Academy Awards: Winner Predictions!

Best Picture

Will Win: No Country for Old Men
Alternate: There Will Be Blood

There is no doubt in my mind that NCfOM will continue its (practically) steamroll of all the big awards and take home the Best Picture Oscar.

Best Direction

Will Win: Ethan & Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Alternate: Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Ethan & Joel Coen will finally get the Best Director Oscar they have deserved for a long time.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Alternate: George Clooney - Michael Clayton

Nothing will stop Daniel Day-Lewis' lifeforce of a performance. George Clooney even knows that he, himself, will lose.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Will Win: Julie Christie - Away from Her
Alternate: Marion Cotillard- La Vie en Rose

It will probably be very close, but I think Christie will prevail with her subtle performance in AfH. I don't think the Academy has nearly enough respect for Cotillard the way they do Christie.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Will Win: Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Alternate: Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild

Javier Bardem will continue his sweep of the Supporting Actor awards with the Oscar. If the Academy was feeling very sentimental, then Hal Holbrook would receive it for his long line of work. Unlikely, though.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Will Win: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Alternate: Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone & Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

This is the toughest category to predict. I do think that since she has two nominations this year, Cate Blanchett will have to win for one of them and it's obviously going to be this one. The thing is, Amy Ryan or Tilda Swinton both have a very good chance of snatching this award away. Ryan has all the critics' love and the huge pile of awards, and Swinton has the BAFTA, and the fact that the Academy might want to give MC an award, so why not give it to the amazing performance that is Karen Crowder? Sorry Ruby Dee, your performance, while good, is too small and Saoirse Ronan, I think you could have a shot at a Best Actress nomination next year (hopefully) for The Lovely Bones.

Best Original Screenplay

Will Win: Diablo Cody - Juno
Alternate: Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton

Diablo Cody has won virtually every Original Screenplay award out there, so nothing should be stopping her tonight.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Win: Ethan & Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Alternate: Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Every Adapted Screenplay award--> NCfOM.

Best Cinematography

Will Win: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Alternate: There Will Be Blood

Best Film Editing

Will Win: No Country for Old Men
Alternate: The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Art Direction

Will Win: There Will Be Blood
Alternate: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Costume Design

Will Win: Atonement
Alternate: Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Best Original Score

Will Win: Atonement
Alternate: Ratatouille

Best Original Song

Will Win: "Falling Slowly" - Once
Alternate: "That's How You Know" - Enchanted

Best Sound Mixing

Will Win: Transformers
Alternate: No Country for Old Men

Best Sound Editing

Will Win: Transformers
Alternate: No Country for Old Men

Best Makeup

Will Win: La Vie en Rose
Alternate: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Best Visual Effects

Will Win: Transformers
Alternate: The Golden Compass

Best Animated Film

Will Win: Ratatouille
Alternate: Persepolis

Best Documentary Feature

Will Win: Taxi to the Dark Side
Alternate: Sicko

Best Foreign Language Film

Will Win: The Counterfeiters (Austria)
Alternate: 12 (Russia)

Best Documentary Short Film

Will Win: Freeheld
Alternate: Salim Baba

Best Live Action Short Film

Will Win: Tanghi Argentini
Alternate: Le Mozart de Pickpockets

Best Animated Short Film

Will Win: Madame Tutli Putli
Alternate: I Met the Walrus