Academy of Country Music Award Nominees

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Florida Georgia Line

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Dierks Bentley
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year
Brandy Clark
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
The Swon Brothers

Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Album of the Year
Jason Aldean "Old Boots, New Dirt"
Little Big Town "Pain Killer"
Miranda Lambert "Platinum"
Dierks Bentley "Riser"
Eric Church "The Outsiders"

Single Record of the Year
Kenny Chesney "American Kids"
Miranda Lambert "Automatic"
Florida Georgia Line "Dirt"
Dierks Bentley "Drunk on a Plane"
Lee Brice "I Don't Dance"

Song of the Year
Kenny Chesney "American Kids"
Miranda Lambert "Automatic"
Luke Bryan "Drink a Beer"
Kacey Musgraves "Follow Your Arrow"
Eric Church "Give Me Back My Hometown"
Dierks Bentley "I Hold On"

Songwriter of the Year
Rodney Clawson
Ashley Gorley
Luke Laird
Josh Osborne
Chris Tompkins

Video of the Year
Kenny Chesney "American Kids"
Keith Urban "Cop Car"
Dierks Bentley "Drunk on a Plane"
Glen Campbell "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood "Somethin' Bad"

Vocal Event of the Year
Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe "Lonely Tonight"
Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill "Meanwhile Back at Mama's"
Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood "Somethin' Bad"
The Cadillac Three featuring Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, and Mike Eli "The South"
Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan "This is How We Roll"

2015 Grammy Predictions: Country

Best Country Album
Will Win/Should Win - Miranda Lambert "Platinum"
Could Win - Eric Church "The Outsiders"
Commentary - Last year, Grammy voters threw out the odds-on favorite, Taylor Swift's Red for a hot newcomer in Kacey Musgraves (still one of my favorite wins last year). And, in her history, Miranda Lambert has only won one Grammy award. So even though Miranda Lambert's album was probably the most popular, and probably the best of the bunch. But Platinum is not a lock and I have a hunch that the artist that will benefit most from this is Eric Church, whose album and singles have lit up country charts, and had crossover success. I will put this disclaimer out there though: Taylor Swift's Red was barely country, and they went for an actual country album instead, and Lambert is full-on country. All of that rambling and here is the point: I think Lambert is ahead, and it is time that she takes home an album award from these voters, but the race is not over.

Best Country Solo Performance
Will Win/Should Win - Eric Church "Give Me Back My Hometown"
Could Win - Miranda Lambert "Automatic"
Commentary - Speaking of Eric Church, I do not think he will go home empty handed this year. Automatic was a popular record, and if Lambert could finally have a big year. But Give Me Back My Hometown, in terms of a record and a song had more impact on radio and on country music this year. I think they split these two, and Church takes home a deserved Grammy for a great song.

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Will Win/Should Win - Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood "Somethin' Bad"
Could Win - Keith Urban feat. Eric Church "Raise 'Em Up" or Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill "Meanwhile Back at Mama's"
Commentary - Not really sure which way to go here. Urban and Church had a nice offering, and McGraw and Hill had a feel-good homecoming song, and at this point are bona fide country legends at this point. But I think the all-star power of Lambert and Underwood together will be hard for Grammy voters to pass up.

Best Country Song
Will Win/Should Win - Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
Could Win - Nicolle Galyon, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert "Automatic",  Eric Church and Luke Laird "Give Me Back My Hometown", or Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston & Jeffrey Steele "Meanwhile Back at Mama's"
Commentary - I thought that this was going to be another Eric Church vs. Miranda Lambert race, with Give Me Back My Hometown as the spoiler, and all three are still in this. But then I remembered that Glen Campbell was nominated for the song that earned him an Oscar nomination this year. He is a country legend that hasn't won a Grammy since the 1960's. I think that voters will be hard pressed not to give him this honor while they still can.

American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Award Winners

Boyhood gets a big win here, and Birdman hits a bit of a bump here with The Grand Budapest Hotel winning, and it looks like Editing could be its bump at the Oscars. Boyhood has to win the DGA next week, and if it wins BAFTA too, I am back on board the Boyhood train to Oscar town. But it is still a tight race. Tonight the Annie Award, ADG, and the Scripter. Next week the big test. As always, we'll have to wait and see...

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)
Sandra Adair "Boyhood"

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)
Barney Pilling "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Edited Animated Feature Film
David Burrows & Chris McKay "The Lego Movie"

Best Edited One-Hour Series For Commercial Television
Yan Miles "Sherlock: His Last Vow"

Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television
Affonso Goncalves "True Detective - Who Goes There"

Best Edited Half-Hour Series For Television
Anthony Boys "Veep - Special Relationship”

Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture For Television
Adam Penn "The Normal Heart"

Best Edited Non-Scripted Series
Hunter Gross "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - Iran"

Best Edited Documentary (Feature)
Mathilde Bonnefoy "Citizenfour"

Best Edited Documentary (Television)
Erik Ewers "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History - Episode 3: The Fire of Life"

Student Editing Award
Johnny Sepulveda

2015 Grammy Predictions - Spoken Word, Comedy, and Music Video

Best Spoken Word Album
Will Win/Should Win - Joan Rivers: Diary of a Mad Diva
Could Win - Jimmy Carter "A Call to Action"
Commentary - Joan Rivers was a comedy legend, and Diary of a Mad Diva was everything great about Joan and her career. She is tragically gone, and has never won a Grammy. Names like Elizabeth Warren, Jimmy Carter, John Waters, and James Franco are all big names on a small ballot, but I don't think Grammy voters will pass up the opportunity to give Rivers a posthumous honor.

Best Comedy Album
Will Win - "Weird Al" Yankovic "Mandatory Fun"
Should Win/Could Win - Louis C.K. "Oh My God" and Sarah Silverman "We Are Miracles"
Commentary - I respect Weird Al, but I do not fall head over heels in love with everything he puts out, and while Mandatory Fun was so popular and I think that Grammy voters will eat it up. But I hope that they go for the much better choices of either Sarah Silverman or Louis C.K.

Best Music Video
Will Win - Sia "Chandelier"
Could Win - Pharrell Williams "Happy"
Should Win - N/A
Commentary - This one I am not really sure about. Happy is infectious, Arcade Fire is a great choice, but I think that the odd, but unusual video for Sia's Chandelier will take the prize here, and will be a nice consolation prize if she gets shut out in the pop/general categories.

Best Music Film
Will Win - Beyonce and Jay-Z: On the Run Tour
Could Win/Should Win - 20 Feet From Stardom
Commentary - 20 Feet From Stardom might have been the Oscar front runner, and triumphed there, but I don't know if they can beat the power of Beyonce and Jay-Z. For the record, 20 Feet From Stardom should win, and the Oscar only helps. I hope it pulls it off.

2015 Grammy Predictions: Visual Media and Musical Theater

Best Musical Theater Album
Will Win - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win - Aladdin
Could Win - West Side Story or Beautiful
Commentary - I am still a kid I guess, because I love what they did with Aladdin's musical translation. But I think that the power of Neil Patrick Harris will win over voters this year, and Hedwig will win big here. Watch out though for West Side Story (it is a classic), or Beautiful, which is the dark horse here. Carole King is a legend here and has won her fair share of Grammys over the year. I think voters could easily migrate there instead.

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Will Win - Frozen
Could Win/Should Win - Guardians of the Galaxy
Commentary - Frozen was once thought to be an Album of the Year contender, so a lot of people expect it to triumph here. I agree with them, but Frozen has a new contender to fight win in Guardians of the Galaxy. It has great classic hits on it, and is a lot fresher than Frozen that has been out over a year now (thanks to the ridiculous eligibility periods). It is still Frozen here, but Guardians is catching up.

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Will Win/Should Win - Steven Price "Gravity"
Could Win - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross "Gone Girl" or Christophe Beck "Frozen"
Commentary - I am honestly not sure what to do here. Reznor and Ross have won before, Frozen is a huge hit, and Desplat/Newman are popular composers with recent wins. Also there is a history of this award not matching up with Oscar. But I think the Gravity score was so integral to the plot and was such a bold sound that I think Price repeats here. But honestly, none of them would really surprise.

Best Song Written for Visual Media
Will Win/Should Win - Let It Go
Could Win - Everything is Awesome or I'm Not Gonna Miss You
Commentary - Everything is Awesome is a bright fun tune and I'm Not Gonna Miss You is an opportunity to reward the legendary Glen Campbell. Both are also nominated for the Oscar this year, so their campaigns are in full swing. But Let It Go was a cultural phenomenon, one of the biggest songs of the last decade, and already an Oscar winner. I'd be shocked it if missed out here.

The Oscar Narrative: SAG and PGA Change the Game

This year's Oscar narrative has just taken a surprising turn. It was not a surprise that Birdman won the SAG Ensemble, I figured that would be its guild consolation prize going into the Oscars. But the SAG combined with the PGA is significant. I think most people, including me, thought that Birdman was too eccentric to win the Oscar, but then again if the top three candidates are Boyhood, Birdman, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, the, Academy was going to break its mold no matter which direction they go. All three are eccentric choices for this Academy. But as I process Birdman's win, it is all starting to make sense. Boyhood is the critical darling, that could make a comeback at the DGA and BAFTA. Or it could easily remain simply the critical favorite that was never going to be embraced as well by the industry. In that case, my initial opinion of the film's Oscar chances were correct. But it is not down and out yet. We have seen this before. Little Miss Sunshine won the PGA and SAG, but lost its groove when the DGA went for Scorsese.

