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Check the sidebar for new polls for Original and Adapted Screenplay. Also stay tuned as more guild awards are coming this week, and next week I start my predictions for the Grammys!

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award Winners

Film Awards
Best Ensemble - The Help
Best Actor - Jean Dujardin "The Artist"
Best Actress - Viola Davis "The Help"
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Best Stunt Ensemble - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Television Awards
Best Drama Series Ensemble - Boardwalk Empire
Best Comedy Series Ensemble - Modern Family
Best Actor Drama Series - Steve Buscemi "Boardwalk Empire"
Best Actress Drama Series - Jessica Lange "American Horror Story"
Best Actor Comedy Series - Alec Baldwin "30 Rock"
Best Actress Comedy Series - Betty White "Hot in Cleveland"
Best Actor TV Movie/Miniseries - Paul Giamatti "Too Big to Fail"
Best Actress TV Movie/Miniseries - Kate Winslet "Mildred Pierce"
Best Stunt Ensemble - Game of Thrones

Lifetime Achievement Award - Mary Tyler Moore

SAG Preview

Best Ensemble
Will Win - The Help
Should Win - The Help or Bridesmaids
Could Win - The Artist
Commentary - I firmly believe that the ensemble award should go to the film in which the cast truly performs as an ensemble, each character intricate to the plot, and not necessarily about one actor or even two that make it worth while. That is why I cheered decisions like Inglorious Basterds and abhorred decisions like Slumdog Millionaire (although I still thought it deserved Best Picture). This year, the two films that fit that mold are The Help and Bridesmaids. Either deserve it, and both could be left out if The Artist sweep is strong enough. But my guess is that the actors love The Help enough to give it a win here.

Best Actor - Film
Will Win - George Clooney "The Descendants"
Should Win - Brad Pitt "Moneyball"
Could Win - Jean Dujardin "The Artist"
Commentary - I recently rewatched Moneyball, and was reminded of just how damn good Brad Pitt was. While I think he has a shot here, my guess is that his friend, and frequent co-star George Clooney will win instead for his emotional portrayal in The Descendants. The wild card here is Dujardin. If the actors become infatuated with The Artist, he could be swept into the mix.

Best Actress - Film
Will Win/Should Win - Viola Davis "The Help"
Could Win - Meryl Streep "The Iron Lady" or Michelle Williams "My Week With Marilyn"
Commentary - This is a tough race to call, with three leading ladies all having a legitimate shot. My guess though is that the acting power of The Help, combined with the possibility that two biopic stars steal votes away from each other, will be too much for any other contenders to overcome and Davis will take home the gold. But watch out for Streep, she is hot on her tails.

Best Supporting Actor - Film
Will Win/Should Win - Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Could Win - Really can't see anyone else doing so, although Branagh looks like his next biggest competition.
Commentary - Without Albert Brooks, this category is quite simply incomplete, but it paves the way for the legendary Christopher Plummer to finally get some recognition. At the Oscars, the inclusion of Von Sydow complicates matters, but here it looks like smooth sailing to the podium.

Best Supporting Actress - Film
Will Win - Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Should Win - Spencer or Jessica Chastain "The Help"
Could Win - Melissa McCarthy "Bridesmaids", Chastain, or Berenice Bejo "The Artist"
Commentary - The only person I think who doesn't have a shot in hell is Janet McTeer. Each of the other contenders could hear their name's called. My guess is Spencer continues her march to the Oscar, but Chastain could pull votes away. Bejo, like Dujardin, could ride an Artist wave. But my guess is that Spencer's longtime friend Melissa McCarthy is her biggest challenger. Yes, Melissa McCarthy. She will have the television crowd in her corner, and could be enough to propel her to a shocking victory.

Best Ensemble - Drama Series
Will Win - Boardwalk Empire
Should Win - The Good Wife or Breaking Bad
Could Win - Game of Thrones
Commentary - The exclusion of Homeland is interesting to me, and the inclusion of Dexter is just appauling. But that being said, it is a four way race. The Good Wife or Breaking Bad should win, and both certaintly could pull off a win. But the sprawling casts of Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones seem more up the SAG's alley. Of the two, my guess is that Empire repeats.

Best Ensemble - Comedy Series
Will Win - Modern Family
Should Win - The Big Bang Theory
Could Win - Glee or 30 Rock
Commentary - Glee, with its huge cast is always a possibility, and The Big Bang Theory's quirky group is deserving. But the power of Modern Family has overtaken the awards circuit, and should take the prize.

Best Actor - Drama Series
Will Win/Should Win - Bryan Cranston "Breaking Bad"
Could Win - Steve Buscemi "Boardwalk Empire" or Kyle Chandler "Friday Night Lights"
Commentary - Bryan Cranston is mesmerizing on Breaking Bad, but Buscemi won this last year, and could repeat. The one to look out for is Kyle Chandler who pulled off a surprise Emmy win, and could get an outgoing prize for FNL.

Best Actress - Drama Series
Will Win - Julianna Margulies "The Good Wife"
Should Win - Margulies or Jessica Lange "American Horror Story"
Could Win - Lange or Glenn Close "Damages"
Commentary - Jessica Lange shold win for her biting turn in AHS, and especially since she will most likely not be back next season, this is her chance. Margulies though will probably win, which is perfectly fine with me. Watch out also for Close, who could win this as an honor for both Damages and Albert Nobbs.

Best Actor - Comedy Series
Will Win - Alec Baldwin "30 Rock"
Should Win - Steve Carrell "The Office"
Could Win - Carrell or Burrell or Stonestreet
Commentary - Alec has won this five times in a row, and while it would be nice to see Carell to get some recognition, and completely possible that one of the Modern Family guys steals it away, but it is probably not a safe to bet against Baldwin

Best Actress - Comedy Series
Will Win - Betty White "Hot in Cleveland"
Should Win - Julie Bowen "Modern Family"
Could Win - Tina Fey "30 Rock"
Commentary - Fey could win, or one of the Modern Family women, but the SAG's love Betty White, and probably as long as she is still working they will find a way to honor her.

Best Actress - TV Movie/Miniseries
Will Win - Kate Winslet "Mildred Pierce"
Should Win - Winslet or Lane
Could Win - Betty White "The Lost Valentine"
Commentary - As is the case with all of the awards this year, Winslet seems to have this one in the bag, and I would be shocked if anyone else wins.

Best Actor - TV Movie/Miniseries
Will Win - Guy Pearce "Mildred Pierce"
Should Win - Laurence Fishburne "Thurgood"
Could Win - Laurence Fishburne "Thurgood" and Paul Giamatti "Too Big to Fail"
Commentary - Laurence Fishburne gives a masterful performance and Giamatti is an actor's favorite. But my money is with Guy Pearce who won an Emmy for his role in Mildred Pierce.

DGA Winners

Directing of Motion Picture - Michel Hazanavicius "The Artist"
Directing of TV Movie/Miniseries - Jon Cassar "The Kennedys"
Directing of Drama Series - Patty Jenkins "The Killing - Pilot"
Directing of Comedy Series - Robert B. Weide "Curb Your Enthusiasm - Palestinian Chicken"
Directing of Documentary - James Marsh "Project Nim"
Directing of Musical/Variety - Glenn Weiss "The 65th Annual Tony Awards"
Directing of Reality - Neil P. Degroot "The Biggest Loser"
Directing of Commercial - Noam Murro
Directing of Daytime Serial - William Ludel "General Hospital"
Directing of Children's Program - Amy Schatz  "A Child's Garden of Poetry"

DGA Preview

Tomorrow night the Directors Guild of America will announce its winners. Here are my predictions for all the categories

Directing for Feature Film - Michel Hazanavicius "The Artist"
Directing for TV Movie/Miniseries - Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Penelope Spheeris, and Patty Jenkins "Five"
Directing for a Drama Series - Michael Cuesta "Homeland - Pilot"
Directing for a Comedy Series - Michael Spiller "Modern Family - Express Christmas"
Directing for a Musical/Variety - Glenn Weiss "The 65th Annual Tony Awards"
Directing for Reality - Eythan Keller "The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs, “Episode #401”
Directing for Daytime Drama - Larry Carpenter "One Life to Live"
Directing for Documentary - Martin Scorsese "George Harrison: Living in a Material World"

