My Official Academy Award Nomination Predictions

These are my official academy award predictions. Academy Awards are scheduled to be announced January 31st. I will update with a performance summary and maybe some of my thoughts this week (especially if you have thoughts of your own or a question. The top nomination prediction is also the one that I predict right now to win the big prize. Doing this took a lot of time, so I'd love your thoughts.)

Best Picture

Brokeback Mountain
Good Night, and Good Luck
Crash
Capote
Walk the Line

runners up: King Kong, The Constant Gardener, Munich

Actor

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Jaoquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Straithairn, Good Night, and Good Luck
Russel Crowe, Cinderella Man

runners up: Terrance Howard (Hustle & Flow), Jeff Daniels (the Squid and the Whale)

Actress

Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Judi Dench, Miss Henderson Presents
Charlize Theron, North Country
Ziyi Zhang, Memoirs of a Geisha

runners up: Laura Linney (the Squid and the Whale), Joan Allen (the Upside of Anger)

Supporting Actor

Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Jake Gylenthall, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence

runners up: Don Cheadle (Crash), Terrance Howard (Crash)

Supporting Actress

Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Amy Adams, Junebug
Frances McDormand, North Country

runners up: Catherine Keener (Capote), Scarlett Johanasson (Match Point)

Director

Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis, Crash
Steven Speilburg, Munich
Fernando Mierlles, The Constant Gardener

runners up: Bennett Miller, Capote; David Cronenburg, A History of Violence; James Mangold, Walk the Line; Peter Jackson, King Kong

Original Screenplay:

Good Night, and Good Luck
Crash
The Squid and the Whale
Match Point
Cinderella Man

runners up: The 40 year-old Virgin, Hustle & Flow

Adapted Screenplay:

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Munich
Walk the Line
The Constant Gardener

runners up: Syriana, A History of Violence, Memoirs of a Geisha

Original Score:

Memoirs of a Geisha (John Williams)
Brokeback Mountain (Santaolla)
Munich (John Williams)
King Kong (James Newton Howard)
Cinderella Man (Thomas Newman)

runners up: The New World (James Horner), Chronicles of Narnia (Gregson-Williams)

Original Song:

Travelin' Thru, Transamerica
Same In Any Language, Elizabeth Town
There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway, The Producers
Can't Take it In, Chronicles of Narnia
Hustle & Flow (It Ain't Over), Hustle & Flow

runners up: One Little Slip, Chicken Little; It's Hard out there for A Pimp, Hustle & Flow

Animated Feature:

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Madagascar
Howl's Moving Castle

runners up: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Chicken Little

Cinemotography:

Good Night, and Good Luck
Brokeback Mountain
Memoirs of a Geisha
King Kong
Munich

runners up: The New World, The Chronicles of Narnia

Film Editing:

Brokeback Mountain
Good Night, and Good Luck
Walk the Line
King Kong
Munich

runners up: Batman Begins, Syriana

Art Direction/Set Direction:

King Kong
Chronicles of Narnia
Good Night, and Good Luck
Memoirs of Geisha
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

runners up: Brokeback Mountain, Munich

Costume Design:

Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Predjudice
King Kong
Chronicles of Narnia
Walk the Line

runners up: The New World, The White Contess

Make Up:

Chronicles of Narnia
Star Wars: Episode III
Mrs. Henderson Presents

runner up: The New World, Cinderella Man

Sound:

King Kong
Walk the Line
Munich
Star Wars: Episode III
War of the Worlds

runners up: Good Night and Good Luck, Chronicles of Narnia

Sound Editing:

King Kong
Star Wars: Episode III
War of the Worlds

runners up: Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Visual Effects:

King Kong
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Star Wars: Episode III

runners up: Batman Begins, Chronicles of Narnia

Foreign Film:

Paradise Now - Palestine
Tsotsi - South Africa
Sophie Schrolls: The Final Days - Germany
The Promise - China
So Close, So Far - Iran

runners up: Requim for Snow, Iraq; Al Otro Lado, Mexico

Documentary:

March of the Penguins
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Murderball
Mad Hot Ballroom
Favela Rising

runners up: Rize, Darwin's Nightmare

Documentary Short Subject:

God Lives in Rwanda
Abused
A Note of Triumph

runners up: Dimmer, The Mushroom Club