But now it is starting to look like Inarritu could easily take that prize as well. Birdman is the type of film that will do well on the Oscar's ballot system. It will inspire a lot of first place votes, but unlike Boyhood, it also has deeper guild recognition, and those below-the-line technical branches will probably end up being more fond of it than of Boyhood. Plus, Birdman is about the industry itself. It is about fame, and making comebacks, and that is just something that appeals to these voters. So it probably gets a lot of second and third place votes too. And that is how it won the PGA, and how it could win the Oscar for Best Picture. The DGA does not have such a system, and Boyhood could prevail on a straight vote. That means that there could be, for the third year in a row, a split on Best Picture and Best Director. It doesn't seem like it could be possible, but the last two years have proven that they go for the big bold achievement (it took 12 years for Linklater to make this happen) for Best Director, while their more popular choice wins Best Picture. It could have been a fluke, and it will all even out this year, but if the DGA goes Boyhood, we could be in for another surprise. Or, as I said before, Inarritu wins DGA, and this whole guessing game is over. I still think that something like American Sniper or The Imitation Game (the populist picks), could sneak in at the last moment and take the prize. With this eccentricity going around, some voters might be looking for safer alternatives. But for now, this remains the Boyhood vs. Birdman show. Birdman 2, Boyhood 0.

Now let's take a look at those acting races. Moore, Simmons, and Arquette continue to steamroll and I honestly don't see anything standing in their way at this point. But Best Actor is the race that has taken a sudden turn. I thought that Keaton would win last night and the Redmayne would easily win at BAFTA. But with Redmayne winning at SAG, I am starting to think that this race is over. It just seems odd that as Birdman's stock rises in the Best Picture race, Keaton's is falling. Maybe Birdman's chances are not as good as we think, or maybe, just maybe, Academy voters could not resist the suffering biopic? Either way, it poses some interesting questions as the race moves forward. But if Redmayne does win the BAFTA, I think this race is over.

I also wanted to take a second to talk about the television winners. Besides Downton Abbey (whose cast is the reason to watch the show, so its win is deserving), SAG voters finally threw in some new winners, and deserving one as well. Spacey, Aduba, Davis, and Macy are all deserving winners, and Orange is the New Black has finally broke past Modern Family at both the PGA and the SAG, it looks like Modern Family could finally lose that Comedy Series Emmy this year.

This week I will look at some of the buzzed films coming out of Sundance. Next weekend we have the Annie Awards, The ADG, the Eddie (another big one to look for), and the Scripter. Then comes DGA and BAFTA, where the race can change once again. As always, we'll have to wait and see...

The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award Winners

I will be updating the winners live! Full rundown of PGA and SAG tomorrow!:

Film
Best Ensemble -  Birdman
Best Actor - Eddie Redmayne "The Theory Of Everything"
Best Actress - Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Best Stunt Ensemble - Unbroken

Television
Best Ensemble in a Drama Series - Downton Abbey
Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Orange is the New Black
Best Actor in a Drama Series - Kevin Spacey "House of Cards"
Best Actress in a Drama Series - Viola Davis "How to Get Away With Murder"
Best Actor in a Comedy Series - William H. Macy "Shameless"
Best Actress in a Comedy Series - Uzo Aduba "Orange is the New Black"
Best Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries - Mark Ruffalo "The Normal Heart"
Best Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries - Frances McDormand "Olive Kitteridge"
Best Stunt Ensemble - Game of Thrones

Lifetime Achievement Award - Debbie Reynolds

Producers Guild of America (PGA) Award Winners

Whoa! Birdman is expected to win tonight at the SAG Awards, but its victory here at the PGA changes the game, showcases how the preferential ballot can show the real feelings of the industry. I am going to hold off on commentary until after tonight. The SAG Awards will be another big test, and by the end of the night, we will see if and how the game has really changed. Oh and not for nothing, but note that LEGO Movie and Life Itself both won here despite Oscar snubs.

Best Picture - Birdman
Best Animated Feature - The LEGO Movie
Best Documentary - Life Itself
Best Long-Form Television - Fargo
Best Drama Series - Breaking Bad
Best Comedy Series - Orange is the New Black
Best Nonfiction Series - COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Best Competition Series - The Voice
Best Live Entertainment/Talk Series - The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Best Sports Program - Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Best Children's Program - Sesame Street
Best Digital Series - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Milestone Award - Jon Feltheimer
Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television - Mark Gordon
David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures - Gale Anne Hurd
Stanley Kramer Award - the HBO television motion picture The Normal Heart
Visionary Award - the production company Plan B Entertainment

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award Predictions

Film
Best Ensemble - Birdman
Best Actor - Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Best Actress - Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

Television
Best Ensemble in a Drama Series - Downton Abbey
Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Modern Family
Best Actor in a Drama Series - Matthew McConaughey "True Detective"
Best Actress in a Drama Series - Viola Davis "How to Get Away With Murder"
Best Actor in a Comedy Series - Ty Burrell "Modern Family"
Best Actress in a Comedy Series - Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep"
Best Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries - Billy Bob Thornton "Fargo"
Best Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries - Frances McDormand "Olive Kitteridge"

Producers Guild of America (PGA) Award Predictions

Best Picture
Boyhood

Best Animated Feature
The LEGO Movie

Best Documentary Feature
Life Itself

Long Form Television
Fargo

Best Drama Series
Breaking Bad

Best Comedy Series
Modern Family

Best Nonfiction Series
COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey

Best Competition Series
The Voice

Best Live Entertainment and Talk Series
The Colbert Report

Best Sports Program
24/7

Best Children's Program
Toy Story of Terror

Best Digital Series
COSMOS: A National Geographic Deeper Dive

Casting Society of America (CSA) Artios Awards Winners

Feature Film Big Budget Comedy
Ellen Lewis “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Feature Film Big Budget Drama
Francine Maisler, Meagan Lewis, and Melissa Kostenbauder “12 Years a Slave”

Feature Film Studio or Independent Comedy
Douglas Aibel, Jina Jay and Henry Russell Bergstein “The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Feature Film Studio or Independent Drama
Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee, Rich Delia, Tracy Kilpatrick, and Allison Estrin “Dallas Buyers Club”

Feature Film Low Budget Comedy
Kim Taylor-Coleman “Dear White People"

Feature Film Low Budget Drama
Beth Sepko “Boyhood"

Feature Film Animation
Jamie Sparer Roberts “Frozen"

Television Pilot Comedy
Jennifer Euston “Orange is the New Black"

Television Pilot Drama
Alexa L. Fogel, Christine Kromer and Meagan Lewis “True Detective"

Television Series Comedy
Jennifer Euston “Orange is the New Black"

Television Series Drama
Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas, Kiira Arai, and Russell Scott “Breaking Bad"

Television Movie or Mini Series
Jackie Lind, Stephanie Gorin, and Charlene Lee “Fargo"

Daytime Drama Series
Mark Teschner “General Hospital"

Children’s Pilot and Series (Live Action) 
Sally Stiner and Barbie Block “Good Luck Charlie"

Television Animation (Children and Adult)
Linda Lamontagne “Family Guy"

Web Series
Adam Caldwell and Cindy Tolan “Deadbeat"

Short Film
Alyssa Weisberg “All’s Fair"

New York Broadway Theatre – Comedy
David Caparelliotis, Nancy Piccione, and Bernard Telsey “Casa Valentina"

New York Broadway Theatre – Drama
William Cantler and Karyn Casl “All the Way"

New York Broadway Theatre – Musical 
Stephen Kopel “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical"

New York Theatre – Comedy
Jim Carnahan and Carrie Gardner “Dinner With Friends”

New York Theatre – Drama
Nancy Piccione “Choir Boy”

New York Theatre – Musical
Tara Rubin and Lindsay Levine “Here Lies Love”

Regional Theatre East
Tara Rubin and Lindsay Levine “A Streetcar Named Desire”

Regional Theatre West
David Caparelliotis and Lauren Port “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”

Los Angeles Theatre
Mark B. Simon and Daniel Swee "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”

Special Theatrical Performance East
Craig Burns and Cesar A. Rocha “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, A Musical Thriller”

Theatre Tours
Jim Carnahan, Stephen Kopel "Once"

GLAAD Media Award Nominations

So this feels like an incomplete list, and I think that it is because GLAAD is still doing that weird thing again where there are two different shows, one in New York and one in L.A. So there are probably more to come!