State of the Race: Initial Oscar Predictions

Best Picture - The Artist
Best Director - Michel Hazanavicius "The Artist"
Best Actor - George Clooney "The Descendants"
Best Actress - Viola Davis "The Help"
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Best Adapted Screenplay - Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, & Nat Faxon "The Descendants"
Best Original Screenplay - Woody Allen "Midnight in Paris"
Best Animated Feature - Rango
Best Documentary Feature - Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Best Foreign Language Film - A Separation (Iran)
Best Art Direction - Hugo
Best Costume Design - Hugo
Best Cinematography - The Artist
Best Film Editing - The Artist
Best Makeup - The Iron Lady
Best Original Score - Ludovic Bource "The Artist"
Best Original Song - The Muppets
Best Sound Editing - War Horse
Best Sound Mixing - War Horse
Best Visual Effects - Rise of the Planet of the Apes

State of the Race: The Oscar Nominees

Best Picture
I broke the one rule I have now developed when it comes to the Oscars: Never ever doubt Stephen Daldry. While he did not manage a director's nod, his latest film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close made the cut for Best Picture despite terrible reviews. I had kept it in the running for months, and in the last couple of wekks changed my tune. Bad mistake. To be honest, this is a new low for the Academy. Its reviews are terrible, and it really wasn't a great film. The other surprise, although a lot less shocking is the nomination for The Tree of Life. Many people had been saying that with its passionate supporters, it could garner enough support to make it in. Despite guild support (which goes for ELAIC as well), those that loved the movie were able to work the preferential system in their favor and get their films in. War Horse also managed to get in, but I actually (at the last minute) put it back into the running. Beyond that the ones we expected: The Artist, The Help, Hugo, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris, and The Descendants all made the cut. The biggest surprise for me, was the total of nine nominations. Considering they didn't have to fill out to 10 this year, I really was surprised that they almost got there. It means either this is a great year for movies (debatable), or the Academy was really trigger happy when they expanded their nominating powers. I personally got 7 out of my 8 right, but missed Extremely Loud and Tree of Life.

Snubs - Obviously, considering their guild support, Bridesmaids and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo didn't make the cut over The Tree of Life and ELAIC who managed to be excluded from the guilds. On a personal note, I would have loved HP72, Drive to get in, although the technical nods for both were nice. Tinker, Ides of March, and others (I am blanking at this moment), also didn't make the cut, but they were not expected to, although both of those films got some below the line nods.

Best Director
The four we expected, Allen, Hazanavicius, Payne and Scorsese all made the cut. No surprises here. Then came the last one. The Help, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo had been passed, so no Fincher or Taylor. I personally thought it was going to be Spielberg. But low and behold, the prophecy of so many Oscar pundits came true. Terrence Malick was able to overcome the lack of precursor nods, and his passionate supporters were able to get him in. While this isn't shocking, it is still a surprise, and shows that they loved the film. I got 4/5 missing Malick for Taylor.

Snubs - Taylor and Fincher were already mentioned. Refn, Yates, Clooney, Miller, Reitman, Alfredson, were also snubbed. And to be honest, Malick's "vision" was sloppy and myriad and not focused and clear. But I was okay with the nod compared to someone like Daldry getting in again for a less than worthy effort.

Best Actor
The three we expected, Clooney, Pitt, and Dujardin got their nods. I was absolutely thrilled with the Gary Oldman nomination, and thrilled I actually predicted it. He has been a hard working actor for years, and has been stellar in underrated roles. He finally gets his first Oscar nomination, and it is well deserved and long over due. When the SAG nominations came out, the inclusion of Demian Bichir was a shock to say the least. Like many, I did not know if he would have enough support beyond the actors branch to make it to the Oscar realm. By by God, he did it. Probably the SAG nod led others in the Academy to watch A Better Life, and realize just how good he was. It was a nice surprise. I got 4/5 missing Bichir for Dicaprio.

Snubs - The most obvious is Michael Fassbender. Despite GG, BFCA, and BAFTA love, it is clear that the problems regarding the sexual nature of the film and the NC-17 rating prevented him, Carey Mulligan, and the script from getting any love. Leonardo Dicaprio was also snubbed, but so was J. Edgar across the board. Finally, names like Michael Shannon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and others who were outside shots were also left off the list.

Best Actress
I would like to take this moment to say something. I liked Fincher's Dragon Tattoo, and I think that Rooney Mara did a great job. That being said, the fact that she got a nomination and Noomi Rapace didn't last year, and the fact that the American version got other nods which the original Swedish version did not. It just seems off to me. Okay now back to the nominations. Rooney Mara did get in, and congratulations to her, but she did not replace Glenn Close as expected. Instead she replaced Tilda Swinton, who has missed out three years in a row for her brilliant performances. No offense, but this truly is a travesty. I got 4/5 missing Mara for Swinton

Snubs - Swinton, obviously, but I would also add Charlize Theron, Kristen Wiig, Emma Stone, and Elizabeth Olsen to names that were left off.

Best Supporting Actor
If I had known that there was still a lot of support for Extremely Loud, I would have stuck with my initial hunch at the beginning of the season and gone with Von Sydow. But alas, he did get in despite lack of precursor support he got in. The other four, were my predictions, and considering their strength at SAG were expected to get in. 4/5 missing Brooks for von Sydow.

Snubs - Of course this means that Albert Brooks was left off. I am just as frustrated as any of you, but as I mentioned in my predictions, this was definitely a possibility considering both SAG and BAFTA left him off. He was truly the critics' darling, but for some reason, despite his veteran status, could not get the industry's support. I would have also been thrilled with Andy Serkis, Ezra Miller, Patton Oswalt, and Alan Rickman.

Best Supporting Actress
Nothing really to discuss here as the five nominees at SAG repeated. I am personally thrilled by the Melissa McCarthy nomination, as I think comedy at that level is hard to do, and she truly is the year's entertainment darling.

Snubs - There were six women, and I am personally sorry for Shailene Woodley who gave such a vibrant performance in The Descendants. But she is young and hopefully has an incredible career ahead of her.

Screenplays
Original Screenplay was a tough call for me when predicting, but I thought all five nominees were deserving, particularly the including of Margin Call, for first timer JC Chandor. But this was a stacked category and incredible scripts like Beginners, Win Win, Young Adult, and others were left off. The biggest snub for me though, and the one I can't seem to shake is the exclusion of 50/50. It truly was the best original screenplay of 2011, and its exclusion is dreadful. On the adapted side, the most obvious exclusion was The Help which did not do well beyond it acting nominations, meaning it truly was all about the performances. Dragon Tattoo also missed in favor of The Ides of March and Tinker Tailor, which I am happy to say I predicted. I figure the unknown British block of voters would get Tinker in somewhere, and it did in the two top categories I predicted. In Original I was 3/5 missing A Separation and Margin Call for Win Win and 50/50, and in adapted I was 4/5 missing Ides for The Help.

Animated
The animating branch of the Academy hates motion capture. They, like many of us, feel that it is not animination, but a form of live action. This explains how the Globe and PGA winner Tintin missed the cut. They did not want to continue to hold of the charade that motion capture can be lumped in with their profession in order to avoid having to deal with it on a live action arena. That being said it is still a surprise, and paves the way for Rango to take the prize. I was thrilled I got the Chico & Rita nod, but like most of us, was surprised to see  A Cat in Paris also make it. I do have to say I am proud that the Animators are not afraid to reward their own blockbusters and efforts (Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots), as well as foreign efforts as well. Also it is worth mentioning this is the first time that a Pixar film did not receive a nomination. Hopefully they have learned from the Cars 2 fiasco, and Brave will restore the studio's greatness.

