Best Picture
The nominees: “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “The King’s Speech,” “127 Hours,” “The Social Network,” “Toy Story 3,” “True Grit” and “Winter’s Bone.”
Who will win: Despite the earlier critical buzz surrounding “Black Swan” and “The Social Network,” which won Best Picture at the Golden Globes, it will be near impossible to stop the momentum of “The King’s Speech,” which recently swept the Producers, Directors and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Unless “The Social Network” pulls off a last-minute comeback, expect the historical drama to take the top prize this year.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
The nominees: Javier Bardem in “Biutiful,” Jeff Bridges in “True Grit,” Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network,” Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech” and James Franco in “127 Hours.”
Who will win: Colin Firth is the obvious favorite with his recent wins at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. No doubt the Academy will also want to reward Firth for his breathtaking performance in “The King’s Speech,” not to mention for a long and successful Hollywood career.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
The nominees: Christian Bale in “The Fighter,” John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone,” Jeremy Renner in “The Town,” Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right” and Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech.”
Who will win: Christian Bale is a likely choice after his Golden Globes win for his gritty turn in “The Fighter,” but don’t discount John Hawkes. He was nearly unrecognizable in thriller “Winter’s Bone,” and his chilly, terrifying performance is definitely worth a win.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
The nominees: Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right,” Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole,” Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone,” Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” and Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine.”
Who will win: There is no denying Natalie Portman’s dominance this awards season for “Black Swan,” but if an upset happens, the award will likely go to Annette Bening, who has been nominated four times for an Academy Award, but has never won.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
The nominees: Amy Adams in “The Fighter,” Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech,” Melissa Leo in “The Fighter,” Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit” and Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom.”
Who will win: Melissa Leo has already picked up plenty of awards for her performance in “The Fighter,” putting her in the lead for this award. However, the Academy loves an upset, and the Supporting Actress category can be full of surprises. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld wowed the crowd with her performance in “True Grit,” and Jacki Weaver was terrifying as a heartless mafia mother in “Animal Kingdom.” Either one is a likely pick in the case of an upset.
Best Director
The nominees: Darren Aronofsky for “Black Swan,” David O. Russell for “The Fighter,” Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech,” David Fincher for “The Social Network” and Joel and Ethan Coen for “True Grit.”
Who will win: Although David Fincher was the earlier favorite for “The Social Network,” Tom Hooper’s recent Directors Guild win cements him as the favorite. It’s possible either Darren Aronofsky or the Coen brothers could upset for their films this year, both done in their signature styles, but odds point to another win for “The King’s Speech.” (It’s perhaps important to note Christopher Nolan’s obvious snub in being excluded from this category for “Inception.”)
Best Documentary (Feature)
The nominees: “Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz, “Gasland,” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic, “Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs, “Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, and “Waste Land,” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley.
Who will win: Although it is not completely outside the realm of possibility for Banksy to win for his unusual, witty documentary, expect “Inside Job,” a searing portrait of Wall Street’s role in the recent financial crisis, to take home the statuette.
Best Film Editing
The nominees: “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “The King’s Speech,” “127 Hours” and “The Social Network.”
Who will win: Ignoring another glaring “Inception” snub, expect another win for “The King’s Speech.” Although “The Social Network” is another likely winner, expect the momentum of “The King’s Speech” to start early in the awards program with this prize.
Best Music (Original Score)
The nominees: “How to Train Your Dragon,” John Powell, “Inception,” Hans Zimmer, “The King’s Speech,” Alexandre Desplat, “127 Hours,” A.R. Rahman, and “The Social Network,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Who will win: Although Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross picked up the Golden Globe for their understated, moody score for “The Social Network,” don’t be surprised to see Hans Zimmer win for “Inception.” It could provide the blockbuster’s only win of the night, and Zimmer has a large body of soundtrack work supporting him.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The nominees: “127 Hours,” Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, “The Social Network,” Aaron Sorkin, “Toy Story 3,” screenplay by Michael Arndt; story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, “True Grit,” written for the screen by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and “Winter’s Bone,” adapted for the screen by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini.
Who will win: Aaron Sorkin is the favorite for his witty, fast-paced “Social Network” script, especially after winning at the Golden Globes. However, Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini’s work in “Winter’s Bone” was phenomenal, and if the movie picks up any awards, this might be it.
Best Original Screenplay
The nominees: “Another Year,” written by Mike Leigh, “The Fighter,” screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson; story by Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, “Inception,” written by Christopher Nolan, “The Kids Are All Right,” written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, and “The King’s Speech,” screenplay by David Seidler.
Who will win: “The King’s Speech” will likely start its Academy Awards winning streak early in the evening with this award, unless Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg can come from behind with their witty, original, family drama “The Kids Are All Right.”
<B>Best Picture<P>
The nominees: “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “The King’s Speech,” “127 Hours,” “The Social Network,” “Toy Story 3,” “True Grit” and “Winter’s Bone.”
