Final Oscar Predictions

Oscar nominations will be announced tomorrow morning at 8:30am. Below are my final predictions; please click on the category headings to read analysis. I’m not sure I have anything more to add, though I’m hopeful that “A Single Man” will do much better than I’m predicting. It would be nice to see a few fun surprises, but for the first time, I’m holding back and really only predicting the expected nominees. That may be a mistake, but we’ll have to see. Also, I have a sneaky feeling that "The Road" may pop up somewhere, though that same feeling about "Defiance" didn't pan out last year. Please offer any thoughts in the comments, and check back all day tomorrow for reactions to the nominees.

No guts, no glory:
Tilda Swinton for Best Actress
“Where the Wild Things Are” nominated for Best Picture
“A Single Man” nominated for Best Picture

Final Predictions:

Best Motion Picture Of The Year
Avatar
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" By Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up In The Air

Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
George Clooney (Up in the Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" By Sapphire)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role
Matt Damon (Invictus)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz (Nine)
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Mo'Nique (Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" By Sapphire)
Julianne Moore (A Single Man)

Best Achievement In Directing
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
James Cameron (Avatar)
Clint Eastwood (Invictus)
Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up

Best Writing, Screenplay Based On Material Previously Produced Or Published
An Education
District 9
Julie & Julia
Precious
Up In The Air

Best Achievement In Cinematography
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
The White Ribbon

Best Achievement In Art Direction
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
A Single Man
Where the Wild Things Are

Best Achievement In Costume Design
Bright Star
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

Best Achievement In Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Up In the Air

Best Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures, Original Score
Avatar
The Informant!
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
Up

Best Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures, Original Song
“I See You” (Avatar)
“The Weary Kind” (Crazy Heart)
“Cinema Italiano” (Nine)
“Take It All” (Nine) (4th nominee)
“Almost There” (The Princess and the Frog) (5th nominee)

Best Achievement In Sound
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up

Best Achievement In Sound Editing
Avatar
District
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up

Best Achievement In Makeup
District 9
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Star Trek

Best Achievement In Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Best Documentary, Features
The Beaches of Agnes
The Cove
Food, Inc.
Soundtrack for a Revolution
Under Our Skin

Best Foreign Language Film Of The Year
Ajami
A Prophet
Samson & Delilah
The Secret of Her Eyes
The White Ribbon

Best Animated Feature Film of The Year
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up