Techs
I haven't had too much time to peruse this list, but some interesting choices, like no Tree of Life in Visual Effects despite BP nod. Also the score for Dragon Tattoo (Seriously the best thing about the film) was snubbed. War Horse picked up some steam here, but not for Editing despite an Eddie nod. The Descendants also got the editing, showing at least one craft nomination which helps its BP contenders. Moneyball also got some tech nods, and it is with War Horse with six across the board, a nice showing for an untechnical film. Some nods are still headscratchers like Real Steel getting in (Alhtough not completely undeserved). Also while not too satisfactory, to see my two favorite films, Drive and HP72 at least get something in the techs was nice. On this note, it is worth mentioning that Fight Club's only nod came in Sound Editing like Drive, and it has become a cult classic. In Art Direction and Costume, they went with prettier periods over gritter, and The Help missed both, despite ADG and CDG nominations. With the Makeup nods, I think we might see Harry Potter prevail (although Iron Lady will give it a run for its money), simply as a tip of the hat to the series (a pathetic one at that). Also Super 8 didn't manage either sound category despite guild support, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes only managed a visual effects nomination, meaning most likely HP7 2 or more likely Hugo will prevail in the category. The most confusing is the Original Song. The last couple of years they seem to have tried to phase this category out, and this year, despite some strong contenders, they only nominated two songs. Let me repeat that: TWO SONGS? I have a hunch that by this time next year, this category will cease to exist, which is just wrong if you ask me.

Overall
Overall, the preferential system produced 9 nominees, a staggering number. It also favored passionate films like Tree of Life and ELAIC over the more broad based films like Bridesmaids and Tinker Tailor. Overall, I am mixed with these nominations as I am every year. A number of pundits (no names will be mentioned) are going off like it is the end of the world, but most of these were expected, and for every not so pleasant surprise (Extremely Loud), there was a really nice one like Oldman, Bichir, and Malick. Every year, we get a mixed bag. Some people are going to love the nods, some are going to hate them, but most of us fall right in the middle of the pack. This has been Oscar for as long as I have watched it, and the fact that there seems to be a revolt for some is preposterous, and a little bit silly. But I do agree that this preferential system needs to be looked at. I don't mind the possibility of 5 to 10 nods (although I kind of preferred either 5 or 10), but the preferential doesn't show, I think, the Academy's true likes and dislikes as well as other voting ways. For now, the experiment panned out as many had predicted, so, as has become the motto of this season, we have to wait and see what happens next.

2012 Oscar Nominations

Wow, the surprises! The snubs! I have class for the next couple of hours, so I will probably not get an analysis up until later this afternoon. But all I can say is wow.

Best Picture

• "The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
• "The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
• "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
• "The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
• "Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
• "Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
• "Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
• "The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
• "War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

• Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
• George Clooney in "The Descendants"
• Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
• Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
• Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
• Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
• Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
• Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
• Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role

• Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
• Viola Davis in "The Help"
• Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
• Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
• Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
• Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
• Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
• Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
• Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film

• "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
• "Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

• "The Artist"
  Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
  Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• "Hugo"
  Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
• "Midnight in Paris"
  Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
• "War Horse"
  Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

• "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
• "Hugo" Robert Richardson
• "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
• "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

• "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
• "The Artist" Mark Bridges
• "Hugo" Sandy Powell
• "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
• "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing

• "The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Alexander Payne
• "Hugo" Martin Scorsese
• "Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
• "The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

• "Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
  Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
  Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
• "Pina"
  Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• "Undefeated"
  TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

• "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement"
  Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• "God Is the Bigger Elvis"
  Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• "Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
• "Saving Face"
  Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"
  Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

• "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
• "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

• "Bullhead" Belgium
• "Footnote" Israel
• "In Darkness" Poland
• "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
• "A Separation" Iran

Makeup

• "Albert Nobbs"Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
  Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• "The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

• "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
• "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
• "Hugo" Howard Shore
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
• "War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

• "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
• "Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

• "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
• "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
• "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

• "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
• "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
• "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
• "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

• "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
• "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
  David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• "Hugo"
  Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
• "Moneyball"
  Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
  Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• "War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
  Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• "Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
• "Real Steel"
  Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
  Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
• "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
• "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
• "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

State of the Race: Final Nomination Predictions

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
War Horse

Other Contenders - War Horse, Bridesmaids, The Ides of March, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Drive, The Tree of Life, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Commentary - I had thought that there would be eight nominees, but with War Horse doing terribly in the guilds, and Bridesmaids being too unconventional, I think that they will be on the outside looking in at a total of seven nominees. I think that films like The Tree of Life and Tinker are still possibilities as they have passionate fan bases. Not knowing the exact amount of nominees is frustrating, but I feel confident that the seven here are all strong contenders. ***Readers note - after much deliberation I decided to add back War Horse.

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius "The Artist"
Tate Taylor "The Help"
Martin Scorsese "Hugo"
Woody Allen "Midnight in Paris"
Alexander Payne "The Descendants"

Other Contenders - David Fincher "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", Steven Spielberg "War Horse", Terrence Malick "The Tree of Life", Bennett Miller "Moneyball", George Clooney "The Ides of March", Nicholas Winding Refn "Drive", Tomas Alfredson "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
Commentary - Four out of the five seem to be set in stone, as Payne, Hazanavicius, Scorsese, and Allen all seem like safe bets. It is that fifth slot that is giving me, and the rest of the blogosphere, a lot of trouble. Fincher got the DGA, but usually one is left off come Oscar morning. War Horse and The Tree of Life could be more popular with the combined Academy than the individual guilds. But my guess is that the popularity of the The Help surprises many and gets Taylor into the top five.

Best Actor
George Clooney "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio "J. Edgar"
Jean Dujardin "The Artist"
Gary Oldman "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt "Moneyball"

Other Contenders - Michael Fassbender "Shame", Michael Shannon "Take Shelter", Demian Bichir "A Better Life", Joseph Gordon-Levitt "50/50", Owen Wilson "Midnight in Paris", Ryan Gosling "Drive", Ryan Gosling "The Ides of March"
Commentary - The three frontrunners Pitt, Clooney, and Dujardin will be battling it out for the final prize. But it is the last two slots that are giving me some trouble. Dicaprio is constantly being left off lists, but he got the Globe and SAG nod, and is Leo. I think he gets in. It is the last slot that is trouble. Bichir got a surpise SAG nod, but I wonder about his support throughout the larger Academy. Michael Shannon could be a surpise come Oscar morning. Fassbender was in my predictions forever, but I still wonder about the NC-17 rating, and the support for shame, despite BAFTA support. So I am going with the other BAFTA nominee, Gary Oldman. I think that Tinker could play bigger with the Academy than we think, and what a better place to honor it than here.

Best Actress
Glenn Close "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis "The Help"
Meryl Streep "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Michelle Williams "My Week With Marilyn"

Other Contenders - Rooney Mara "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", Charlize Theron "Young Adult", Kirsten Dunst "Melancholia", Elizabeth Olsen "Martha Marcy May Marlene", Felicity Jones "Like Crazy", Kristen Wiig "Bridesmaids"
Commentary - This one looks like it is pretty locked up, with Swinton, Davis, Streep, and Williams all getting the major nods across the board. Glenn Close is popular, and got the SAG nod. Berenice Bejo got the BAFTA nod, but I still stand by the fact that she will be supporting for the Oscars. The only upset I can see is Rooney Mara. If they like Dragon Tattoo as much as it seems like they do, she could sneak in.

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh "My Week With Marilyn"
Albert Brooks "Drive"
Jonah Hill "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer "Beginners"

Other Contenders - Armie Hammer "J. Edgar", Patton Oswalt "Young Adult", Philip Seymour Hoffman "The Ides of March", Viggo Mortensen "A Dangerous Method", Max von Sydow "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", Andy Serkis "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Commentary - This category has been a mess since the beginning, but I think we are starting to see some consensus. Plummer, Branagh, and Hill have all hit the right notes, and are in. Jim Broadbent and Philip Seymour Hoffman got the BAFTA nod, and while both of them are possibilities, I think they will miss the cut. Albert Brooks could be a big snub, as he missed both SAG and BAFTA, but I think with it being a weak category he still gets in. In the last slot, I am going with Nolte, who got the SAG. But he is tentative at best, and a surprise nominee could be coming our way.