Outstanding Film - Wide Releases
The Imitation Game
Love is Strange
Pride
The Skeleton Twins
Tammy

Outstanding Film - Limited Release
Dear White People
Life Partners
Lilting
The Way He Looks
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

Outstanding Drama Series
Degrassi
The Fosters
Game of Thrones
Grey's Anatomy
How to Get Away With Murder
Last Tango in Halifax
Masters of Sex
Orphan Black
Pretty Little Liars
Shameless

Outstanding Comedy Series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Faking It
Glee
Looking
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Please Like Me
Sirens
Transparent
Vicious

Outstanding Individual Episode (in a Series w/out LGBT Character
Doctor Who - Deep Breath
Good Luck Charlie - Down a Tree
Drop Dead Diva - Identity Crisis
Playing House - Let's Have a Baby
Elementary - No Lack of Void

Outstanding TV Movie/Miniseries
The Normal Heart

Outstanding Documentary
The Case Against 8
L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin
Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word
To Russia With Love
True Trans With Laura Jane Grace

Outstanding Reality Program
B.O.R.N. to Style
Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce
Make or Break: The Linda Perry Project
R&B Divas: Atlanta
Survivor: San Juan del Sur

Outstanding Daily Drama
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital

Outstanding Music Artist
Against Me! "Transgender Dysphoria Blues"
Angel Haze "Dirty Gold"
Mary Gauthier "Trouble & Love"
Mary Lambert "Heart On My Sleeve"
Sam Smith "In the Lonely Hour"

Outstanding Comic Book
Matt Fraction "Hawkeye"
Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis "Lumberjanes"
James Tynion IV "Memetic"
Kurtis J. Wiebe "Rat Queens"
Brian K. Vaughn "Saga"

Outstanding Talk Show Episode
"Issues Facing the Transgender Community"  - Katie
"Laverne Cox discusses 'The T Word'" - The View
"Michael Sam" - Oprah Prime
"Pepe Julian Onziema" - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
"Robin Roberts"  - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Outstanding TV Journalism - Newsmagazine
"Coming Out"  - Nick News With Linda Ellerbee
"Gay and Muslim in America" - America Tonight
"Gay Rodeo" - This is Life with Lisa Ling
"Infield & Out: Baseball for All" - Morning Joe
"Transgender Society" - Ronan Farrow Daily

Outstanding TV Journalism Segment
"Change is Coming to the South" - Melissa Harris-Perry
"Fired for Being Gay?" -  MSNBC Live
"License to Discriminate?" - Anderson Cooper 360
"A Model with a Mission" -  Alicia Menendez Tonight
"Transgender Tipping Point?" - This Week

Outstanding Newspaper Article
"A Christian Family, a Gay Son and a Wichita Father’s Change of Heart" by Roy Wenzl from The Wichita Eagle
"For Transgender Service Members, Honesty Can End Career" by Ernesto Londoño from The Washington Post
"An Identity to Call Their Own" [series] by Michael A. Fuoco and Mackenzie Carpenter fromPittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Longtime Utah LGBT Advocates Recount Brutal History" by Erin Alberty from Salt Lake City Tribune
"When They Stopped Waiting" by Shaun McKinnon from The Arizona Republic

Outstanding Magazine Article
"Do Ask, Do Tell" by S.L. Price - Sports Illustrated
"Inside the Iron Closet: What It's Like to Be Gay in Putin's Russia" by Jeff Sharlet - GQ
"Sex Without Fear" by Tim Murphy - New York
"The Forsaken" by Alex Morris - Rolling Stone
"The Transgender Tipping Point" by Katy Steinmetz - Time

Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage
Essence
Glamour
Out
Sports Illustrated
Time

Outstanding Digital Journalism Article
"31 Days of PrEP"  - Advocate.com
"Black Parents, Gay Sons and Redefining Masculinity" by Edward Wyckoff Williams - TheRoot.com
"Conner Mertens came out to his college football team. Now he comes out publicly." by Cyd Zeigler- Outsports.com
"A Nun's Secret Ministry Brings Hope to the Transgender Community" by Nathan Schneider - America.Aljazeera.com
"A Year Later, 'Nothing' Has Changed Since Transgender Woman Islan Nettles was Killed" by Tony Merevick - Buzzfeed.com

Outstanding Digital Journalism - Multimedia
"Left Behind: LGBT Homeless Youth Struggle to Survive on the Streets" by Miranda Leitsinger -NBCNews.com
"Why did the U.S. Lock Up These Women with Men?" by Cristina Costantini, Jorge Rivas, Kristofer Ríos - Fusion.net
"With Technology I Didn’t Have to Sell My Body" by Kerri Pang - MSNBC.com
"Young and Gay: Jamaica's Gully Queens" by Adri Murguia, Christo Geoghegan - News.Vice.com
"Young and Gay in Putin's Russia" by Milene Larsson - News.Vice.com

Outstanding Blog
The Art of Transliness - theartoftransliness.com
Autostraddle - autostraddle.com
Box Turtle Bulletin - boxturtlebulletin.com
Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters - holybulliesandheadlessmonsters.blogspot.com
My Fabulous Disease - marksking.com

Special Recognition
Dragon Age: Inquisition - BioWare/Electronic Arts

Outstanding Daytime Program Episode (Spanish Language)
"Cementerio homófobo" Caso Cerrado
"Maestro despedido por [ser] gay" Caso Cerrado
"Un mundo de juegos" La Rosa de Guadalupe

Outstanding Television Interview (Spanish Language)
"Abigail Pereira participante transgénero de Yo Soy El Artista" Suelta La Sopa Extra
"En cuerpo ajeno" Un Nuevo Día
"Felicia en Ventaneando: Platica sobre su transformación" Ventaneando
"Identidad Sin Fronteras: Inmigrantes transgénero buscan nueva vida en EEUU" Despierta América
"Intolerancia familiar" Realidades en Contexto

Outstanding Documentary (Spanish Language)
"Identidad sin fronteras" Panorámica
La Travesía del Atleta Gay

Outstanding TV Journalism - Newsmagazine (Spanish Language)
"Felipe Najera abre su corazón" Primer Impacto - Univision
"Michael Sam confiesa su homosexualidad" Sin Límites - CNN Latino
"Orlando Cruz habla de su vida" Al Rojo Vivo - Telemundo
"Vínculos y rupturas" Aquí y Ahora - Univision

Outstanding TV Journalism Segment (Spanish Language)
"Corte Suprema de Justicia en EE.UU decline estudiar recursos sobre bodas del mismo sexo" - Informativo NTN
"La historia de una [mujer] transexual"  - Café CNN
"Obama apoya la comunidad transgénera" Noticias - MundoFOX
"Posibles sanciones" - Noticiero Telemundo
"Ya no hay obstáculos" Noticiero - Univision

Outstanding Local TV Journalism (Spanish Language)
"Cobertura de Spirit Day"Noticias 34 - KMEX-Univision 34 (Los Angeles)
"En centros de detención" Noticias Telemundo Arizona - KTAZ-Telemundo 39 (Phoenix)
"Justicia para Zoraida Reyes" Noticiero Telemundo - KVEA-Telemundo 52 (Los Angeles)
"Nombran a la primer mujer gay al Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico" Ultima Hora - Univision (Puerto Rico)
"Tacones de charro" Noticias 34 - KMEX-Univision 34 (Los Angeles)

Outstanding Newspaper Article (Spanish Language)
"Caravana gay en contra la marginalidad social" por Panky Corcino - El Diario New York
"¿Es la TV latina homofóbica? La respuesta te sorprenderá?" por Martha Sarabia - La Opinión
"Gay, indocumentado y sin cuidados médicos" por Patricia A González-Portillo - La Opinión
"Indocumentados gay y transexuales sufren abusos que incluyen amenaza de denuncia" por Olivia Tallet - La Voz de Houston
"Mamá, soy homosexual dijo Ricardo; su familia no entendió y lo corrió de su casa" por Selene Rivera- Hoy Los Angeles

Outstanding Digital Journalism Article (Spanish Language)
"Identidad sin fronteras, un documental sobre los inmigrantes transgénero" - PeopleenEspañol.com
"Identidades invisibles" [serie] por Marcos Billy Guzmán - ElNuevoDia.com
"¿Qué tan difícil es salir del clóset en Colombia?" - BBCMundo.com
"Ser gay en China: La bandera del arco iris ondea libremente" - CNNEspanol.CNN.com
"Una misión: repartir amor" por Istra Pacheco - PrimeraHora.com

Outstanding Digital Journalism - Multimedia (Spanish Language)
"Derechos de los homosexuales entran a la campaña electoral en Brasil" por Shasta Darlington -CNNEspanol.CNN.com
"Hispanos LGBT quieren su propia reforma" por Álvaro Ortiz - LaVozTX.com
"Maite Oronoz jura como juez asociada del Tribunal Supremo" por Rebecca Bamuchi - PrimeraHora.com
"¿Que es ENDA?" por Cary Tabares - Univision.com
"Venezuela: Madre lesbiana pide al Parlamento reconocer derechos de su hijo" - EFE.com

Special Recognition (Spanish Language)
"Era Diferente" Los Tigres del Norte

Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) Dorian Award Winners

Film of the Year
Boyhood

Film Performance of the Year - Actress
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"

Film Performance of the Year - Actor
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Film Director of the Year
Ava DuVernay "Selma"

LGBTQ Film of the Year
Pride

Foreign Language Film of the Year
Mommy (Canada)

Unsung Film of the Year
Pride

Documentary of the Year
The Case Against 8

Visually Striking Film of the Year
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Campy Flick of the Year
Into the Woods

TV Drama of the Year
The Normal Heart

TV Comedy of the Year
Transparent

TV Director of the Year
Jill Soloway "Transparent"

TV Performance of the Year - Actress
Lisa Kudrow "The Comeback"

TV Performance of the Year - Actor
Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent"

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Neil Patrick Harris "Sugar Daddy" from The 68th Annual Tony Awards

LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
Transparent

Unsung TV Show of the Year
Getting On

TV Current Events Show of the Year
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Campy TV Show of the Year
Jane the Virgin

Music Video of the Year
Sia "Chandelier"

The "We're Wilde About You" Rising Star Award
Gina Rodriguez "Jane the Virgin"

Wilde Wit of the Year
John Oliver

Timeless Award
George Takei

The International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society Creative Arts Award Nominations

Best Live Action 3D Feature
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Maleficent
Noah
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers: Age of Extinction
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Animated 3D Feature
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The LEGO Movie
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Planes: Fire & Rescue
Penguins of Madagascar
Rio 2

Best 2D to 3D Conversion
300: Rise of An Empire
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Godzilla
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maleficent
Noah
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Coen Brothers to Head Cannes 2015 Journey

I love that right in the midst of the 2015 Oscar season, I can already start using by 2016 Oscars tag. That tag will be used a lot more over the next week or so with the coming of the Sundance Film Festival, which is always a nice distraction from the last grinding days of the current Oscar season. But there is already big news for next year's Oscars, as the Cannes Film Festival, one of the biggest launching points for the Oscar and summer sesaon, has announced that Joel & Ethan Coen will co-anchor this year's jury. The Oscar-winning duo will bring a great perspective to this year's jury, and while I am still enjoying the race as it stands now, it is also nice to know that there are bright new perspectives on the horizon.

