contenders yesterday for the Screen Actors Guild Awards with five nominations, including honours for Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis.

The late Heath Ledger also earned a supporting-actor nomination, whose maniacal turn as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" has made him an Academy Awards front-runner. The Batman blockbuster also had a nomination for best stunt ensemble.

Streep has a lead-actress nomination, while Hoffman, Adams and Davis are competing in supporting categories for "Doubt", a war-of-wills tale between an old-school nun and a progressive priest.

"Doubt" also has a nomination for overall cast performance, along with the romantic fantasy "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", the Richard Nixon saga "Frost/Nixon", the gay-rights drama "Milk" and the poor-boy-makes-good tale "Slumdog Millionaire".

Kate Winslet grabbed two nominations, best actress for the domestic drama "Revolutionary Road" and supporting actress for the Holocaust-themed story "The Reader".

Other best-actress nominees were: Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"; Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"; and Melissa Leo, "Frozen River".

Nominated for best actor were: Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"; Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; and Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler".

The 15th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS on January 25, four weeks before the Academy Awards.

Last January's SAG ceremony took place during a writers' strike that affected other Hollywood honours, including the Golden Globes, which were cancelled. The guild awards come amid fresh labour strife, with SAG leaders now threatening a strike as negotiations with producers over a new actors contract have stalled.

SAG Awards recipients often go on to win Academy Awards. Some years, all four of the top SAG winners later take home Oscars for the same roles, though last year, the guild went only two-for-four.

Daniel Day-Lewis won best actor at SAG and the Oscars for "There Will Be Blood" and Javier Bardem received both supporting-actor prizes for "No Country for Old Men".

Julie Christie won best actress at SAG for "Away From Her" while the Oscar went to Marion Cotillard for "La Vie En Rose". Ruby Dee earned the supporting-actress honor from SAG for "American Gangster", but Tilda Swinton won the Oscar for "Michael Clayton".