The multi-layered drama Upperdog produced by Friland Film and the youth film Vegas produced by Cinenord are both nominated in the other main categories of Best Director, Script (Sara Johnsen for Upperdog and Gunnar Vikene and Torun Lian for Vegas), Leading Actress (Agnieszka Grochowska and Karoline Stemre respectively), Leading Actor (Hermann Sabado and Jørgen Hausberg Nilsen respectively) and Cinematography (John Andreas Andersen and Marek Septimus Wieser).
Stellan Skarsgård and Jorunn Kjellsby, the comical couple in A Somewhat Gentle Man, have a chance to win an Amanda for Best Leading Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Arild Østin Ommundsen's Rat Nights (Rottenetter) has four nominations, including Best Director, and Margreth Olin's debut feature The Angel has three chances to win, notably for Best Script (by Olin) and Leading Actress (Maria Bonnevie).
In the new Best Children's films category, three titles will be competing: Twigson (Knerten), Magic Silver (Julenatt I Blåfjell) and Best Friends (Bestenevver). Åsleik Engmark's Twigson has five nominations in total. In the documentary section, the three Amanda contenders are Brothers at War (Brødre i krig) by Øysteinn Rakkenes, Russian Lessons by Olga Konskaya and Andrei Nekrasov, and The Norwegian Solution by Emil Trier.
A total of 21 Norwegian films released in Norwegian cinemas during the film year 2009-2010 have been selected by a jury of 21 film professionals. The 23rd Amanda Awards ceremony will take place on Friday August 20, 2010 during a live transmission on TV2 Norway from the Haugesund Concert Hall. The Amanda Awards will kick off the Norwegian International Film Festival (August 21-26). The New Nordic Films market will unspool from August 18-21 and the Nordic Co-production Forum will be held the same day as the Amanda awards ceremony on August 20.