London Film Critics Circle Award Winners

Film of the Year
Boyhood

Foreign Language Film of the Year
Leviathan

British Film of the Year
Under the Skin

Documentary of the Year
Citizenfour

Actor of the Year
Michael Keaton "Birdman"

Actress of the Year
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"

Supporting Actor of the Year
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Supporting Actress of the Year
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

British Actor of the Year
Timothy Spall "Mr. Turner"

British Actress of the Year
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl" and "What We Did on Our Holiday"

Young British Performer of the Year
Alex Lawther "The Imitation Game"

Director of the Year
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Screenwriter of the Year
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Breakthrough British Filmmaker
Yann Demange "'71"

Technical Achievement Award
Mica Levi "Under the Skin" (Original Score)

Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film
Miranda Richardson

The Oscar Narrative: First Oscar Winner Predictions

Best Picture
Boyhood

Best Director
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman"

Best Actress
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Graham Moore "The Imitation Game"

Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon 2

Best Documentary Feature
CitizenFour

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida (Poland)

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"

Best Costume Design
Into the Woods

Best Film Editing
Boyhood

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat "The Imitation Game"

Best Original Song
John Legend and Common "Glory" from Selma

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing
Interstellar

Best Sound Mixing
Interstellar

Best Visual Effects
Interstellar

Best Animated Short
Feast

Best Documentary Short
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Best Live Action Short
The Phone Call

35th Annual Razzie Nominations

So in all the madness leading up to the Oscar nominations yesterday, I forgot to post the Razzie nods, always an interesting contrast, and it is hard to argue with this years worst. But I am so glad that they added that redeemer award, reminding us that it is never too late to restart your career with quality work, and all five nominees definitely deserve praise for doing so.

Worst Picture
Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas
Left Behind
The Legend Of Hercules
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers: Age of Extinction

Worst Director
Michael Bay "Transformers: Age Of Extinction"
Darren Doane "Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas"
Renny Harlin "The Legend of Hercules"
Jonathan Liebesman "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
Seth MacFarlane "A Million Ways To Die In The West"

Worst Actor
Kirk Cameron "Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas"
Nicolas Cage "Left Behind"
Kellan Lutz "The Legend Of Hercules"
Seth MacFarlane "A Million Ways To Die In The West"
Adam Sandler "Blended"

Worst Actress
Drew Barrymore "Blended"
Cameron Diaz "The Other Woman" and "Sex Tape"
Melissa McCarthy "Tammy"
Charlize Theron "A Million Ways To Die In The West"
Gaia Weiss "The Legend Of Hercules"

Worst Supporting Actor
Mel Gibson "Expendables 3"
Kelsey Grammer "Expendables 3", "Legends Of Oz", "Think Like A Man Too" and "Transformers: Age of Extinction"
Shaquille O’Neal "Blended"
Arnold Schwarzenegger "Expendables 3"
Kiefer Sutherland "Pompeii"

Worst Supporting Actress
Cameron Diaz "Annie"
Megan Fox "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
Nicola Peltz "Transformers: Age of Extinction"
Susan Sarandon, Tammy
Brigitte Ridenour, Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel
Annie
Atlas Shrugged 3: Who Is John Galt?
The Legend Of Hercules
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers: Age Of Extinction

Worst Screen Combo
Any Two Robots, Actors (or Robotic Actors) "Transformers: Age Of Extinction"
Kirk Cameron & His Ego "Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas"
Cameron Diaz & Jason Segel "Sex Tape"
Kellan Lutz & Either His Abs, His Pecs or His Glutes "The Legend Of Hercules"
Seth McFarlane & Charlize Theron "A Million Ways To Die In The West"

Worst Screenplay
Darren Doane anD Cheston Hervey "Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas"
Paul LaLonde and John Patus "Left Behind"
Kate Angelo, Jason Segel & Nicholas Stoller "Sex Tape"
Ehren Kruger "Transformers: Age of Extinction"
Evan Daugherty, Andre Nemec & Josh Applebaum "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

Razzie Redeemer Award
Ben Affleck - From Razzie “Winner” for Gigli to Oscar darling for Argo and Gone Girl
Jennifer Aniston - From 4-time Razzie nominee to SAG award nominee for Cake
Mike Myers - From Razzie “Winner” for Love Guru to Docu Director of Supermensch
Keanu Reeves - From 6-time Razzie nominee to the critically acclaimed John Wick
Kristen Stewart - From 6-time Razzie “Winner” for Twilight to the art house hit Camp X-Ray

The Oscar Narrative: Now the Game Begins

Now it really begins, all of that fighting, all of those precursor nominations, and it amounts to this day. The Oscar nominations have been announced, and as always, there were some shockers, some snubs, and some wonderful surprises. Now the real game begins, the final push. Will the front runners maintain their status and waltz to the Oscars in style, or will there be bumps along the way, heated races, and some surprises on Oscar night, just like there were on Oscar nomination morning? That infamous phrase comes to mind: As always, we'll have to wait and see...

But before we get into that, which starts in a few minutes with the Critics Choice Awards, lets take a look at this year's nominations.

Best Picture
For the first time since the Academy introduced the 5 to 10 set up, there have been less than nine nominees. This year, there were eight, and I'm kind of surprised there wasn't a ninth. So the six that I said were in the lead, continued to be in the lead: Boyhood, Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, American Sniper, and The Theory of Everything. Whiplash also made the cut, as I had expected. And Selma did manage to pull together enough number one votes to round out the top eight. But Selma's nod proved just how important number one votes are, compared to broad support at this stage. It only got one other nomination, for Best Original Song, and that could be its consolation prize. Foxcatcher on the other hand, was probably the ninth slot. It got a surprise Best Director nomination (more on that later), the screenplay beat out Mike Leigh and Selma for a slot, and Steve Carell managed to breakthrough in that really tough Best Actor race (so much for my BAFTA supporting actor theory). Yet at the end of the day, it did not get a Best Picture nomination. This is a film that clearly has a lot of respect for all of the pieces involved. But it probably got a lot of second, third, and fourth place votes. In round 2 that would have made it one to watch, but in round 1, the respect was not enough to overpower the Selma contingency that put it over the top. Gone Girl and Nightcrawler both only earned one nomination, including a few surprise snubs, and clearly that guild support didn't translate into Best Picture votes. And despite its classic Academy bait, Unbroken did miss out here, settling for a few deserved technical nominations. I don't know how the rest of the world will react to this twist of fate. How can a film get most of the key nominations that are usually Best Picture prerequisites, yet miss the cut, yet a film with only one minor technical nomination can garner just enough support to make it into this expanded Best Picture race. I love Selma, it is my favorite film of the year, and I have no problems with its nomination, and am incredibly disappointed that Oscar voters didn't recognize DuVernay or Oyelowo. And while it missed the cut in Best Picture, I am so thrilled with all of the support for Foxcatcher. It might have been a cold film, but it was an excellent one, and those pieces of it that were recognized were worthy. So I leave all of this just fine. But this math may have the Academy leadership looking again at its current Best Picture set up. They also are probably a bit disappointed that there were no huge blockbusters in the lineup. That was the reason for the expansion, and while it has worked out in other years, this year not so much.

Best Director
I knew that Clint was weak here, although after Sniper got that Editing nod, I thought that maybe he was going to pull it off, as he had done with the DGA. Alas, I was right in thinking he was the weaker link of the bunch. I did not however see the Bennett Miller nod coming. Especially after I realized that Foxcatcher missed Best Picture. This marks the first time that, despite the expansion of the BP race, that one of the Best Director nominees did not have their film land in Best Picture. With that quirky branch, it was bound to happen. But I just didn't see Miller being the one to finally break that barrier this year. The other four were expected. Despite that, I am so thrilled that Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater have finally gotten director nominations. It is about time. I am surprised though that Damien Chazelle wasn't that fifth slot. He seemed like the oddball choice for that branch this year, and Whiplash did really well across the board. But alas, it was not meant to be. He is still an Oscar nominee, so I'm good.

