Photo: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Chris Luckett

(UPDATE: Well, I beat last year’s of 16 but failed to meet my goal of 18. There’s always next year! I’ve noted where I was accurate in my predictions with an asterisk. Any category I got wrong I follow with its winner.)

Well, with the biggest awards show of the year beginning in an hour and a half, it’s about time for me to post my predictions. Last year, I got 16 of the 24 right. This year, I’m aiming for at least 18. If you’re looking for an educated guess for some categories, here’s what I’m putting my money on.

PICTURE: Argo
*DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln) – *Ang Lee (Life of Pi) won
ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
*SUPPORTING ACTOR: Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln) – *Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) won
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Django Unchained
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Argo
*ANIMATED FEATURE: Wreck-It Ralph – *Brave won
*ANIMATED SHORT: Adam and Dog – *Paperman won
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Life of Pi
COSTUME DESIGN: Anna Karenina
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Searching for Sugar Man
*DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Open Heart – *Inocente won
EDITING: Argo
FOREIGN-LANGUAGE: Amour
LIVE-ACTION SHORT: Curfew
*MAKEUP & HAIR: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – *Les Miserables won
*PROD. DESIGN: Anna Karenina – *Lincoln won
SCORE: Life of Pi
SONG: “Skyfall” by Adele (Skyfall)
SOUND EDITING: Zero Dark Thirty *(tied with Skyfall)
SOUND MIXING: Les Miserables
VISUAL EFFECTS: Life of Pi