Best Motion Picture of the Year

Nominees:

Avatar (2009)

The Blind Side (2009)

District 9 (2009)

An Education (2009)

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

A Serious Man (2009)

Up (2009)

Up in the Air (2009/I)

The Blind Side?? Huh!? OK, that one aside, this is actually a really strong line-up (I saw Precious for the second time last night and it improved significantly). The Academy could have easily screwed this up, but overall, they made GREAT choices (a big YAY for A Serious Man). Oh, and the District 9 nomination? Now that's what I call EPIC. I felt really weird making that prediction yesterday, but I guess sometimes it pays to go with your gut feelings.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees:

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009)

George Clooney for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Colin Firth for A Single Man (2009)

Morgan Freeman for Invictus (2009)

Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker (2008)

I was hoping Freeman would get left out, but this is basically what the line-up has been for the past month now. Glad that Renner made it past the SAG nomination. Bridges will win this, but if he loses, I'd be thrilled if it goes to Firth.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees:

Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)

Helen Mirren for The Last Station (2009)

Carey Mulligan for An Education (2009)

Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (2009)

I'm not sure why I didn't just stick with Helen Mirren in my fifth slot yesterday, despite the SAG nomination; I just figured since so few people seem to have seen the film (is it even out in US theaters...anywhere?) that it wouldn't go anywhere.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Matt Damon for Invictus (2009)

Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (2009/I)

Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (2009)

Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones (2009)

Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Congrats to Mr. Plummer for FINALLY earning an nomination.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009)

Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart (2009)

Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Maggie Gyllenhaal? Really? That didn't need to happen. Oh, and good job Academy, you nominated the wrong woman from Nine - that slot belonged to Marion Cotillard hands down! Not that it matters, since Mo'nique will take it anyway.

Best Achievement in Directing

Nominees:

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)

James Cameron for Avatar (2009)

Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Oh hi, exact list of DGA nominees.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Nominees:

The Hurt Locker (2008): Mark Boal

Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino

The Messenger (2009/I): Oren Moverman, Alessandro Camon

A Serious Man (2009): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Up (2009): Bob Peterson, Pete Docter

I haven't seen The Messenger, but overall this is a great set; I'm so glad the Coens made it in here.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Nominees:

District 9 (2009): Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell

An Education (2009): Nick Hornby

In the Loop (2009): Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Geoffrey Fletcher

Up in the Air (2009/I): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

IN THE LOOP!!!!!!!!! That is all.

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Nominees:

Avatar (2009): Mauro Fiore

Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009): Christian Berger

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009): Bruno Delbonnel

The Hurt Locker (2008): Barry Ackroyd

Inglourious Basterds (2009): Robert Richardson

About time they nominated a Potter film, especially since these past two have been the strongest artistically. Nice to see that The White Ribbon made it in as well, though the snubbing of Nine's Dion Beebe (that man knows how to play with light) is disheartening. Yay for Inglourious Basterds, though.

Best Achievement in Editing

Nominees:

Avatar (2009): Stephen E. Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron

District 9 (2009): Julian Clarke

The Hurt Locker (2008): Bob Murawski, Chris Innis

Inglourious Basterds (2009): Sally Menke

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Joe Klotz

One of the things that improved the most when I saw both The Hurt Locker and Precious the second time was the editing, so this is actually a GREAT call in this category; good job, Academy.

Best Achievement in Art Direction

Nominees:

Avatar (2009): Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): Anastasia Masaro

Nine (2009): John Myhre

Sherlock Holmes (2009): Sarah Greenwood

The Young Victoria (2009): Patrice Vermette

Haven't seen Doctor Parnassus or Young Victoria, but from what I can tell, they're worthy nominees along with the other three (sort of...CG "art direction" still confuses me)

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Nominees:

Bright Star (2009): Janet Patterson

Coco avant Chanel (2009): Catherine Leterrier

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): Monique Prudhomme

Nine (2009): Colleen Atwood

The Young Victoria (2009): Sandy Powell

Bright Star actually got something! Yay! Oh, and good for the Academy for not giving Nine the Australia-treatment in the artistic categories.

Best Achievement in Makeup

Nominees:

Il divo (2008)

Star Trek (2009)

The Young Victoria (2009)

Nothing for District 9? Seriously?

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Nominees:

Avatar (2009): James Horner

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Alexandre Desplat

The Hurt Locker (2008): Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders

Sherlock Holmes (2009): Hans Zimmer

Up (2009): Michael Giacchino

I really love The Hurt Locker, and what little music is in it is very good, but I'm not sure it needed to be nominated. I'm glad that Hans Zimmer's hugely engaging Holmes score got in, but WHERE IS THE NOMINATION FOR A SINGLE MAN? WHERE!? Or The Road for that matter. The music branch really needs to get its sh*t together.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Nominees:

Crazy Heart (2009): T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham("The Weary Kind")

Faubourg 36 (2008): Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas("Loin de Paname")

Nine (2009): Maury Yeston("Take It All")

The Princess and the Frog (2009): Randy Newman("Down in New Orleans")

The Princess and the Frog (2009): Randy Newman("Almost There")

They actually picked "Take it All"? Now this makes me happy. As long as they let Cotillard actually sing the song (and not, um, Beyonce), I'll be thrilled, even if it doesn't win (which it likely won't).