Acting
Except for Best Supporting Actor, each category had its share of surprises. Best Actor had the inclusion of Bradley Cooper. I felt this one coming, but I didn't quite make that final jump to actually predict him. Let's just say this, if anyone still underestimates Bradley Cooper's popularity, then they are idiots. And as I said before Carell managed to get in here as well. The big snub here that I was surprised about was Jake Gyllenhaal, and you'll here me say at least once more how surprised I was that it failed to really register despite guild support. He got the BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe nod, and failed to make the cut. This happens, it seems like, with one major contender each year. It is an odd phenomenon, but it happens. Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips, Marion Cotillard for Rust & Bone, are just two recent examples. Of course this year Best Actor was so brutal, that Oyelowo, Spall, and Fiennes were also left off the list. When it is a tough race, with a lot of potential picks, precursors are no guarantee. Speaking of Marion Cotillard, she did miss for Rust & Bone despite tons of indicative precursors. This year, she missed the SAG, Globe, and BAFTA nomination, and still managed to get in over the Golden Globe winner Amy Adams, and Jennifer Aniston who had gotten SAG and Globe recognition. I am so glad for Cotillard, who has been doing such great work since her win in 2007, and yet has never managed to grab that second nod. I'm glad the barrier was broken, and for such a wonderful performance. I am bit disappointed for Jennifer Aniston. She put a lot of work to get this film, and her performance recognized, and really to prove to the world that she is an excellent actress. I didn't end the way she wanted, but I do think she got a lot of great buzz, some awesome nominations along the way, and I hope she proved at least a few people wrong. Finally, there came the biggest surprise of the acting bunch in Best Supporting Actress. Laura Dern deserved a nomination. I would have loved Rene Russo or Jessica Chastain in that slot as well, but Dern's nod makes me really happy. She had two excellent performances this year, and earns her first Oscar nomination in over 20 Years. But I was pretty shocked, because she got no precursors, I mean not even a bunch of critical mentions. That just shows you that sometimes the Academy voters, which overlap, but not 100% with any precursor sometimes go their own way. This and Cotillard's nomination prove that sometimes that is a good thing.

Technical/Screenplays
Okay, so these are going to go fast. In the screenplay categories, the only really jaw-dropping snub was Gillian Flynn for Gone Girl, a real shame if you ask me. The Academy voters across the board just did not like Gone Girl, period. Other than that, pretty much as expected, and the Whiplash last minute switch did not prevent it from getting nominated. And honestly, despite Theory of Everything and Imitation Game in that category, Chazelle could be the spoiler. In Cinematography, the inclusion of Ida was a really awesome nomination, and was definitely a surprise, because it knocked out The Imitation Game (the one big award it missed here) for that slot. It was also well deserved. Honestly, other than that there weren't that many big surprises or snubs. Into the Woods missing in Sound Mixing is surprising because they love musicals in that category. The Hobbit missing on Production Design and Visual Effects was a surprise, and despite the fact that the film was terrible, I am a bit surprised that Transformers didn't manage at least one nomination. Birdman missing in editing was probably the biggest surprise of the bunch, but this year's mix of Editing, Director and Picture was a strange combination and didn't match up well. Still, if it was thinking of upsetting, this is a bit of a blow. The Best Original Song category rebounded from its issues last year, among its nominees is Beyond the Lights, a really underrated movie. Not Life Itself and no Force Majeure is a bit disappointing, but those categories are always full of surprises and are kind of a crap shoot in terms of predicting.

Animated Feature
This category gets its own subtitle this year, because of the shocking exclusion of The LEGO Movie. We know the animators love their GKids contenders, they are all uniquely and beautifully animated each year. But I am still jaw-dropped that it missed, and it is honestly, probably the biggest shocker of today across all the nominations. Although it does pave the way for How to Train Your Dragon 2 to potentially take the mantle as the front runner, which is fine with me!

There will be more discussion, more predictions, and plenty of agonizing over picks. Now the real test for these contenders begins. This is the final stretch, the last battle, and it will be a fascinating journey. Stay Tuned!

The 20th Annual Critics Choice Award Winners

I will be updating the winners live:

Best Picture - Boyhood
Best Director - Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Best Actor - Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Best Actress - Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Best Ensemble - Birdman
Best Young Actor/Actress - Ellar Coltrane "Boyhood"
Best Adapted Screenplay - Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"
Best Original Screenplay - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"
Best Animated Feature - The LEGO Movie
Best Documentary - Life Itself
Best Foreign Language Film - Force Majeure
Best Comedy Film - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Actor in a Comedy - Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Best Actress in a Comedy - Jenny Slate "Obvious Child"
Best Action Movie - Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Actor in an Action Movie - Bradley Cooper "American Sniper"
Best Actress in an Action Movie - Emily Blunt "Edge of Tomorrow"
Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie - Interstellar
Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
Best Costume Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Art Direction - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Editing - Birdman
Best Hair & Makeup - Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Visual Effects - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Best Original Score - Antonio Sanchez "Birdman"
Best Original Song - John Legend and Common "Glory" from Selma
MVP Award - Jessica Chastain
Louie XIII Genius Award - Ron Howard
Lifetime Achievement Award - Kevin Costner

The 87th Annual Academy Award Nominations

Full coverage tonight, and full coverage of the Critics Choice Awards:

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Director
Alexandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Sniper, Jason Hall
The Imitation Game, Graham Moore
Inherent Vice, Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything, Anthony McCarten
Whiplash, Damien Chazelle

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
Boyhood, Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Best Documentary Feature
Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days of Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Wild Tales (Argentina)

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins, Unbroken

Best Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Best Film Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Original Score
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

Best Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
“Glory” from Selma
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Animated Short
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

Best Live Action Short
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Best Documentary—Short
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper
White Earth

Directors Guild of America (DGA) Television and Documentary Nominations Nominations

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
DAN ATTIAS "Homeland - 13 Hours in Islamabad"
JODIE FOSTER "House of Cards - Chapter 22"
CARY JOJI FUKUNAGA "True Detective - Who Goes There"
LESLI LINKA GLATTER "Homeland - From A to B and Back Again"
ALEX GRAVES "Game of Thrones - The Children”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
LOUIS C.K "Louie - Elevator: Part 6"
JODIE FOSTER "Orange is the New Black - Thirsty Bird"
MIKE JUDGE "Silicon Valley - Minimum Viable Product"
GAIL MANCUSO "Modern Family - Vegas"
JILL SOLOWAY "Transparent - Best New Girl"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series
ROB ASHFORD and GLENN WEISS "Peter Pan Live!"
LISA CHOLODENKO "Olive Kitteridge"
ULI EDEL "Houdini"
RYAN MURPHY "The Normal Heart"
MICHAEL WILSON "The Trip to Bountiful"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming
PAUL G. CASEY "Real Time With Bill Maher - 1226"
DAVE DIOMEDI "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon - Episode #1"
JIM HOSKINSON "The Colbert Report - #11040”
DON ROY KING "Saturday Night Live - Host Jim Carrey/Musical Guest Iggy Azalea"
CHUCK O’NEIL "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Open‑Carrying to the Midterms"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials
HAMISH HAMILTON "The 86th Annual Academy Awards"
LOUIS J. HORVITZ "The 37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors"
DES McANUFF "Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays"
RICH RUSSO "Super Bowl XLVIII"
GLENN WEISS "The 68th Annual Tony Awards"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs
BERTRAM van MUNSTER, JACK CANNON, and ELISE DOGANIERI "The Quest - One True Hero"
NEIL P. DeGROOT "The Biggest Loser - Episode 1613"
STEVE HRYNIEWICZ "Top Chef - The First Thanksgiving"
ANTHONY B. SACCO "The Chair - The Test"
ADAM VETRI "Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge - Welcome to the Gun Show"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs

PAUL HOEN "How to Build A Better Boy"
JONATHAN JUDGE "100 Things To Do Before High School - Pilot"
VINCE MARCELLO "American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into The Spotlight"
JOEY MAZZARINO "Sesame Street - 4504 Numericon"
AMY SCHATZ "Saving My Tomorrow - Part 1 and 2"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
NICOLAI FUGLSIG - Sapeurs, Guinness ‑ AMV BBDO and Waiting, FEMA ‑ Deutsch NY
LAUREN GREENFIELD - Always #LikeAGirl, Always
BRENDAN MALLOY and EMMETT MALLOY - The Huddle, Nike ‑ Wieden + Kennedy
DANIEL MERCADANTE  and KATINA MERCADANTE - Sports Matter, Dick's Sporting Goods ‑ Anomaly, We Are Not Alone, Facebook and Big Sister, Facebook ‑ Wieden + Kennedy
NOAM MURRO - Ahead of Their Time, Dodge ‑ Wieden + Kennedy Portland

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Documentary
DAN KRAUSS "The Kill Team"
JOHN MALOOF and CHARLIE SISKEL "Finding Vivian Maier"
JESSE MOSS "The Overnighters"
LAURA POITRAS "Citizenfour"
ORLANDO VON EINSIEDEL "Virunga"

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Final List

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Director
Clint Eastwood "American Sniper"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Morten Tyldum "The Imitation Game"

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch "The Imitation Game"
Ralph Fiennes "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler"
Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress
Jennifer Aniston "Cake"
Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor
Steve Carell "Foxcatcher"
Ethan Hawke "Boyhood"
Edward Norton "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Keira Knightley "The Imitation Game"
Rene Russo "Nightcrawler"
Emma Stone "Birdman"
Meryl Streep "Into the Woods"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Jason Hall "American Sniper"
Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"
Graham Moore "The Imitation Game"
Anthony McCarten "The Theory of Everything"
Damien Chazelle "Whiplash"

Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Mike Leigh "Mr. Turner"
Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawler"

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The LEGO Movie
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Best Documentary Feature
The Case Against 8
CitizenFour
Keep On Keepin' On
Life Itself
The Overnighters

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure (Sweden)
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Wild Tales (Argentina)

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
Robert Yeoman "The Grand Budapest"
Oscar Faura "The Imitation Game"
Dick Pope "Mr. Turner"
Roger Deakins "Unbroken"

Best Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Maleficent
The Theory Of Everything

Best Film Editing
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Theory of Everything

Best Original Score
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross "Gone Girl"
Alexandre Desplat "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Alexandre Desplat "The Imitation Game"
Thomas Newman "The Judge"
Johann Johannsson "The Theory of Everything"

