James Bond fights it out with Batman in battle of the honed abs at MTV Movie Awards

James Bond versus Batman in MTV awards battle for the abs: Daniel Craig and Christian Bale square up for the fight (Getty Images)

Bond is to take on Batman as Daniel Craig and Christian Bale's finely honed abs battle it out for a prize at the MTV Movie Awards.

The two British stars have been nominated for the best topless performance in their heroic roles, as secret agent James Bond in Skyfall and Batman in The Dark Knight Rises, at the annual film awards ceremony.

They face Magic Mike star Channing Tatum, Twilight hunk Taylor Lautner in the final instalment of the vampire films Breaking Dawn - Part 2, and Oscars host Seth MacFarlane for his role as a teddy bear in Ted.

Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti western Django Unchained and comedy Ted lead the nominations with seven nods each, including movie of the year, best on-screen duo, best fight and best kiss.

They are followed by Silver Linings Playbook with six and Christopher Nolan's final Batman story, The Dark Knight Rises, with five nominations.

Emma Watson is up against Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway for best female performance, along with Mila Kunis and Rebel Wilson, while Daniel Day-Lewis faces Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum for best male performance.

"I am so excited to have been nominated for three MTV Movie Awards for Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I'm so thrilled," Watson said.

Tom Hardy - who played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises - and Tom Hiddleston, as Loki in Avengers Assemble, are fighting it out for best villain. They face competition from Skyfall baddie Javier Bardem, Django Unchained's Leonardo DiCaprio, and Marion Cotillard, also from The Dark Knight Rises.

Les Miserables star Eddie Redmayne has been nominated in the breakthrough performance category, alongside Life Of Pi's Suraj Sharma, Beasts Of The Southern Wild's Quvenzhane Wallis, Pitch Perfect's Rebel Wilson and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower's Ezra Miller.

Wilson and Will Ferrell, who will be honoured with the Comedic Genius Award, are to host the 2013 MTV Movie Awards in Culver City, California, on April 14.

PA