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy "Bridesmaids"
Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Shailene Woodley "The Descendants"

Other Contenders - Janet McTeer "Albert Nobbs", Judi Dench "My Week With Marliyn", Carey Mulligan "Shame", Carey Mulligan "Drive"
Commentary - Six women, five spots. Bejo might have category confusion, but I think she, as well as the dynamic duo of The Help are in. Surprisingly, despite a Globe snub, the SAG and BAFTA love for Melissa McCarthy, along with the incredible guild run for the film, put her solidly in this race. The Globes went with both Woodley and McTeer, but the SAG opted for McCarthy and McTeer, and neither McTeer nor Woodley got in at the BAFTA's. So while McTeer might be the more practical choice considering her SAG love, I think the love for The Descendants will be enough to get its young star in.

Best Animated Feature
The Adventures of Tintin
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Other Contenders - Cars 2, Arthur Christmas, A Cat in Paris, Gnomeo & Juliet, Wrinkles, Alois Nebel
Commentary - While I still think that The Adventures of Tintin could be left off due to those who don't see it as animation, at this point it looks safe, as does frontrunner Rango. Puss in Boots also looks like it is a big contender. But the last two slots are tricky. Kung Fu Panda 2 looks like it could be a contender but other big hits like Arthur Christmas and Cars 2 are waiting in the wings. Every year, at least one foreign entry surprises and gets a nomination. If I had to guess, that spot this year will go to Chico & Rita. This is a huge limb to go out on, but sometimes its acceptable to take risks.

Best Documentary Feature
Bill Cunningham New York
Buck
Pina
Project Nim
We Were Here

Other Contenders - Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Senna, Semper Fi: Always Faithful, Hell and Back Again, Sing Your Song

Best Foreign Language Film
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
Pina (Germany)
A Separation (Iran)

Other Contenders - Bullhead, Omar Killed Me, Warriors of the Rainbow, Superclasico

Best Original Screenplay
Will Reiser "50/50"
Michel Hazanavicius "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo "Bridesmaids"
Woody Allen "Midnight in Paris"
Thomas McCarthy "Win Win"

Other Contenders -  Mike Mills "Beginners", Asghar Farhadi "A Separation", JC Chandor "Margin Call", Diablo Cody "Young Adult", Terrence Malick "The Tree of Life", Jeff Nichols "Take Shelter", Sean Durkin "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Commentary - The Artist was not eligible for the WGA, but it will definitely get in here. But beyond it, I generally think that the WGA nominees will remain the same. The question is, which film gets replaced. If its between Win Win and Young Adult, I am going with Win Win getting in, although it is a close race. Beginners, A Separation, or The Tree of Life are also strong contenders, and this list could look drastically different come Oscar morning.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash "The Descendants"
Tate Taylor "The Help"
John Logan "Hugo"
Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor and  Peter Straughn "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

Other Contenders - Steve Zaillian "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", George Clooney and Grant Heslov "The Ides of March", Richard Curtis and Lee Hall "War Horse", Eric Roth "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", Hossein Amini "Drive"
Commentary - There is a good chance that all five WGA nominees get into this race. But something tells me that Steve Zaillian will only get one nomination, and his bigger and stronger script is Moneyball. So in its place, I am going with the Brit's favorite Tinker. They clearly love the film, and with so many British members of the Academy, I feel like it is going to pop up somewhere in the top categories, and here is a place I think it could make some gains.

Best Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Help
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Best Costume Design
The Artist
The Help
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week With Marilyn

Best Film Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
Hugo
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Makeup
The Artist
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
The Iron Lady

Best Original Score
John Williams "The Adventures of Tintin"
Ludovic Bource "The Artist"
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Howard Shore "Hugo"
John Williams "War Horse"

Best Original Song
Albert Nobbs - Lay Your Head Down
Captain America - Star Spangled Man
The Help - The Living Proof
The Muppets - Life's a Happy Song
The Muppets - Pictures in My Head

Best Sound Editing
The Adventures of Tintin
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Best Sound Mixing
Hugo
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Super 8
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
War Horse

Best Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Producers Guild of America (PGA) Winners

Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Picture - The Artist
Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Picture - The Adventures of Tintin
Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture - Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television - Downton Abbey
Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama - Boardwalk Empire
Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy - Modern Family
Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television - The Colbert Report
Outstanding Producer of Competition Television - The Amazing Race
Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television - American Masters
Outstanding Television News Program - 60 Minutes
Outstanding Television Children's Program - Sesame Street
Outstanding Television Sports Program - 30 for 30
Outstanding Web Series - 30 Rock Presents Jack Donaghy, Executive Superhero

Motion Picture Sound Editing (MPSE) Nominees

I've never been the best predictor of this category, but it looks like some of the favorites like Super 8, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Hugo, and The Adventures of Tintin all got nods. For the fifth slot, I think its between Transformers, War Horse, Drive, or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film
"Drive"
"Fast Five"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Super 8"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Music in a Feature Film
"Drive"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hop"
"Hugo"
"Priest"
"Super 8"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"The Tree of Life"

Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film
"Abduction"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"Quarantine II: Terminal"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Super 8"
"War Horse"
"The Way"

Music in a Musical Feature Film
"Footloose"
"The Muppets"
"Perfect Age of Rock n' Roll"
"Pina"

Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animated Film
"The Adventures of Tintin"
"Cars 2"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"
"Rio"
"The Smurfs"

Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, ADR and Music in a Feature Documentary
"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey"
"Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
"George Harrison: Living in the Material World"
"Lemmy"
"Pearl Jam Twenty"

Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Foreign Language Film
"1920: The World's Most Important Battle"
"Circumstance"
"Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within"
"The Flowers of War"
"In the Land of Blood and Honey"
"Sarah's Key"
"The Skin I Live In"

Iowa Film Critics Awards

Best Picture - The Descendants
Best Director - Alexander Payne "The Descendants"
Best Actor - Brad Pitt "Moneyball"
Best Actress - Viola Davis "The Help
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Best Supporting Actress - Melissa McCarthy "Bridesmaids"
Best Animated Film - Rango
Best Film Yet to Open in Iowa - We Need to Talk About Kevin AND Project Nim

London Film Critics Circle Awards

FILM OF THE YEAR
• The Artist (Entertainment)

The Attenborough Award: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
• We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
• A Separation (Artificial Eye)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
• Senna (Universal)

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
• Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist (Entertainment)
     
SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
• Asghar Farhadi - A Separation (Artificial Eye)

The Virgin Atlantic Award: BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER
• Andrew Haigh - Weekend (Peccadillo)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
• Jean Dujardin - The Artist (Entertainment)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR (Tied)
• Anna Paquin - Margaret (Fox)
• Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
• Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn (Entertainment)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
• Sareh Bayat - A Separation (Artificial Eye)

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
• Michael Fassbender - A Dangerous Method (Lionsgate), Shame (Momentum)

The Moët & Chandon Award: BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
• Olivia Colman - The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé), Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal)

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
• Craig Roberts - Submarine (StudioCanal)

The Sky 3D Award: TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
• Maria Djurkovic, production design - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)

The Dilys Powell Award: EXCELLENCE IN FILM
• Nicolas Roeg

CRITICS' CIRCLE TOP 10 FILMS of 2011

1. The Artist
2. A Separation

3. Drive

4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

5. The Tree of Life

6. We Need to Talk About Kevin
7. Melancholia

8. Shame
9. Margaret

10. The Descendants

NAACP Image Award Nominees

The television, music, and literary nominees can be found at www.naacpimageawards.net
MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Motion Picture

"Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
"Pariah" (Focus Features)
"The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
"The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
"Tower Heist" (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Eddie Murphy - "Tower Heist" (Universal Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne - "Contagion" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Laz Alonso - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Oliver Litondo - "The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
Vin Diesel - "Fast Five" (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Adepero Oduye - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Emma Stone - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Paula Patton - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Viola Davis - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Zoë Saldana - "Colombiana" (TriStar Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Anthony Mackie - "The Adjustment Bureau" (Universal Pictures)
Charles Parnell - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Don Cheadle - "The Guard" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Jeffrey Wright - "The Ides of March" (Columbia Pictures)
Mike Epps - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Bryce Dallas Howard - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone
Pictures)
Cicely Tyson - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Kim Wayans - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Maya Rudolph - "Bridesmaids" (Universal Pictures)
Octavia Spencer - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

"I Will Follow" (AFFRM)
"Kinyarwanda" (AFFRM)
"MOOZ-lum" (AFFRM)
"Pariah" (Focus Features)
"The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)

Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture

"A Separation" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"Attack the Block" (Screen Gems)
"In the Land of Blood and Honey" (FilmDistrict)
"Le Havre" (Janus Films)
"Life, Above All" (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Documentary - (Theatrical or Television)

"Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" (Submarine Deluxe)
"Sing Your Song" (HBO Documentary Films)
"The Rescuers" (Michael King Productions)
"Thunder Soul" (Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture - (Theatrical or Television)

Alrick Brown - "Kinyarwanda" (AFFRM)
Ann Peacock - "The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
Dee Rees - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Elizabeth Hunter, Arlene Gibbs - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Tate Taylor - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture - (Theatrical or Television)

Alrick Brown - "Kinyarwanda" (AFFRM)
Angelina Jolie - "In the Land of Blood and Honey" (FilmDistrict)
Dee Rees - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Salim Akil - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Tate Taylor - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

Costume Designer's Guild Nominees

War Horse snubbed again, as Bridesmaids continues its run. Nice to see Drive and Melancholia, but my guess is at most of the contemporary films will be left out.

Excellence in Period Film:
"The Artist" (Mark Bridges)
"Jane Eyre" (Michael O'Connor)
"The Help" (Sharen Davis)
"Hugo" (Sandy Powell)
"W.E." (Arianne Phillips)

Excellence in Fantasy Film:
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (Jany Temime)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (Penny Rose)
"Red Riding Hood" (Cindy Evans)
"Thor" (Alexandra Byrne)
"X-Men: First Class" (Sammy Sheldon)

Excellence in Contemporary Film:
"Bridesmaids" (Leesa Evans & Christine Wada)
"The Descendants (Wendy Chuck)
"Drive" (Erin Benach)
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (Trish Summerville)
"Melancholia" (Manon Rasmussen)

2012 GLAAD Media Award Nominees

GLAAD is an important organization for gay and lesbian rights and thei annually media awards put a spotlight on entertainment taht tackles the issues and shows gay/lesbian individuals in a positive light. here are this year's nominees:

OUTSTANDING FILM WIDE RELEASE
Albert Nobbs
Beginners
J. Edgar

OUTSTANDING FILM LIMITED RELEASE
Circumstance
Gun Hill Road
Pariah
Tomboy
Weekend

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Degrassi (TeenNick)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
Shameless (Showtime)
Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
The Big C (Showtime)
Exes and Ohs (Logo)
Glee (Fox)
Happy Endings (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL EPISODE
“Acceptance,” Man Up! (ABC)
“Beards,” Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)
“The Boy Has Style,” Are We There Yet? (TBS)
“Prom,” Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime)
“Recruited,” NCIS (CBS)

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Cinema Verite (HBO)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
Becoming Chaz (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (HBO)
Two Spirits (PBS)
We Were Here (Red Flag Releasing)
The World’s Worst Place to be Gay? (Logo)

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys (Sundance Channel)
The Glee Project (Oxygen)
The Real L Word (Showtime)
The Voice (NBC)

OUTSTANDING TALK SHOW EPISODE
“Chaz Bono,” Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
“Children & Teens Caught in the Wrong Bodies,” Anderson (syndicated)
“Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests,” The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)
“The Wedding of Scott Cronick & David Gorshein,” Conan (TBS)
“Zach Wahls,” The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated)

OUTSTANDING DAILY DRAMA
All My Children (ABC)
Days of Our Lives (NBC)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM NEWSMAGAZINE
“Day One,” The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
“Finding Home,” In the Life (PBS)
“GLBT in Texas,” Spotlight DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth KXAS TV-5)
“The ‘Sissy Boy’ Experiments,” Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
“They Call it Corrective Rape,” World’s Untold Stories (CNN)

OUTSTANDING TV JOURNALISM SEGMENT
“Battle Against Bullying,” ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (ABC)
“Children of LGBT Parents,” MSNBC News Live (MSNBC)
“Gay Dads Adopt 12 Kids,” Good Morning America (ABC)
“Kye Allums,” Outside the Lines (ESPN)
“Split by Potential Deportation,” CNN Newsroom (CNN)

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
“AIDS @ 30″ series, Windy City Times
“Coming Out to America” by Melanie Asmar, Westword
“Even on Religious Campuses, Students Fight for Gay Identity” by Erik Eckholm, The New York Times
“Led by the Child Who Simply Knew” by Bella English, The Boston Globe
“Local Lesbian Navigates Life’s Daily Challenges as Parents” by Najla Amundson, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST
Frank Bruni, The New York Times
Alfred Doblin, The Record
Muareen Dowd, The New York Times
Peg McEntee, The Salt Lake Tribune
Craig Wilson, USA Today

OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER OVERALL COVERAGE
The Boston Globe
The New York Times
The Oregonian
The Salt Lake Tribune
Pioneer Press

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE ARTICLE
“15th Anniversary of the Passage of the Defense of Marriage Act” (series) by Chris Geidner, Metro Weekly
“Black & Gay in Corporate America” by Carolyn M. Brown, Black Enterprise
“Making It Work” by Rod McCullom, Ebony
“The Secret I Don’t Want to Keep Anymore” by Jane Mock as told to Kierna Mayo, Marie Claire
“Transitions” by Eliza Gray, The New Republic

OUTSTANDING MAGAZINE OVERALL COVERAGE
The Advocate/Out
Entertainment Weekly
People
Time
Us Weekly

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM ARTICLE
“Adam and Pete: Love in a Time of War” by Max J. Rosenthal, HuffingtonPost.com
“Black and Transgender: A Double Burden” by Kellee Terrell, TheRoot.com
“The Rainbow Struggle” (series), GlobalPost.com
“Soldier Leaves Legacy Much Larger Than ‘He Was Gay’” by Wayne Drash, CNN.com
“What are Little Boys Made Of” by Jim Burroway, BoxTurtleBulletin.com

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL JOURNALISM MULTIMEDIA
“Breaking Boundaries” by Eliza Gray and Margy Slattery, TheNewRepublic.com
“Coming Out” by Sarah Kramer, NYTimes.com
“Glamorous Gay Dance Scene a ‘Family Affair’” by Brooke Sopelsa and Drew Katchen, MSNBC.com
“Injustice at Every Turn,” ITLMedia.org
“Transgender: A Special Report” (series), TimesUnion.com

OUTSTANDING BLOG
The Bilerico Project, bilerico.com
Mombian, mombian.com
The New Civil Rights Movement, thenewcivilrightsmovement.com
Rod 2.0, rodonline.typepad.com
Towleroad, towleroad.com

OUTSTANDING MUSIC ARTIST
Beverly McClellan, Fear Nothing
Girl in a Coma, Exits & All the Rest
Hunx and His Punx, Too Young to Be in Love
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
MEN, Talk About Body

OUTSTANDING COMIC BOOK
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade by Allen Heinberg
Batwoman by J.H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman
Secret Six by Gail Simone
Veronica Presents: Kevin Keller by Dan Parent
X-Factor by Peter David

OUSTANDING LOS ANGELES THEATER
Bonded by Donald Jolly
House of the Rising Son by Tom Jacobson
Killer Queen: The Story of Paco the Pink Pounder by Peter Griggs
No Word in Guyanese for Me by Wendy Graf
Who’s Your Daddy? by Johnny O’Callaghan

OUTSTANDING NEW YORK THEATER BROADWAY & OFF-BROADWAY
The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures by Tony Kushner
Maple & Vine by Jordan Harrison
Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott
Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam
Unnatural Acts: Harvard’s Secret Court of 1920 conceived by Tony Speciale

OUTSTANDING NEW YORK THEATER OFF-OFF BROADWAY
The Dog and Pony Show (Bring Your Own Pony) by Holly Hughes
The Escape Artist book by John Kelly, songs by John Kelly & Carol Lipnik
The Momentum by Boo Killebrew, Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell & Jordan Seavey
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen
Southern Comfort book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis

Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Nominees

To help us with Sound Mixing, the CAS is another guild, and so it's important to pay attention to. Obviously War Horse and Transformers being snubbed is big, especially with surprises like Hanna and Pirates making the cut. Also it is nice to see that The Artist did not make the cut, as its only Sound was its score, although I fully expect the trigger-happy Academy to somehow get it in. Moneyball also getting in is a surprise, but it helps is Best Picture chances.

