The 86th Academy Awards nominees will be announce tomorrow, but I want to stake a claim as to who will be nominated so I can say I was right. Or at least maybe half right. After an interesting Golden Globe Awards as well as some peculiar choices for the DGA Awards, I have finally deduced who will be the top picks for this year’s Oscars. Find out my Academy Awards nominations predictions after the break.

Since Best Picture can be 5 to 10 films I have number ordered my ideal picks as to who should get nominated.

BEST PICTURE

1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Inside Llewyn Davis
3. Short Term 12
4. Her
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
6. Gravity
7. Blue Jasmine
8. August: Osage County
9. American Hustle
10. Dallas Buyers Club

On the bench: Nebraska, Saving Mr. Banks, Captain Phillips, and Before Midnight

Sure Nebraska has gotten a lot of praise and so has Captain Phillips, undoubtedly they will be nominated ahead of Short Term 12 and August: Osage County, but I would rather see the later rather than the former be picked. Saving Mr. Banks is a bit of a long shot with some of the negative criticisms toward the subject matter. I would really like to see Before Midnight make it, but I have a feeling the Academy has kept a blind eye to the small feature. If I were a betting man, I would wager to guess that Short Term 12 and Dallas Buyers Club will not make the cut and will be replaced by Nebraska and Captain Phillips. I’d also move August: Osage County down further and American Hustle up in the rankings. This leans more toward a wish list for me.

BEST DIRECTOR

• Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
• Spike Jonze, Her
• Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
• Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

On the bench: Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street), David O. Russell (American Hustle), and John Wells (August: Osage County)

With the Coen’s snubbed out of the Globes as well as the DGA’s I wouldn’t count them out in the eyes of the Academy. The Coens have a lot of clout in the Oscar world, but Scorsese does have a bit more. I’m sure Spike Jonze and Woody Allen won’t make the cut, and they are wishful thinking on my part. More than likely Russell and Scorsese will make the cut.

BEST ACTOR

• Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
• Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
• Christan Bale, American Hustle
• Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis

On the bench: Joaquin Phoenix (Her), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Idris Elba (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), and Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station)

I think this is a pretty solid breakdown, no wish fulfillment here. However, I would love to see Joaquin Phoenix be nominated, which he could get over Bale or Isaac. A lot of people are also betting on Hanks because Tom Hanks of course. But if the Academy is smart they’ll make the right decision and just hand McConaughey the Oscar tomorrow.

BEST ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
• Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
• Sandra Bullock, Gravity
• Brie Larson, Short Term 12

On the bench: Amy Adams (American Hustle), Julie Delpy (Before Midnight), Judi Dench (Philomena), and Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Color)

This is going to Blanchett no matter who is nominated, but I would like to see Brie Larson nominated. I don’t think she’ll make the nominees list and will be replaced by Judi Dench, but a guy can dream right?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
• Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks
• James Gandolfini, Enough Said
• Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street

On the bench: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Daniel Bruhl (Rush), Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners), and Matthew McConaughey (Mud)

This will be a close race to close out the top five. Leto and Fassbender are locked in for sure, but I’m leaning on Hanks 70/30 with Gandolfini and Hill up in the air. Abdi and Bruhl could also get thrown in the mix too.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
• Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
• Julie Roberts, August: Osage County
• Scarlett Johansson, Her
• Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

On the bench: June Squibb (Nebraska), Léa Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Color), Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis), and Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station)

As much as find June Squibb’s performance to be good yet average compared to the actresses I have chosen,  I can definitely see the Academy favoring her over Johansson or Hawkins.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
• Terence Winter, The Wolf of Wall Street
• Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight
• Tracy Letts, August: Osage County
• Destin Cretton, Short Term 12

On the bench: Billy Ray (Captain Phillips), Abdellatif Kechiche and Ghalia Lacroix (Blue is the Warmest Color), and Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Spectacular Now)

I really think Short Term 12 is an underlooked film and would praise the Academy for choosing it, but I can definitely see Captain Phillips swapping places. The rest of the films on the bench are also wonderful adaptations that should be recognized regardless.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
• Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
• Eric Singer and David O. Russell, American Hustle
• Alfonso and Jonás Cuarón, Gravity
• Spike Jonze, Her

On the bench: Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), Bob Nelson (Nebraska), and Sue Smith and Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr. Banks)

My picks are locked in, I think these will be the top 5 for sure.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Frozen
2. The Wind Rises
3. Monsters University
4. The Croods
5. Despicable Me 2

I can see The Croods or Despicable Me 2 taken out by a different foreign animated movie. These five are the most known to me and I just haven’t seen other animated films that could compare. I wouldn’t even bother putting Despicable Me 2 on this list, but there will be five nominees.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity
• Roger Deakins, Prisoners
• Bruno Delbonnel, Inside Llewyn Davis
• Sean Bobbitt, 12 Years a Slave
• Linus Sandgren, American Hustle

On the bench: Barry Ackroyd (Captain Phillips), Anthony Dod Mantle (Rush), and Stuart Dryburgh (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)

It’s crazy to think you could call Gravity real cinematography, and there have been debates if they should split this category into two separate divisions. I’m all for it. But these five definitely had the most beautiful cinematography this year.

And that’s that. I’ll see if I’m right. Who do you favor?

The 86th Annual Academy Awards nominees will be announced Thursday, January 16 and will air live on March 2, 2014 at 4pm PST on ABC.

Be sure to keep up with all of the updates on Awards season by following the tag, Movie Awards. The Critics’ Choice Awards winners will be announce on Thursday, January 16.
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