Oscar Disses Batman

Will music heavy hitters Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard get Academy Award nominations this year for their work on The Dark Knight?

Apparently not.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the group that awards the annual

Oscars -- has disqualified the score for The Dark Knight from contention.

The reason? Five names were listed as composers. Even though aides Alex Gibson, Mel Wesson, and Lorne Balfe all signed an affidavit saying the work was mostly by Zimmer and Howard, and that they were included so they could share in the royalties -- an act of kindness from Zimmer and Howard -- the Academy frowns on multiple-composer works.