Sound Mixing for Motion Picture
Hanna
Hugo
Moneyball
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Super 8

Sound Mixing for TV Movie/Miniseries
Cinema Verite
Innocent
The Kennedys: Hour 1
Mildred Pierce: Part 5
To Big to Fail

Sound Mixing for Television Series
Boardwalk Empire - To the Lost
Breaking Bad - Face Off
Dexter -Just Let Go
Game of Thrones - Baelor
The Walking Dead - What Lies Ahead

Sound Mixing for Television - Nonfiction, Variety or Musical
American Experience - Triangle Fire
Bobby Fischer Against the World
Deadliest Catch: New Blood
Guest Performances at the Met: Nixon in China
Lady Gaga Monster Ball Tour

Georgia Film Critics Association Winners

I completely missed the nominations but here are the winners:

Best Picture: "The Tree of Life"
Best Director: Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Best Actress: Juliette Binoche, "Certified Copy"
Best Actor: Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, "The Tree of Life"
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, "The Tree of Life"
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, "Moneyball"
Best Foreign Language Film: "Certified Copy"
Best Animated Film: "The Adventures of Tintin"
Best Documentary: "Senna"
Best Ensemble: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Best Art Direction: Jack Fisk, "The Tree of Life"
Best Original Score: John Williams, "War Horse"
Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, "Man or Muppet," "The Muppets"
Breakthrough Award: Jessica Chastain
Excellence in Georgia Cinema: "Sahkanaga"

2012 BAFTA Nominees

This is an interesting list, as BAFTA usually is, but in many cases kind of confusing. For example, Hugo does well below the belt with Scorsese and technical nods, but misses screenplay and Picture. Drive gets Picture and Director, but somehow Brooks misses the cut, and Mulligan gets in. War Horse gets lots of technical nods, but no major ones, another bump in the very rocky road it has been having. Tinker does well, which was expected, and it may surprise people with some major nods come next Tuesday. The Artist lead, but gets a Sound award. People, it is a silent movie, and only its score should receive recognition. More will come later as I do a post BAFTA nomination prediction, the last one before my final nomination predictions next Monday.

BEST FILM

• THE ARTIST – Thomas Langmann
• THE DESCENDANTS – Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
• DRIVE – Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
• THE HELP – Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

DIRECTOR

• THE ARTIST – Michel Hazanavicius
• DRIVE Nicolas – Winding Refn
• HUGO – Martin Scorsese
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Tomas Alfredson
• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN – Lynne Ramsay

LEADING ACTOR

• BRAD PITT – Moneyball
• GARY OLDMAN – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• GEORGE CLOONEY – The Descendants
• JEAN DUJARDIN – The Artist
• MICHAEL FASSBENDER – Shame

LEADING ACTRESS

• BÉRÉNICE BEJO The Artist – Film
• MERYL STREEP – The Iron Lady
• MICHELLE WILLIAMS – My Week with Marilyn
• TILDA SWINTON – We Need to Talk About Kevin
• VIOLA DAVIS – The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER – Beginners
• JIM BROADBENT – The Iron Lady
• JONAH HILL – Moneyball
• KENNETH BRANAGH – My Week with Marilyn
• PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – The Ides of March

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• CAREY MULLIGAN – Drive
• JESSICA CHASTAIN – The Help
• JUDI DENCH – My Week with Marilyn
• MELISSA MCCARTHY – Bridesmaids
• OCTAVIA SPENCER – The Help

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

• MY WEEK WITH MARILYN – Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges
• SENNA – Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey
• SHAME – Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – _Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan
• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN – Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno, Rory Stewart Kinnear

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

• ATTACK THE BLOCK – Joe Cornish (Director/Writer)
• BLACK POND – Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst (Producer)
• CORIOLANUS – Ralph Fiennes (Director)
• SUBMARINE – Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer)
• TYRANNOSAUR – Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)

DOCUMENTARY

• GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD – Martin Scorsese
• PROJECT NIM – James Marsh, Simon Chinn
• SENNA – Asif Kapadia

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• THE ARTIST – Michel Hazanavicius
• BRIDESMAIDS – Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
• THE GUARD – John Michael McDonagh
• THE IRON LADY – Abi Morgan
• MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – Woody Allen

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• THE DESCENDANTS – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
• THE HELP – Tate Taylor
• THE IDES OF MARCH – George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
• MONEYBALL – Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• INCENDIES – Denis Villeneuve, Luc Déry, Kim McGraw
• PINA – Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel
• POTICHE – François Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
• A SEPARATION – Asghar Farhadi
• THE SKIN I LIVE IN – Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar

ANIMATED FILM

• HE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN – Steven Spielberg
• ARTHUR CHRISTMAS – Sarah Smith
• RANGO – Gore Verbinski

ORIGINAL MUSIC

• THE ARTIST – Ludovic Bource
• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
• HUGO Howard – Shore
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Alberto Iglesias
• WAR HORSE – John Williams

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• THE ARTIST – Guillaume Schiffman
• THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Jeff Cronenweth
• HUGO – Robert Richardson
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Hoyte van Hoytema
• WAR HORSE – Janusz Kaminski

EDITING

• THE ARTIST – Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
• DRIVE – Mat Newman
• HUGO – Thelma Schoonmaker
• SENNA – Gregers Sall, Chris King
• TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER – SPY Dino Jonsater

PRODUCTION DESIGN

• THE ARTIST – Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 – Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
• HUGO – Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
• WAR HORSE – Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

COSTUME DESIGN

• THE ARTIST – Mark Bridges
• HUGO – Sandy Powell
• JANE EYRE – Michael O’Connor
• MY WEEK WITH MARILYN – Jill Taylor
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – Jacqueline Durran

SOUND

• THE ARTIST – Nadine Muse, Gérard Lamps, Michael Krikorian
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 – James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker, Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener
• HUGO – Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY – John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley
• WAR HORSE – Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

• THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN – Joe Letteri
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 – Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery
• HUGO – Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams
• RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White
• WAR HORSE – Ben Morris, Neil Corbould

MAKE UP & HAIR

• THE ARTIST – Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell
• HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 – Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
• HUGO Morag – Ross, Jan Archibald
• THE IRON LADY – Marese Langan
• MY WEEK WITH MARILYN – Jenny Shircore

SHORT ANIMATION

• ABUELAS – Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner
• BOBBY YEAH – Robert Morgan
• A MORNING STROLL – Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

SHORT FILM

• CHALK – Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini
• MWANSA THE GREAT – Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet
• ONLY SOUND REMAINS – Arash Ashtiani, Anshu Poddar
• PITCH BLACK HEIST – John Maclean, Gerardine O’Flynn
• TWO AND TWO – Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen

ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD

• ADAM DEACON
• CHRIS HEMSWORTH
• TOM HIDDLESTON
• CHRIS O’DOWD
• EDDIE REDMAYNE

ACE Eddie Nominees

Well, War Horse needed a boost, and it just got one, from an important precursor. The others for Drama were expected. In the Comedy/Musical category, Bridesmaids continues to get guild love, but most likely only The Artist will make the cut for Editing at the Oscars, joining 4 out of the 5 Dramatic nominees.