Best Original Song
Lost Stars from Begin Again
I'm Not Gonna Miss You from Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
Everything is Awesome from The LEGO Movie
Glory from Selma
Miracles from Unbroken

Best Production Design
Big Eyes
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Unbroken

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Fury
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Transformers: Age of Extinction

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Director and Best Picture

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Other Contenders - Gone Girl, Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner, Guardians of the Galaxy, Unbroken, Interstellar, A Most Violent Year

Commentary - So the top five going into tomorrow, if the guilds are any indication are Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, and surprisingly American Sniper, which was ignored almost completely by the critics groups, but has made a stunning comeback with the guilds, ending its awesome run this week with Clint Eastwood getting into Best Director at the DGA. The Theory of Everything would be in a tight race if there were five nominees, and might make the cut. So those six seem pretty locked if there are less than nine. Whiplash and Nightcrawler have done extremely well in the guilds, and both, while being smaller and darker films, will probably have a passionate fan base, which is incredibly important at this phase. So that leaves three films for one slot. Okay so Unbroken could make a surprise, Guardians of the Galaxy would make the Academy directors happy (ratings), and you never know about small films like A Most Violent Year and Mr. Turner. But really there are three films fighting for one slot, or really the final five fighting for three slots (if you include Whiplash and Nightcrawler). Gone Girl and Foxcatcher have been holding on for so long, and both have had good showings in the guild. But both are dark and cold films, and are probably more respected than beloved. Think Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, part two. If it is between Foxcatcher and Gone Girl or Nightcrawler and Whiplash, I take the latter two. I am sticking though, in my ninth slot with Selma. It has no guild support (although it did get an MPSE nod today, and CGD nod, but you know what I mean.) I'm hoping it was a screener problem, and that it will enjoy passionate support among Academy voters. But it could easily suffer the same fate it has all season, which would be a real shame. 11 Hours and 30 Minutes left guys.

Best Director
Clint Eastwood "American Sniper"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Morten Tyldum "The Imitation Game"

Other Contenders - Damien Chazelle "Whiplash", Ava DuVernay "Selma", Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawler", Mike Leigh "Mr. Turner", Bennett Miller "Foxcatcher", David Fincher "Gone Girl", Angeline Jolie "Unbroken", James Marsh "The Theory of Everything"

Commentary - I am sticking with the DGA five, knowing there is probably going to be at least one different. But honestly, these are probably the top five films going into tomorrow's nominations. But the directors always have an outside choice. Chazelle, DuVernay, and Gilroy feel up that alley, Leigh is always a favorite, and I am still not discounting Fincher, Miller, or James Marsh, who got the BAFTA nod over Morten Tyldum. This is such a weird group, and always a crap shoot, and at this point, I honestly don't care, because I am so excited no matter what happens. 11 Hours and 15 Minutes folks.

Critics Choice Award Predictions

The Oscar nominations are not the only big event happening, as the Critics Choice announce their winners tomorrow night. Here are my predictions for this year's awards:

Best Picture - Boyhood
Best Director - Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Best Actor - Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Best Actress - Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Best Younger Actor/Actress - Ellar Coltrane "Boyhood"
Best Acting Ensemble - Birdman
Best Original Screenplay - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"
Best Adapted Screenplay - Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"
Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
Best Art Direction - Snowpiercer
Best Editing - Boyhood
Best Costume Design - Into the Woods
Best Hair & Makeup - Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Visual Effects - Interstellar
Best Animated Feature - The LEGO Movie
Best Action Movie - American Sniper
Best Actor in an Action Movie - Bradley Cooper "American Sniper"
Best Actress in an Action Movie - Jennifer Lawrence "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1"
Best Comedy - Birdman
Best Actor in a Comedy - Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Best Actress in a Comedy - Jenny Slate "Obvious Child"
Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie - Snowpiercer
Best Foreign Language Film - Ida
Best Documentary Feature - CitizenFour
Best Song - John Legend and Common "Glory" from Selma
Best Score - Johann Johannson "The Theory of Everything"

Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Award Nominations

FEATURE ANIMATION
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How To Train Your Dragon 2
The LEGO Movie

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
America – Imagine The World Without Her
CitizenFour
Deepsea Challenge 3D
Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Under The Electric Sky
Warsaw Uprising

FEATURE ENGLISH LANGUAGE -DIALOGUE/ ADR
Birdman
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Still Alice
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Whiplash

FEATURE ENGLISH LANGUAGE -EFFECTS/ FOLEY
American Sniper
Birdman
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Fury
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Unbroken

FEATURE FOREIGN LANGUAGE -EFFECTS/ FOLEY/ DIALOGUE/ ADR
Human Capital
The Liberator
The Raid 2
Roar
Uzumasa Limelight

FEATURE MUSIC
Birdman
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Fault In Our Stars
Gone Girl
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Selma

FEATURE MUSICAL
Annie
Get On Up
Into the Woods
Jersey Boys
Whiplash

COMPUTER EPISODIC (WEBISODE)
Halo: Nightfall
Jabbawockeez Presents Regenerate
Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker
Video Game High School - Season 3, Episode 1 “OMGWTFPSI”
World of Warcraft – Lords of War

DIRECT TO VIDEO ANIMATION
The Boxcar Children
The Pirate Fairy
Rainbow Brite
Scooby Doo and the Wrestle-Mania Mystery
Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Sacrifice”

DIRECT TO VIDEO LIVE ACTION
The Christmas Dragon
Leprechaun: Origins
The Prince
Red Sky
Stonehearst Asylum
WER

GAME CINEMATICS
Far Cry 4
Halo: Master Chief Collection 2014
League of Legends – “A New Dawn”
Overwatch- “The Exhibit”
Star Citizen
World of Warcraft – Warlords of Draenor Intro Cinematic

TV ANIMATION – EFFECTS/ FOLEY/ DIALOGUE/ ADR
The 7D “Buckets / Frankengloom”
Gravity Falls “Into the Bunker”
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero “North Pole Down”
Sofia The First “The Curse of Princess Ivy”
Star Wars: Rebels “Gathering Forces”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles “In Dreams”
Ultimate Spider-Man “The Spider-Verse: Part 1″

TV DOCUMENTARY LONG FORM – EFFECTS/ FOLEY/ DIALOGUE/ ADR
Deadliest Catch “You’ll Know My Name is the Lord”
Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways “Seattle”
The World Wars “Trial By Fire”

TV DOCUMENTARY SHORT FORM – EFFECTS/ FOLEY/ DIALOGUE/ ADR
Ax Men “Ax Marks the Spot”
Undrafted “105”
Unsung Heroes: The Story Of America’s Female Patriots “Part 1″

TV LONG FORM – DIALOGUE/ ADR
Deliverance Creek “Pilot”
Klondike “Episode 1″
Lizzie Borden Took An Ax
The Normal Heart
Petals On The Wind n

TV LONG FORM – FX/ FOLEY
Houdini “Night 1”
ISA
Klondike “Episode 1″
Lizzie Borden Took An Ax
The Normal Heart

TV SHORT FORM – DIALOGUE / ADR
Game of Thrones “The Children”
Homeland “Redux”
Houdini “Night 2”
The Newsroom “Oh Shenandoah”
Penny Dreadful – SEASON 1 “Seance”
The Strain “The Box”
True Blood “Jesus Gonna Be Here”
True Detective “Who Goes There”

TV SHORT FORM – FX/ FOLEY
The 100 “We Are Grounders – Part Two”
Fargo “Ep 106 – Buridan’s Ass”
Game of Thrones “The Children”
Peaky Blinders “Episode 1”
Penny Dreadful “Night Work”
True Detective “The Secret Fate of All Life”
Vikings “Answers in Blood”

TV SHORT FORM MUSIC SCORE
Almost Human “Simon Says”
American Horror Story “Monsters Among Us”
Banshee “The Thunder Man”
The Borgias “1507”
Fargo “The Crocodile’s Dilemma”
Game of Thrones “The Watchers On The Wall”
Gotham “Lovecraft”
House of Cards “Chapter 14”

VERNA FIELDS AWARD FOR STUDENT FILM MAKERS
Sin Frontera
The Night Guardian
Hominid
Sea Odyssey
Posthumous

The Oscar Narrative: Final Nominations Predictions - Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch "The Imitation Game"
Ralph Fiennes "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler"
Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Other Contenders - Bradley Cooper "American Sniper", Steve Carell "Foxcatcher", David Oyelowo "Selma", Timothy Spall "Mr. Turner", Oscar Isaac "A Most Violent Year"

Commentary - This race has changed and morphed so many times, it is hard to tell how all the pieces will fall. A month ago, I was convinced that Steve Carell and David Oyelowo were locks, now I think that Carell could end up in supporting like at BAFTA (especially since there really is a fifth slot open), and that Selma is going to end up missing out on a lot of big awards, as it has simply been stalled by the guilds. So who goes in there place? First let me say that Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Michael Keaton look pretty solid, so matter how this ends up, I see two spots that are for the taking. First is Jake Gyllenhaal, who I am actually feeling pretty good about. He has gotten all of the major precursors, including his recent BAFTA nomination. The last slot, right now, feels like it is between two contenders. And not I don't think they are Carell or Oyelowo. I am speaking of Bradley Cooper and Ralph Fiennes. Both of their films have done really well lately, and both are going to be big Best Picture contenders. Cooper has been underestimated before, but I give Fiennes the edge. He got the Golden Globe and the BAFTA nomination where Cooper has yet to be nominated for any major precursors. It is still a tough battle to the finish line, but I'll take a few precursor prizes over none.

