Predictions: 85th Academy Awards (Winners)

The full list of nominees for the 85th Academy Awards can be found here. Below are my hesitant predictions for twenty one of the categories. As you will see, I am sure of about half a dozen of these.

The 85th Academy Awards are held on February 25 (Australian time).  

Best Picture

Prediction: Argo
Could Win: Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Life of Pi
Should Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Here's how I'd rank the nominees in terms of their likelihood of winning:

Argo
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Amour
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Beasts of the Southern Wild

Following the nominations Argo fell from equal favouritism with Lincoln to be beneath Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Life of Pi and even Amour, but in the ensuing weeks - with wins at the Golden Globes, SAG, PGA, DGA and BAFTA - it has returned to heavy favouritism. But will this translate into a win, despite the fact that Affleck didn't receive a nomination? It is looking very likely. Looking through each of Argo's other nominations, I'm not sure it is going to win any of them. It 'could' take out Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Film Editing (well, it's got this one) and Adapted Screenplay, and if it did I can see justification in the Best Picture win. I can also see Lincoln (Adapted, Supporting Actor, Actor and Director), Silver Linings Playbook (Adapted, Supporting Actor, Actress and Director), Life of Pi (Visual Effects, Cinematography, Score and Director) and Zero Dark Thirty (Editing, Original and Actress) making claims for Best Picture. I'm pretty sure Argo will take it out - I have come to learn how this race works - and though I now favour others, that's fine with me.

Head over to Graffiti With Punctuation for the rest of my predictions.