Only six days left before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces their Oscar nominations. The golden statuette is, for the 85th time, the highest honor any filmmaker could achieve. This year we expect an interesting and eclectic list of contenders, with no clear front-runner. However, the strongest names so far are Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, David O’ Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook and Ben Affleck’s Argo. The ceremony will held 24th February at the Dolby Theater (formerly known as Kodak Theater), while Seth MacFarlane will host it, for the first time. Let the race begin!
Here are our predictions:
BEST PICTURE
LINCOLN
ZERO DARK THIRTY
ARGO
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
LES MISÉRABLES
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LIFE OF PI
SKYFALL
THE MASTER
AMOUR
Other possible contenders: MOONRISE KINGDOM, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, INTOUCHABLES
BEST DIRECTOR
STEVEN SPIELBERG – LINCOLN
BEN AFFLECK – ARGO
KATHRYN BIGELOW - ZERO DARK THIRTY
TOM HOOPER – LES MISERABLES
ANG LEE – LIFE OF PI
Other possible contenders: DAVID O’RUSSELL – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, MICHAEL HANEKE – AMOUR, PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON – THE MASTER, QUENTIN TARANTINO – DJANGO UNCHAINED
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – LINCOLN
HUGH JACKMAN – LES MISERABLES
DENZEL WASHINGTON – FLIGHT
JOAQUIN PHOENIX – THE MASTER
JOHN HAWKES – THE SESSIONS
Other possible contenders: BRADLEY COOPER – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, ANTHONY HOPKINS – HITCHCOK, JEAN-LOUIS TRINTIGNANT – AMOUR
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
JESSICA CHASTAIN – ZERO DARK THIRTY
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
HELEN MIRREN – HITCHCOCK
NAOMI WATTS – THE IMPOSSIBLE
EMMANUELLE RIVA – AMOUR
Other possible contenders: MARION COTILLARD – RUST AND BONE
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ROBERT DE NIRO – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
TOMMY LEE JONES – LINCOLN
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – THE MASTER
CHRISTOPH WALTZ – DJANGO UNCHAINED
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO – DJANGO UNCHAINED
Other possible contenders: JAVIER BARDEM – SKYFALL, ALAN ARKIN – ARGO, MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY – MAGIC MIKE, MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY – KILLER JOE, DWIGHT HENRY – BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
SALLY FIELD – LINCOLN
ANNE HATHAWAY – LES MISERABLES
HELEN HUNT – THE SESSIONS
NICOLE KIDMAN – THE PAPERBOY
ANN DOWD – COMPLIANCE
Other possible contenders: MAGGIE SMITH – BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, SAMANTHA BARKS – LES MISERABLES, JUDI DENCH – SKYFALL, AMY ADAMS – THE MASTER
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – ARGO
THOMAS NEWMAN – SKYFALL
JOHN WILLIAMS – LINCOLN
JONNY GREENWOOD – THE MASTER
DARIO MARIANELLI – ANNA KARENINA
Other possible contenders: ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – ZERO DARK THIRTY, MYCHAEL DANNA – LIFE OF PI, JOHNNY KLIMEK & REINHOLD HEIL – CLOUD ATLAS, HANS ZIMMER – THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, HOWARD SHORE – THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY,