Best Actress
Jennifer Aniston "Cake"
Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Other Contenders - Amy Adams "Big Eyes"

Commentary - The BAFTA nod (Cake was ineligible there), and the Globe win have me really nervous, as this was the path that Amy Adams took last year, and earned a nomination in the process. But Big Eyes is no American Hustle, and as hard as Harvey as worked this year, Jennifer Aniston has worked harder. It will be a close race for that fifth slot, and Adams could easily breakthrough, she has a much better track record with voters than Aniston does. But in the end, I think that she will pull it off. The other four are solid, and have been so since about November.

Best Supporting Actor
Steve Carell "Foxcatcher"
Ethan Hawke "Boyhood"
Edward Norton "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Other Contenders - Robert Duvall "The Judge"

Commentary - Robert Duvall has felt like a placeholder all season, but until the BAFTA nods were announced, I didn't see a clear alternative. Now I do. They are going to pull  a Kate Winslet here, just like BAFTA did, and put Steve Carell in supporting. Or I least I think it is a real possibility. Best Actor is just too crowded, and this is a place to honor a performance they clearly like. Or it is just a possible that Duvall continues to run the gamet.

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Keira Knightley "The Imitation Game"
Rene Russo "Nightcrawler"
Emma Stone "Birdman"
Meryl Streep "Into the Woods"

Other Contenders - Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year"

Commentary - There is a theme running through Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. Four solid nominees, with a wild card fifth slot. In that slot, I had Jessica Chastain for so long. She got the Globe nomination, and she is well-liked in this industry. But honestly, I kept her there because I felt like eventually A Most Violent Year would pick up steam, and become a bigger player than most people thought it would be. I had bet on it early on, and have kept up hope that I was not going to be completely wrong. But then again, there is usually one contender a year I have absolute faith in, that usually flops (remember when I thought Young Adult was going to be the film that finally got Jason Reitman Director/Picture, hey we all make mistakes). But there is clearly not enough support there. Nightcrawler on the other hand came out of nowhere a few weeks ago, and has been riding high ever since. Then Rene Russo got that BAFTA nod. For me that was the sign I was looking for. Kind of like Carell above, I just needed something to replace the placeholder, and I think this year it is going to be Rene Russo who earns her first Oscar nomination.

Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award Nominations

DGA Nominees

Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Clint Eastwood "American Sniper"

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"

Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Morten Tyldum "The Imitation Game"

It is clear going into Thursday's announcement that the top four films are Boyhood, Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Imitation Game. And as I have suspected, American Sniper is hitting its stride at the right time. Of the bunch, Eastwood is the most likely to get replaced at the Oscars, by a whole host of potential contenders, but honestly, with his film doing as well as it is, these could be our top five for Director. Three Days. 

Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards Nominations

MOTION PICTURE – LIVE ACTION
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Unbroken

MOTION PICTURE—ANIMATED
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
Penguins of Madagascar

TELEVISION MOVIE or MINI-SERIES
American Horror Story: Monsters Among Us
Fargo: Part 2 – The Rooster Prince
Houdini: Part 1
The Normal Heart
Sherlock: His Last Vow

TELEVISION SERIES – 1 HOUR
Boardwalk Empire: Friendless Child
Game of Thrones: The Children
Homeland: Redux
True Detective: Who Goes There
The Walking Dead: No Sanctuary

TELEVISION SERIES – 1/2 HOUR
Family Guy: The Simpsons Guy
Modern Family: Australia
Nurse Jackie: The Lady With the Lamp
Parks and Recreation: Moving Up
Veep: Detroit

TELEVISION NON-FICTION, VARIETY or MUSIC SERIES or SPECIALS
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey – Standing Up in the Milky Way
Deadliest Catch – Lost at Sea
Foo Fighters Sonic Highways: Los Angeles
2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History – Part 3- The Fire of Life

Visual Effects Society (VES) Award Nominations

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Maleficent
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Divergent
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Unbroken

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Rio 2
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program
Constantine; A Feast of Friends
Game of Thrones; The Children
Hemlock Grove
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Flash

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program
American Horror Story; Freak Show; Edward Mordrake, Part 2
Black Sails, Episode 1
Crossbones
Penny Dreadful; Séance
Ripper Street; Whitechapel Terminus

Outstanding Real-Time Visuals in a Video Game
Alien: Isolation
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
inFAMOUS: Second Son
Sunset Overdrive

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; Discover Your Power
Destiny; Become Legend
ESA; Ambition
General Electric; Childlike Imagination
SSE; Maya

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Hubei in the Air
Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy
Star Journey
The Hogwarts Express
The Lost Temple

Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Caesar
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Koba
Guardians of the Galaxy; Rocket
Maleficent; Thistlewit

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Big Hero 6; Baymax
How to Train Your Dragon 2; Hiccup
Rio 2; Gabi
The Boxtrolls; Archibald Snatcher

Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game
Freesat Freetime; Sheldon
Game of Thrones; Drogon
John Lewis; Monty the Penguin
SSE; Maya

Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Triskelion Headquarters
Interstellar; Tesseract
Lucy; Times Square
Noah; Antediluvian Earth

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Big Hero 6; Into the Portal
How to Train Your Dragon 2; Oasis
The Book of Life; Magical Land of the Remembered
The Boxtrolls; Boxtroll Cavern

Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game
Coca-Cola; Snowy Forest
Game of Thrones; Braavos Establisher
Penny Dreadful; Séance
War Thunder; Battlefield

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal/Live Action Motion Media Project
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow; Beach and Paris Attacks
Interstellar; Tesseract
X-Men: Days of Future Past; Kitchen Scene


Outstanding Models in any Motion Media Project
Big Hero 6; City of San Fransokyo
The Boxtrolls; Mecha-Drill
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies; Laketown
Transformers: Age of Extinction; Knightship

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Helicarrier Broadside and Crash
Edge of Tomorrow; Destruction and Sand
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past; Quicksilver Pentagon Kitchen

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2; The Battle
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
DirecTV; Landing
SSE; Maya
Vikings; Invasion Storm Sequence

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow; Beach
Interstellar; Water
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program
American Horror Story: Freak Show; Edward Mordrake, Part 2
Game of Thrones; Wight Attack
Game of Thrones; The Watchers on the Wall
The Knick; Abigail's Nose
Vikings; Invasion

Outstanding Compositing in a in a Photoreal/Live Action Commercial
Destiny Become Legend
Kia The Truth
Nike Hypervenom "Mirrors ft. Neymar Jr."
SSE

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
Deep Dance
Dragon Clan
Murphy
Wrapped

The 5th Annual Awards Psychic Award Winners

Best Picture - Drama
Winner - Selma
Runners Up - Boyhood and A Most Violent Year
Commentary - A lot of people are claiming, and rightfully so, that Selma is so potent right now because of the recent racial issues that have flared up around the country. I would argue that while it certainly a timely demonstration of the film's message, that Ava DuVernay's stunning piece would feel as vibrant and relevant even without recent events. She and her stunning cast, led by the magnificent David Oyelowo, add such an intensity, a sense of urgency to the film, that to label it as a "history film" is truly inaccurate. They made every moment of Selma feel contemporary and prevalent, and not one second is wasted on screen. The end result is a vital piece of American film making that will continue to have cultural impact for years to come. Oh, and most importantly, it is just a hell of a movie.

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical 
Winner - Birdman
Runners Up - Top Five and The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary - Selma easily topped my list this year, but until it came around, it was Birdman that set firmly in the top slot. A brilliant dark comedy, led by a top-notch cast that is fantastic across the board, and by the brilliant and unique direction from the talented Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman was a film that simply lit up on screen. Top Five and The Grand Budapest Hotel were both brilliantly funny in their own ways, but neither could top the ingenious Birdman.

Best Picture - Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Winner - (TIE) Snowpiercer and Guardians of the Galaxy
Runners Up - Edge of Tomorrow and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Commentary - Some pundits are calling this year a weak year for Oscar movies, although the ACE Eddie nods proved that with films like American Sniper and Nightcrawler garnering attention, this race is far from over, with still way more than ten films with a legitimate shot at the prize. But let's say for a moment that those pundits are right. It was not, however, a weak film for quality blockbusters and genre projects. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Edge of Tomorrow, Captain America: The Winter Solider. The Babadook, The Fault in Our Stars, The LEGO Movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Interstellar, Big Hero 6, and even the new Hobbit film are all quality films that don't fit into the Oscar voting patterns. My two favorites in this category are great films for incredibly different reasons. Guardians of the Galaxy was the surprise hit of the summer. Like all Marvel films it was chocked full of great action and spectacular effects. It was also bright, vibrant, and incredibly funny, and just one of the best times you are going to have with a film this year. Snowpiercer is a small, dark science fiction film that barely made it into theaters and onto DVD. I am so glad that it did, because it was a benchmark for the genre this year, a well-acted, entertaining, and beautifully constructed film.

Best Picture - Animated
Winner - How to Train Your Dragon 2
Runners Up - The Tale of Princess Kaguya and The LEGO Movie
Commentary - This one was so easy for me, that I honestly could have left off the Runners Up. Don't get me wrong, The LEGO Movie was a funny and clever film, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya was beautifully animated. But How to Train Your Dragon 2 was miles above both of them. It was beautifully animated, chocked full of thrilling action sequences, with a great cast, and with a huge heart that felt like Pixar in its glory days. Like I said, it was an easy choice for me.

