All Gold Everything: 10 Oscar Award Winner Predictions
With the 85th Academy Awards right around the corner, you don't have to rely on bloviating pundits to yap on about gossip and red carpet attire. Instead, sit back, relax and read as we tell you who'll walk away with an Oscar trophy on Hollywood's big night.
ORIGINAL SONG:
Nominees:
"Before My Time" from Chasing Ice, music and lyric by J. Ralph
"Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from Ted, music by Walter Murphy; lyric by Seth MacFarlane
"Pi's Lullaby" from Life of Pi, music by Mychael Danna; lyric by Bombay Jayashri
"Skyfall" from Skyfall, music and lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
"Suddenly" from Les Misérables, music by Calude-Michel Schönberg; lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil
VIBE PREDICTION: "Skyfall." As Shirley Bassey watches on and fans celebrate 50 years of Bond, Adele and Paul Epworth's original track will be belted out by the songstress herself during the show. Our hope is that we see Sean Connery and Roger Moore (sorry Pierce!) in their tuxedos once again during the Oscar's tribute to the classic spy series.
ORIGINAL SCORE:
Nominees:
"Anna Karenina," Darlo Marianelli
"Argo," Alexandre Desplat
"Life of Pi," Mychael Danna
"Lincoln," John Williams
"Skyfall," Thomas Newman
VIBE PREDICTION: The award goes to "Argo," and Alexandre Desplat. It won't be the last time John Williams or Thomas Newman will be up for a gold statuette, but Argo has proven its weight and worth in Hollywood, culminating in it surprising many in a few other categories.
BEST PICTURE:
Nominees:
Armour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
VIBE PREDICTION: Argo continues to be Ben Affleck's coming out party, as his latest serves as one of the most unpredictable surprises in Hollywood history. The Bostonian's deftly made comic thriller will be the loveable underdog film that did good.
BEST DIRECTOR:
Nominees:
Armour (Michael Haneke)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin)
Life of Pi (Ang Lee)
Silver Lining Playbook (David O. Russell)
Lincoln (Steven Spielberg)
VIBE PREDICTION: While Ang Lee's cinematic vision is being applauded, the unfilmable story of a boy lost at sea with a tiger doesn't hold up to a political whale such as Spielberg's Lincoln. The acclaimed director's work was a deeply felt historical piece that even made Mississippi check its own books—and will be rewarded on Hollywood's biggest stage.
BEST ACTOR:
Nominees:
Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington
VIBE PREDICTION: Many critics are billing this as Day-Lewis vs. Jackman, but we're saying that the Lincoln star will be delivering the knockout during the Oscars. Long before the release of Steven Spielberg's film, everyone was already convinced after seeing the first photos of Daniel Day-Lewis that he is Abraham Lincoln—and one of the greatest actors of all time.
BEST ACTRESS:
Nominees:
Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva,
Quvenzhané Wallis, Naomi Watts
VIBE PREDICTION: It's true that Jennifer Lawrence is the breakout choice in this category, with her performance as the volatile Tiffany in David O. Russell's Silver Lining Playbook. But it would just be awesome and a great way to cap off Black History Month if the Academy's youngest nominee would go home with an Oscar for her work in Beasts of the Southern Wild.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Nominees:
Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tommy Lee Jones,
Christoph Waltz
VIBE PREDICTION: Robert De Niro's 32-year losing streak continues, as we're picking Christoph Waltz to bring home another award for his captivating portrayal in a Quentin Tarantino film. Sounds like a new category to add to the show.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Nominees:
Amy Adams, Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Jacki Weaver
VIBE PREDICTION: In Les Miz, Anne Hathaway didn't have much screen time as Fantine, but what she did have she made into a searingly memorable, even parody-able performance. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" could be the dramatic highlight of the night during the Oscars.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Nominees:
Argo (Chris Terrio)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin)
Life of Pi (David Magee)
Lincoln (Tony Kushner)
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)
VIBE PREDICTION: Writer Chris Terrio won this award during the WGAs (Writers Guild Awards), besting both Tony Kushner and David O. Russell. Argo has the most momentum leading into the Oscars, so it's a safe bet to say that Terrio will add another piece of hardware to his collection.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Nominees:
Armour (Michael Haneke)
Flight (John Gatins)
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola)
Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal)
VIBE PREDICTION: The winner of this award came down to a dead heat between Boal, Tarantino and Haneke. While it could go to any one of these three men, America could give Boal the edge. But our choice is Quentin Tarantino—there's no question that he has a multitude of fans who enjoyed his slave-revenge film—count us as one of them.
Nominees:
Armour (Michael Haneke)
Flight (John Gatins)
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola)
Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal)
VIBE PREDICTION: The winner of this award came down to a dead heat between Boal, Tarantino and Haneke. While it could go to any one of these three men, America could give Boal the edge. But our choice is Quentin Tarantino—there's no question that he has a multitude of fans who enjoyed his slave-revenge film—count us as one of them.