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):

The Descendants
Kevin Tent, A.C.E.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Angus Wall, A.C.E. & Kirk Baxter, A.C.E.

Hugo
Thelma Schoonmaker, A.C.E.

Moneyball
Christopher Tellefsen, A.C.E.

War Horse
Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY OR MUSICAL):

The Artist
Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids
William Kerr & Michael L. Sale

Midnight in Paris
Alisa Lepselter

My Week with Marilyn
Adam Recht

Young Adult
Dana E. Glauberman, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:

The Adventures of Tintin
Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

Puss in Boots
Eric Dapkewicz

Rango
Craig Wood, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED HALF-HOUR SERIES FOR TELEVISION:

Curb Your Enthusiasm: “Mister Softee”
Roger Nygard

Curb Your Enthusiasm: “Palestinian Chicken”
Steven Rasch, A.C.E.

Modern Family: “Express Christmas”
Steven Rasch, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:

Breaking Bad: “End Times”
Kelley Dixon

Breaking Bad: “Face Off”
Skip MacDonald

Friday Night Lights: “Always”
Angela M. Catanzaro

The Good Wife: “Real Deal”
Hibah Frisina, A.C.E.

The Walking Dead: “Save the Last One”
Hunter Via, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:

Boardwalk Empire: “To the Lost”
Tim Streeto

Game of Thrones: “Baelor”
Frances Parker, A.C.E.

Homeland: “Pilot”
Jordan Goldman, David Latham

 BEST EDITED MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TELEVISION:

Cinema Verite
Sarah Flack, A.C.E. & Robert Pulcini

Downton Abbey, Episode 1.1
John Wilson, A.C.E.

Mildred Pierce, Part 1
Affonso Gonçalves & Camilla Toniolo

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY:

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Joe Bini & Maya Hawke

Freedom Riders
Lewis Erskine & Aljernon Tunsil

George Harrison: Living in the Material World
David Tedeschi

BEST EDITED REALITY SERIES:

Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations: “Haiti”
Eric Lasby

Beyond Scared Straight :”Chowchilla”
Rob Goubeaux, A.C.E., Paul J. Coyne, A.C.E., Heather Abell, Audrey
Capotosta, Maura Corey, Jeremy Gantz & Molly Shock

Whale Wars: “Race to Save Lives”
Eric Myerson, Pete Ritchie & Josh Crockett

69th Golden Globe Award Winners

I will be live updating the winners of this years Golden Globes!

Film
Best Picture Drama - The Descendants
Best Picture Comedy/Musical - The Artist
Best Director - Martin Scorsese "Hugo"
Best Actor Drama - George Clooney "The Descendants"
Best Actress Drama - Meryl Streep "The Iron Lady"
Best Actor Comedy/Musical - Jean Dujardin "The Artist"
Best Actress Comedy/Musical - Michelle Williams "My Week With Marilyn"
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Best Foreign Language Film - A Separation
Best Animated Feature - The Adventures of Tintin
Best Screenplay - Woody Allen "Midnight in Paris"
Best Original Score - Ludovic Bource "The Artist"
Best Original Song - Madonna "Masterpiece" from "W.E."

Television
Best Drama Series - Homeland
Best Comedy/Musical Series - Modern Family
Best Miniseries or TV Movie - Downton Abbey
Best Actor Drama - Kelsey Grammer "Boss"
Best Actress Drama - Claire Danes "Homeland"
Best Actor Comedy/Musical - Matt LeBlanc "Episodes"
Best Actress Comedy/Musical - Laura Dern "Enlightened"
Best Actor TV Movie/Mini - Idris Elba "Luther"!
Best Actress TV Movie/Mini - Kate Winslet "Mildred Pierce"
Best Supporting Actor - Peter Dinklage "Game of Thrones"
Best Supporting Actress - Jessica Lange "American Horror Story"!!!

Cecil B. DeMille Award (Previously Announced)
Morgan Freeman

New DGA Poll in Sidebar

Go to the sidebar and pick your choice for the Director's Guild of America (DGA) Award!

Golden Globe Awards - Television Predictions

Best Drama Series
Will Win - Homeland
Should Win - American Horror Story or Homeland
Could Win - AHS or Game of Thrones
Commentary - While I think an American Horror Story win would be cool (and completely possible), I think this is between Game of Thrones and Homeland. I have a hunch that, given the new, hot nature of Homeland, and the Globes' fascination with new shows, that Homeland will prevail.

Best Comedy Series
Will Win - Modern Family
Should Win - Parks & Recreation
Could Win - Enlightened, Glee
Commentary - Modern Family racked up serious nods, and Glee managed only the one as none of its previous nominees/winners made the cut. I think Modern Family takes the crown from Glee, unless the two new shows Enlightened or New Girl steal it away.

Best TV Movie/Miniseries
Will Win - Downton Abbey
Should Win - Abbey
Could Win - Mildred Pierce
Commentary - Like at the Emmys, I think this comes down to Pierce vs. Abbey. And like round 1 I think round 2 will go to the British juggernaut.

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Will Win - Kelsey Grammer "Boss"
Should Win - Bryan Cranston "Breaking Bad"
Could Win - Buscemi or Lewis
Commentary - This one is tough, with Cranston coming back and Lewis leading the hottest new show of the season. But something tells me that Kelsey Grammer's critical smash Boss walks away with something, and why not something for its star?

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Will Win - Claire Danes "Homeland"
Should Win - Danes or Margulies
Could Win - Margulies or Enos
Commentary - Margulies deserves contined recognition, but remember that they love new shows, and if they like Homeland as much as we think, then Danes (who already has two Globes) will take the prize.

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Will Win - Matt LeBlanc "Episodes"
Should Win - Galecki or three guys not nominated like Parsons, Carell, C.K.
Could Win - Baldwin
Commentary - Baldwin has won three Globes, and could easily continue his streak. Galecki is probably the most deserving nominee in this strange batch, but my guess is that, given the series nod for Episodes, that Matt Leblanc takes the prize.

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Will Win - Zooey Deschanel "New Girl"
Should Win - Deschanel or Poehler
Could Win - Poehler or Dern
Commentary - Poehler deserves recognition for Parks, but might have to play second fiddle to one of the new nominees. Dern is a spoiler, but my guess is that the infectious Zooey Deschanel takes the prize.

Best Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries
Will Win - Idris Elba "Luther"
Should Win - Elba or Nighy
Could Win - Nighy, West or Bonneville
Commentary - There will be no Kennedy's shocker this time around, although the a trio of Brits, West, Nighy or Bonneville all have a great possibility. I am personally going with the stunning Idris Elba in Luther. I think that it is wide open field however, and could go any which way.

Best Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries
Will Win/Should Win - Kate Winslet "Mildred Pierce"
Could Win - Lane or McGovern
Commentary - I will be shocked if anyone other than Winslet takes this award.

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win/Should Win - Peter Dinklage "Game of Thrones"
Could Win - Any of them
Commentary - The supporting categories in the TV section are incredibly difficult to discern. I think it is between Dinklage and Pearce, but one of the Modern Family guys could win as well. I am going with my gut and going with Dinklage. If Homeland takes series, then the HFPA might want to reward it something, and Dinklage is an awesome way to do so.

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win - Jessica Lange "American Horror Story"
Should Win - Smith or Lange
Could Win - Smith or Wood
Commentary - Smith won an Emmy last year for Downton and is a force to be reckoned with, as is Wood in Mildred Pierce. But I think Lange's seering role in AHS is fresh on the voter's minds and will be enough for her to take the gold.

Golden Globe Awards - Film Predictions

Best Picture - Drama
Will Win - The Descendants
Should Win - The Help or The Descendants
Could Win - Hugo or The Help
Commentary - I think this is between three films. War Horse, The Ides of March, and Moneyball, while all worthy, will have to take a backburner. The Help and Hugo were both big films with lots of support, and there is a good chance that Martin Scorsese takes the directing award, which could reach up the ladder. However, The Descendants is the biggest contender of the bunch, and is most likely will reign supreme

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical
Will Win - The Artist
Should Win - 50/50 or Bridesmaids
Could Win - Bridesmaids
Commentary - I liked The Artist (I will post a review later), and I will be completely shocked if it doesn't win. But if I had a vote it would go to either 50/50 or Bridesmaids.