Best Actor - Drama
Winner - (TIE) David Oyelowo "Selma" and Philip Seymour Hoffman "A Most Wanted Man"
Runners Up - Oscar Isaac "A Most Violent Year"
Commentary - This was going to be an easy pick for me. Yes, it was a great year for actors, but no one lit up the screen, or completely electrified me quite like David Oyelowo in Selma. Anyone who saw his work in The Butler, Middle of Nowhere, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and even in this year's A Most Violent Year, knows that he is talented. Selma finally provided him the lead performance that he deserved, and the results were nothing short of extraordinary. Then a thought occurred to me that I wish I could forget. I never gave Philip Seymour Hoffman an Awards Psychic award. I always assumed that he would eventually win one, simply because he was my favorite actor, and another one of his signature roles would come along that would be an easy pick. Unfortunately for all of us, there are no more lead roles for Philip Seymour Hoffman. A Most Wanted Man was another great performance from the greatest American actor of this generation, and while I hate to even write these words, I am so glad I had one last chance to honor him.

Best Actress - Drama
Winner - Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Runners Up - Shailene Woodley "The Fault in Our Stars" and Scarlett Johansson "Under the Skin"
Commentary - This one may seem like I am caving to the masses, but there is a reason Julianne Moore is getting so much Oscar attention for her role in Still Alice. It could be that it is a weak year for the category (although it really isn't if voters would expand their horizons), or that after four nominations, Moore is due for an Oscar win (true). But the real reason that she so quickly catapulted to the top of the heap was that her performance in Still Alice is quite simply amazing. The film as a whole has much left to be desired, but it really doesn't matter because you are glued to Moore's performance throughout. She brilliant shows the pain, the frustration, and the vulnerability that people with Alzheimer's face. Anyone who has ever had a parent or grandparent with Alzheimer's or dementia (unfortunately I have), will appreciate the craft and the passion of Moore's stunning performance.

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical
Winner  - Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Runners Up - Ralph Fiennes "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and Chris Rock "Top Five"
Commentary - Michael Keaton has been one of the most underrated actors of the last thirty years. He can be Batman, he can do comedy, he can do drama, and is a hardworking actor that has never managed to make it to the top. He could finally do it this year with Birdman, and I hope that he does. Maybe it was the brilliant cast, script, and director backing him up. Maybe it was the unprecedented parallel between Keaton's own personal struggles as an actor that gave his performance in Birdman such potency. Or maybe, just maybe, it is that Keaton is just that good of an actor, and it has taken us several decades to finally figure it out.

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical
Winner - Jenny Slate "Obvious Child"
Runners Up - Kristen Wiig "The Skeleton Twins"
Commentary - Once again, this was an easy one for me. Obvious Child could have easily been a stupid comedy that trivialized a subject as controversial as abortion. While Obvious Child has its share of quirky, and sometimes ridiculous humor, it was never a trivial film, nor did it takes its subject lightly. It blended its humor with the emotional side beautifully, and all of this came together mostly because of Jenny Slate's magnetic and hilarious performance. She has mostly played guest spots and side characters on television shows such as Married, Girls, Bob's Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, House of Lies, and Parks & Recreation. She is also known as the voice behind the YouTube sensations Marcel, you know the shell with shoes on. Now, thanks to Obvious Child, she will be known as a vibrant leading comedienne.

Best Supporting Actor
Winner - J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
Runners Up - Edward Norton "Birdman"
Commentary - I know that I am falling in line with every other group out there and I absolutely do not care. I hate when groups get on a role honoring a less-than-stellar contender just for the sake of some sort of mob mentality. But when a truly worth contender gets on a role, I don't mind at all. J.K. Simmons has had a long career of great roles, most of which have been largely and unjustly ignored. Thanks to the young talent Damien Chazelle, Simmons finally has found the role of a lifetime that showcases his talents, and he absolutely knocks it out of the park. I am so excited for him as he enters this second phase of awards season, because few people deserve it as much as he does.

Best Supporting Actress
Winner - Tilda Swinton "Snowpiercer" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runners Up - Rene Russo "Nightcrawler" and Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year" and "Interstellar"
Commentary - A lot of great performances this year, but none were more eccentric, more of a stand-out, or more incredible on the screen than Tilda Swinton. Her lead role in Only Lovers Left Alive was outstanding, her cameo in The Grand Budapest Hotel was funny and the catalyst for a wacky and fantastic plot, but most importantly her role in Snowpiercer was groundbreaking and magnetic. Tilda Swinton is one of our finest working actresses today, and 2014 was probably her best year yet.

Best Ensemble
Winner - Top Five
Runner Up - Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary - 2014 was the year of great ensembles, the three listed above just being a sampling of the type of excellent cast work that was prevalent all year long, from big blockbusters to quirky indies. But no cast was quite as surprising, quite as deep, and quite as under-recognized as that of Top Five. The film was incredibly hilarious, impeccably written, and proved that Chris Rock's abilities on a stage can translate to the big screen. But Top Five would not have worked if its broad, talented cast were not so committed to the overall goal. The results were fantastic.

Best Director
Winner - Ava DuVernay "Selma"
Runners Up - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman", Richard Linklater "Boyhood" and JC Chandor "A Most Violent Year"
Commentary - This was easy for me. Directing a movie is not just about skill, although I think Selma proves that Ava DuVernay is an incredibly skillful director. Directing a movie is also about inspiration, its about passion, its about selling it, not just for monetary gain, but for the story, the art, the cultural impact. Ava DuVernay not only made a rousing, technically superior, and important film, but she was the film's biggest cheerleader. She fought to make it the way she wanted, she worked tirelessly to make it the success it has become and will continue to be. And she is constantly proving to be a role model to her peers in how to keep the magic in movies alive.

Best Voice Acting Performance
Winner - Bradley Cooper "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Runner Up - Cate Blanchett "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
Commentary - Okay, so did anyone else quickly forget as they watched Guardians of the Galaxy, that Bradley Cooper was the voice behind Rocket, the foul, funny, and surprisingly emotional raccoon. Cooper was fantastic, proving that if his looks ever fade, he will have a successful career in voice work. He was the biggest scene stealing rodent of the bunch, which is saying something because most of his cast were actually on the screen.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner - Gillian Robespierre, Karen Maine, and Elisabeth Holm "Obvious Child"
Runners Up - Dean DeBlois "How to Train Your Dragon 2" and Joon-ho Bong and Kelly Masterson "Snowpiercer"
Commentary - How to Train Your Dragon 2 is proof that sequels can be better than their originals, and Snowpiercer proved that science fiction films can be substantial. But the work of the three writers in Obvious Child was, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. Abortion is an impossible subject to cover because you are always going to offend people, and most of the time, you simply can't nail down the tone. Well Obvious Child gets about as close to perfect in handling such a sensitive situation, as any movie possibly can. It was a perfect balance of humor and darkness, it handled its subject matter with care, and without patronizing its characters or its audience. A unique and daring achievement.

Best Original Screenplay
Winner - JC Chandor "A Most Violent Year"
Runner Up - Richard Linklater "Boyhood" and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"
Commentary - Boyhood and Birdman are excellent films, and if the Oscar is going to come down to those two, that is not only amazing, and but absolutely fine in my book. But I did not want to leave here without recognizing A Most Violent Year, one of my favorite films of the year. It also happens to be one of the best scripts of the year, thanks to the talents of JC Chandor. Margin Call was an excellent first step, and All is Lost was an experiment that totally worked. But A Most Violent Year was his more mature, and most accessible film to date. He combined his darker indie side, with a bit of convention, that actually helped marry all of the pieces together into a magnificent slow burn of a film that delves deep into its characters, while still maintaining a level of suspense that never lets up.

Best Cinematography
Winner - Bradford Young "Selma" and "A Most Violent Year"
Runners Up - Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman" and Ryszard Lenczewski and Lukasz Zal "Ida"
Commentary - Birdman was the obvious choice, and since Bradford Young will probably miss the cut in cinematography, I hope Lubezki wins his second Oscar (unless Deakins wins, then I'm okay with that too). But Bradford Young had a hell of a year, and provided incredible shots and atmosphere to two incredible stylish and impeccably shot films that happen to both be in my top five films of the year. He is an incredible young talent that is truly one ot watch for.

Best Visual Effects
Winner - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Runners Up - Interstellar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Godzilla
Commentary - Like its predecessor, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes had absolutely jaw-dropping effects that didn't just add to the visual appeal of the film as a whole, but helped the plot and emotional characterizations move forward. Once again, an easy pick.

Worst Film of the Year
Loser - Transformers: Age of Extinction
Runners Up - The Giver and Blended
Commentary - Oh dear Lord, can we please stop making Transformer movies. They used to be at least dumb fun in the beginning, but Age of Extinction, despite some excellent effects and sound work (those guys on that team are some of the best in the business, are hardworking, and it is not their fault that the rest of the film sucks), was just a loud, eye-rolling bore that was neither entertaining or thrilling. Oh hell, let me just get it out there: this film sucked, and there is three hours of my life that I will never get back.

Top Ten Films of 2014
1. Selma
2. Birdman
3. A Most Violent Year
4. Boyhood
5. (TIE) Snowpiercer and Guardians of the Galaxy
6. Top Five
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel
9. Obvious Child
10. Foxcatcher

And the next ten for good measure

11. Whiplash
12. Ida
13. Gone Girl
14. 22 Jump Street
15. Edge of Tomorrow
16. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
17. Nightcrawler
18. The Imitation Game
19. Dear White People
20. Life Itself