Best Picture
1) 12 Years A Slave
2) Gravity
3) American Hustle
4) Captain Phillips
5) Saving Mr Banks
6) Inside Llewyn Davis
7) The Butler
8) August Osage County
9) Nebraska
10) Monuments Men (Debut)
11) Fruitvale Station
12) Blue Jasmine
13) All Is Lost
14) Her
15) Dallas Buyers Club
There are a few front runners (basically the top 4), then a mid-pack (5-7), and then a bunch of films trying to sneak in.
Best Actor:
1) Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years A Slave
2) Robert Redford- All Is Lost
3) Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club
4) Tom Hanks- Captain Phillips
5) Bruce Dern- Nebraska
6) Forest Whitaker- The Butler
7) Joaquin Phoenix- Her (Debut)
8) Oscar Issac- Inside Llewyn Davis
9) Christian Bale- American Hustle (or Out of the Furnace?)
10) Michael B. Jordan- Fruitvale Station
Joaquin Phoenix rises on the list following a strong showing for Her. But, with an incredibly tight race this year, can he get a nomination? I would definitely say that Ejiofor, McConaughey, and Redford are locks. Hanks is a pretty sure bet. The 5th spot is what is up for grabs, with a handful of actors trying to challenge Dern for the spot.
Best Actress
1) Sandra Bullock- Gravity
2) Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine
3) Judi Dench- Philomena
4) Meryl Streep- August Osage County
5) Emma Thompson- Saving Mr Banks
6) Amy Adams- American Hustle
7) Kate Winslet- Labor Day
8) Adele Exarchopoulos- Blue Is The Warmest Color
9) Brie Larson- Short Term 12
10) Bernice Bejo- The Past
Philomena continues to snatch up awards, with Judi Dench a clear standout. The box office success of Gravity, though, secures Bullock’s nomination in a very wide-spread field.
Best Supporting Actor
1) Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club
2) Michael Fassbender- 12 Years A Slave
3) Tom Hanks- Saving Mr Banks (Debut)
4) Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips (Debut)
5) James Gandolfini- Enough Said (Debut)
6) Daniel Bruhl- Rush
7) George Clooney- Gravity
8) John Goodman- Inside Llewyn Davis
9) Bradley Cooper- American Hustle
10) Matthew McConaughey- Mud
James Gandolfini didn’t stand a chance, sadly, as a lead actor candidate. So, the rumor is that he will be ran in the supporting actor category (like McConaughey in Mud), which could be a game changer for the category. While his performance is subdued, a posthumous nomination seems like a fair bet. Fassbender is also picking up steam, but will his refusal to promote his performance affect his chances? Most people say it doesn’t matter, and some think he might win the whole thing.
Best Supporting Actress
1) Lupita N’Yongo- 12 Years A Slave
2) Julia Roberts- August Osage County
3) Oprah Winfrey- The Butler (+3)
4) Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle
5) Melissa Leo- Prisoners (-1)
6) Octavia Spencer- Fruitvale Station (-1)
7) Scarlett Johansson- Her (Debut)
8) June Squibb- Nebraska (Debut)
9) Margo Martindale- August: Osage County (Debut)
10) Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine (Debut)
Scarlett Johansson is getting a ton of praise for her voice over work in Her, and is being run in the supporting actress field. This would be the first nomination for an actress who doesn’t appear on screen (should she get it), so expect a ton of press about this. I think she could emerge as a serious contender closer to release date.
Best Director:
1) Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity
2) Steve McQueen- 12 Years A Slave
3) David O’Russell- American Hustle
4) Paul Greengrass- Captain Phillips
5) The Coen Brothers- Inside Llewyn Davis
6) Alexander Payne- Nebraska
7) Spike Jonze- Her (Debut)
8) JC Chandor- All Is Lost
9) Woody Allen- Blue Jasmine
10) Lee Daniels- The Butler
Spike Jonze debuts on the list after Her debuts.
Best Animated Feature:
1) The Wind Rises
2) Frozen
3) Monsters University
4) The Croods
5) Despicable Me 2
6) Ernest and Celestine
7) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2
8) Walking With Dinosaurs 3D
9) Epic
