Animated Oscar race to feature only 3 nominees (AP)

LOS ANGELES - Only three nominees will be in the running for best animated feature film at this year's Academy Awards.

Oscar organizers announced Monday that 15 animated features have been accepted for consideration, one short of the minimum 16 needed to expand the category to five nominees.

Among the films accepted for consideration are "Toy Story 3," which was the year's top-grossing movie, along with fellow hits "How to Train Your Dragon," "Despicable Me," "Shrek Forever After" and "Megamind."

Also in the running: "Alpha and Omega," "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," "Idiots and Angels," "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," "My Dog Tulip" and "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue."

The final four of the academy's 15 accepted films still need to start a one-week run at a Los Angeles theater by Dec. 31 to qualify for this year's Oscars: "Tangled," "The Illusionist," "The Dreams of Jinsha" and "Summer Wars."

Nominations come out Jan. 25, with the Oscar ceremony following on Feb. 27.