Best Actor - Drama
Will Win - George Clooney "The Descendants"
Should Win - Pitt or Clooney
Could Win - Brad Pitt "Moneyball"
Commentary - Like all of the awards shows this season, it is between Pitt and Clooney. I think the popularity of The Descendants will help Clooney prevail, but Pitt's win would not surprise me.

Best Actress - Drama
Will Win - Meryl Streep "The Iron Lady"
Should Win/Could Win - Viola Davis "The Help"
Commentary - This is a two horse race, and I fully expect that either name will be called. While I still have a hunch that Davis could prevail, we must not forget that the HFPA loves Meryl Streep (She's won seven of them), and I think that the power of her performance may be too much to overcome.

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical
Will Win - Jean Dujardin "The Artist"
Should Win - Joseph Gordon-Levitt "50/50"
Could Win - Gordon-Levitt, Wilson
Commentary - I firmly believe that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the most talented young actors working today and that his work in 50/50 was stunning. But if anyone other than Jean Dujardin wins this award, I will genuinely be surprised.

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical
Will Win - Michelle Williams "My Week With Marilyn"
Should Win - Williams or Kristen Wiig "Bridesmaids"
Could Win - Wiig, Theron
Commentary - While I still think that My Week With Marilyn getting into these categories is a sham (The Help was funnier than it), Michelle Williams is so far ahead of her competitors its not even funny. Although a win for Wiig would make me jump out of my seat with joy.

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win - Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Should Win - Plummer or Albert Brooks "Drive"
Could Win - Brooks
Commentary - Brooks is a real threat, but I have a feeling that Plummer continues his BFCA win on his march to the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win - Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Should Win - Spencer, or Jessica Chastain "The Help"
Could Win - Chastain or Berenice Bejo "The Artist"
Commentary - I think that Chastain, as a fresh young talent, has a shot, and Bejo is in the ever-popular artist. But I think that, like Plummer, Spencer has started her march to the top prize, and I think the Golden Globe is one of her pit stops.

Best Director
Will Win - Martin Scorsese "Hugo"
Should Win - Alexander Payne "The Descendants" or Scorsese
Could Win - Michel Hazanavicius "The Artist"
Commentary - Hazanavicius is obviously the frontrunner, but Scorsese has done well, even when his film didn't win the top award, and has won  twice. I think that there may be a split this year, with Scorsese taking the directing prize.

Best Screenplay
Will Win - Woody Allen "Midnight in Paris"
Should Win - The Descendants or Moneyball
Could Win - The Artist, The Descendants, or Moneyball
Commentary - I honestly don't know where to go with this one. The Artist is the Oscar frontrunner, The Descendants and Moneyball are the top contenders for the Adapted prize. So I am going with good old Woody Allen. I feel like they like Midnight in Paris, and will want to reward it for something.

Best Animated Feature
Will Win - Rango
Should Win - Rango
Could Win - The Adventures of Tintin
Commentary - Spielberg could reign supreme, but I think Rango is the favorite this year.

Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win - A Separation
Should Win - A Separation
Could Win - In the Land of Blood and Honey
Commentary - A Seperation should win here, and I think it will prevail. But do not underestimate the power of Angelina Jolie. They nominated her for The Tourist for God's sake. If anyone can take down the powerhouse A Seperation, it is Jolie and her blinding star power.

Best Original Score
Will Win - Ludovic Bource "The Artist"
Should Win - John Williams "War Horse" or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Could Win - Williams, Reznor/Ross, or Shore
Commentary - I think Williams' score for War Horse was his best in many years, and the score for TGWTDT is haunting and perfectly fit for the film. But Bource's score for The Artist is  executed by its score, considering ther ise no dialogue, and I think the HFPA will reward that.

Best Original Song
Will Win - Mary J. Blige and Team "The Living Proof" from "The Help"
Should Win - The Living Proof or Hello Hello
Could Win - Madonna "Masterpiece" from W.E.
Commentary - Madonna has won this award before at the Globes, and the HFPA loves huge stars. But Mary J. Blige is also nominated (as is Elton John), so I think the power of The Help will overrule any alterior motives this year.

BFCA Critics Choice Awards

Best Picture - The Artist
Best actor - George Clooney "The Descendants"
Best actress - Viola Davis "The Help"
Best supporting actress: Octavia Spencer "The Help"
Best supporting actor: Christopher Plummer "Beginners"
Best acting ensemble: The Help
Best director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best comedy: Bridesmaids
Best animated film: Rango
Best foreign film: A Separation
Best action film - Drive
Best young actor or actress: Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best documentary feature: George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Best adapted screenplay: Moneyball, Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, story by Stan Chervin
Best original screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Best cinematography - War Horse
Best song - Lifes a Happy Song, The Muppets

USC Scripter Nominees

An interesting mix, especially the bold choices of Jane Eyre and A Dangerous Method. But I think the film that benefits the most is Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy. It will have the Brit's support and has done well in craft categories, which may help it break into top categories like Actor for Oldman, and Adapted Screenplay. As for the previously mentioned two, the Academy will most likely go for more popular fare like TGWTDT, The Help, and Hugo instead, but still a nice mix of nominees. In the end it comes down to Moneyball vs. The Descendants,  and I believe the latter will come out on top.

"A Dangerous Method" (screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his play "The Talking Cure" and the book "A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud and Sabina Spielrein" by John Kerr)

"The Descendants" (screenplay by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings)

"Jane Eyre" (screenplay by Moira Buffini, based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë)

"Moneyball" (screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, based on the book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis)

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (screenplay by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, based on the novel by John le Carré)

People's Choice Awards - Winners

Favorite Movie - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Favorite Drama Movie - Water for Elephants
Favorite Comedy Movie - Bridesmaids
Favorite Movie Actor - Johnny Depp
Favorite Movie Actress - Emma Stone
Favorite Movie Icon - Morgan Freeman
Favorite Action Movie Star - Hugh Jackman
Favorite Action Movie - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Favorite Comedic Movie Actor - Adam Sandler
Favorite Comedic Movie Actress - Emma Stone
Favorite Movie Ensemble - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Favorite Animated Voice - Johnny Depp "Rango"
Favorite Book Adaptation - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Favorite Movie Star Under 25 - Chloe Grace Moretz
Favorite Movie Superhero - Ryan Reynolds "Green Lantern"
Favorite TV Network Comedy - How I Met Your Mother
Favorite TV Cable Comedy - Hot in Cleveland
Favorite TV Crime Drama - Castle
Favorite TV Competition Show - American Idol
Favorite New TV Drama - Person of Interest
Favorite New TV Comedy - 2 Broke Girls
Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show - Supernatural
Favorite TV Guest Star - Katy Perry "How I Met Your Mother"
Favorite Comedy TV Actress - Lea Michele
Favorite TV Comedy Actor - Neil Patrick Harris
Favorite Cable TV Drama - Pretty Little Liars
Favorite TV Drama Actor - Nathan Fillion
Favorite TV Drama Actress - Nina Dobrev
Favorite Network TV Drama - Supernatural
Favorite Late Night TV Host - Jimmy Fallon
Favorite TV Daytime Host - Ellen Degeneres
Favorite TV Celebreality Star - Kim Kardashian
Favorite Album of the Year - Lady Gaga "Born This Way"
Favorite Song of the Year - E.T.
Favorite Male Artist- Bruno Mars
Favorite Female Artist - Katy Perry
Favorite Pop Artist - Demi Lovato
Favorite Hip-Hop Artist- Eminem
Favorite Country Artist - Taylor Swift
Favorite Music Video - Katy Perry "TGIF"
Favorite Tour Headliner - Katy Perry
Favorite R&B Artist  - Rihanna
Favorite Band - Maroon 5