<B>Who will win:<P> Despite the earlier critical buzz surrounding “Black Swan” and “The Social Network,” which won Best Picture at the Golden Globes, it will be near impossible to stop the momentum of “The King’s Speech,” which recently swept the Producers, Directors and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Unless “The Social Network” pulls off a last-minute comeback, expect the historical drama to take the top prize this year.
<B>Best Actor in a Leading Role<P>
The nominees: Javier Bardem in “Biutiful,” Jeff Bridges in “True Grit,” Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network,” Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech” and James Franco in “127 Hours.”
<B>Who will win:<P> Colin Firth is the obvious favorite with his recent wins at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. No doubt the Academy will also want to reward Firth for his breathtaking performance in “The King’s Speech,” not to mention for a long and successful Hollywood career.
<B>Best Actor in a Supporting Role<P>
The nominees: Christian Bale in “The Fighter,” John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone,” Jeremy Renner in “The Town,” Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right” and Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech.”
<B>Who will win:<P> Christian Bale is a likely choice after his Golden Globes win for his gritty turn in “The Fighter,” but don’t discount John Hawkes. He was nearly unrecognizable in thriller “Winter’s Bone,” and his chilly, terrifying performance is definitely worth a win.
<B>Best Actress in a Leading Role<P>
The nominees: Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right,” Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole,” Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone,” Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” and Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine.”
<B>Who will win:<P> There is no denying Natalie Portman’s dominance this awards season for “Black Swan,” but if an upset happens, the award will likely go to Annette Bening, who has been nominated four times for an Academy Award, but has never won.
<B>Best Actress in a Supporting Role<P>
The nominees: Amy Adams in “The Fighter,” Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech,” Melissa Leo in “The Fighter,” Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit” and Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom.”
<B>Who will win:<P> Melissa Leo has already picked up plenty of awards for her performance in “The Fighter,” putting her in the lead for this award. However, the Academy loves an upset, and the Supporting Actress category can be full of surprises. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld wowed the crowd with her performance in “True Grit,” and Jacki Weaver was terrifying as a heartless mafia mother in “Animal Kingdom.” Either one is a likely pick in the case of an upset.
<B>Best Director<P>
The nominees: Darren Aronofsky for “Black Swan,” David O. Russell for “The Fighter,” Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech,” David Fincher for “The Social Network” and Joel and Ethan Coen for “True Grit.”
<B>Who will win:<P> Although David Fincher was the earlier favorite for “The Social Network,” Tom Hooper’s recent Directors Guild win cements him as the favorite. It’s possible either Darren Aronofsky or the Coen brothers could upset for their films this year, both done in their signature styles, but odds point to another win for “The King’s Speech.” (It’s perhaps important to note Christopher Nolan’s obvious snub in being excluded from this category for “Inception.”)
<B>Best Documentary (Feature)<P>
The nominees: “Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz, “Gasland,” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic, “Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs, “Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, and “Waste Land,” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley.
<B>Who will win:<P> Although it is not completely outside the realm of possibility for Banksy to win for his unusual, witty documentary, expect “Inside Job,” a searing portrait of Wall Street’s role in the recent financial crisis, to take home the statuette.
<B>Best Film Editing<P>
The nominees: “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “The King’s Speech,” “127 Hours” and “The Social Network.”
Who will win: Ignoring another glaring “Inception” snub, expect another win for “The King’s Speech.” Although “The Social Network” is another likely winner, expect the momentum of “The King’s Speech” to start early in the awards program with this prize.
<B>Best Music (Original Score)<P>
The nominees: “How to Train Your Dragon,” John Powell, “Inception,” Hans Zimmer, “The King’s Speech,” Alexandre Desplat, “127 Hours,” A.R. Rahman, and “The Social Network,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
<B>Who will win:<P> Although Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross picked up the Golden Globe for their understated, moody score for “The Social Network,” don’t be surprised to see Hans Zimmer win for “Inception.” It could provide the blockbuster’s only win of the night, and Zimmer has a large body of soundtrack work supporting him.
<B>Best Adapted Screenplay<P>
The nominees: “127 Hours,” Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, “The Social Network,” Aaron Sorkin, “Toy Story 3,” screenplay by Michael Arndt; story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, “True Grit,” written for the screen by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and “Winter’s Bone,” adapted for the screen by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini.
<B>Who will win:<P> Aaron Sorkin is the favorite for his witty, fast-paced “Social Network” script, especially after winning at the Golden Globes. However, Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini’s work in “Winter’s Bone” was phenomenal, and if the movie picks up any awards, this might be it.
<B>Best Original Screenplay<P>
The nominees: “Another Year,” written by Mike Leigh, “The Fighter,” screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson; story by Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, “Inception,” written by Christopher Nolan, “The Kids Are All Right,” written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, and “The King’s Speech,” screenplay by David Seidler.
<B>Who will win:<P> “The King’s Speech” will likely start its Academy Awards winning streak early in the evening with this award, unless Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg can come from behind with their witty, original, family drama “The Kids Are All Right.”