Considering that I’ve seen the vast majority of contenders for this year’s Oscars, I thought I may as well list my predictions [for the categories that I’m somewhat comfortable with, anyway]. Ok, maybe “predictions” is not quite the right word since there’ll be some bias involved, so maybe it’s more my hopes for how the awards get handed out tomorrow. No, I’ll just do both; my predictions and what I actually want to win.

Pardon my stream of consciousness.

Key:

What I predict will win – italics

What I want to win – bold

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Coraline”
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
• “The Princess and the Frog”
• “The Secret of Kells”
• “Up”

Achievement in art direction

• “Avatar”
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
• “Nine”
• “Sherlock Holmes”
• “The Young Victoria”

Achievement in cinematography

• “Avatar”
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “The White Ribbon”

Best documentary feature

• “Burma VJ”
• “The Cove”
• “Food, Inc.”
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
• “Which Way Home”

Achievement in film editing

• “Avatar”
• “District 9”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Best foreign language film of the year

• “Ajami”
• “El Secreto de Sus Ojos”
• “The Milk of Sorrow”
• “Un Prophète”
• “The White Ribbon” 

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “Avatar”
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Sherlock Holmes”
• “Up”

Achievement in visual effects

• “Avatar”
• “District 9”
• “Star Trek”

Adapted screenplay

• “District 9”
• “An Education”
• “In the Loop”
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• “Up in the Air”

Original screenplay

• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “The Messenger”
• “A Serious Man”
• “Up”

Achievement in directing

• “Avatar”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• “Up in the Air”

Best motion picture of the year

• “Avatar”
• “The Blind Side”
• “District 9”
• “An Education”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• “A Serious Man”
• “Up”
• “Up in the Air”

The full list of categories and nominees can be found at the official Oscars Nominations page.