My Predictions for the 2014 Academy Award Nominations

The Academy Award nominations happen at 7:30 tomorrow morning. There are so many great films out there, I do not envy the voters. Here are my predictions for who will be nominated, and we will keep you up to date with the noms as they happen.

Best Picture

12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Blue Jasmine
Dallas Buyer’s Club
The Wolf of Wall Street
Mandella: A Long Walk to Freedom
American Hustle
Her

I think that 12 Years a Slave will win this category. They were victorious at the Golden Globes on Sunday, and many times, where the Golden Globe goes, so goes the Oscar. Not all the time, but a lot of the time. Some dark horses for contention are Rush, All is Lost, Inside Llewyn Davis and Nebraska.

Best Director

David O. Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street
Alphonso Cuaron – Gravity
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips

At the Golden Globes, Alphonso Cuaron took home the Best Director prize, but I think that Steve McQueen will upset and take this category just because of what a powerful story it is and how masterfully it was told. Two dark horses for this category could be Spike Jonze for Her (he took home the Golden Globe in this category) and Alexander Payne for Nebraska.

Best Actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba – Mandella: A Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyer’s Club
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

This is going to be one of the toughest categories to call, but if it were up to me, my vote would go to Chiwetel Ejiofor. At the Golden Globes, the actors and actresses and films are all separated into drama and musical or comedy, but at the Oscars, it’s all of the actors in all of the films. Matthew took home the Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, and Leo took home the Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Two others that may get in would be Christian Bale (who’s a MASTER of disappearance) for American Hustle and Joaquin Phoenix for Her, but then who do you take out?

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Cate Blanchette – Blue Jasmine
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County

This is going to be pretty cut and dry. My vote goes for Amy Adams, but I have a feeling Meryl is going to send out another one of her campaign letters urging members of the academy vote for her just like she did the last time and the time before that. If you have to beg, you don’t deserve it. The ultimate upset in this category would be Judi Dench for Philomena.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Scarlett Johanssen – Her

I don’t think ScarJo should necessarily get in because she only provided the voice for the operating system in the film, but I can’t really come up with another strong female contender that should take her place. Regardless, they’re going to have some stiff competition with Lupita. JLaw gave a very strong performance in Hustle and she ended up winning the Golden Globe for it, but I have a feeling Lupita may edge her out this time around.

Best Supporting Actor

Jared Leto – Dallas Buyer’s Club
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street
David Bruhl – Rush

The Golden Globe went to Jared Leto, who made a very ugly, but very convincing woman in Dallas Buyer’s Club, so I think he’ll repeat for the Oscars. Other actors who could also crop up in this category and possibly oust Michael Fassbender, Jonah Hill and David Bruhl are Jeremy Renner for American Hustle, Brad Pitt for 12 Years a Slave, and Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips.

The Academy Awards will be handed out March 2.