Oscar Predictions!

The Oscars are tomorrow night, and I'll be semi-live blogging it. But who do I think will win the major categories? Read on to find out!

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Nominees:

Babel

The Departed

Letters from Iwo Jima

Little Miss Sunshine

The Queen

AE's Prediction: Like Crash last year, Babel will win due to its issue-driven plot. Little Miss Sunshine might score an upset, but I doubt it.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees:

Leonardo DiCaprio

Ryan Gosling

Peter O'Toole

Will Smith

Forest Whitaker

AE's Prediction: Forest Whitaker will win to no one's surprise.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees:

Penélope Cruz

Judi Dench

Helen Mirren

Meryl Streep

Kate Winslet

AE's: Helen Mirren, in what will become a disturbing trend in the acting categories: no surprises.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Alan Arkin

Jackie Earle Haley

Djimon Hounsou

Eddie Murphy

Mark Wahlberg

AE's Prediction: Although some are saying Arkin will win with a "Lifetime Achievement" caveat, Murphy should walk away with this. There is some backlash against Murphy, but I do believe he will walk away with an Oscar.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Adriana Barraza

Cate Blanchett

Abigail Breslin

Jennifer Hudson

Rinko Kikuchi

AE's Prediction: Critics have recently been saying Hudson might lose because she is more a singer than an actress. Ignore them, as Hudson will join her Dreamgirls costar Murphy on the winner's stand.

Best Achievement in Directing

Nominees:

Clint Eastwood

Stephen Frears

Paul Greengrass

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Martin Scorsese

AE's Prediction: If Eastwood wins again, he might start to be remembered as a director not an actor. It would be three directing awards for his career, something Spielberg hasn't done. I think the Academy will finally give Scorsese his much deserved Oscar.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Nominees:

Babel

Letters from Iwo Jima

Little Miss Sunshine

Laberinto del Fauno, El

The Queen

AE's Prediction: Here's a category that Sunshine is going to win. The Academy will reward it's behind-the-scenes stuff, if not their on-screen performances.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Nominees:

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Children of Men

The Departed

Little Children

Notes on a Scandal

AE's Prediction: As much as everyone would like to see Sasha Baron Cohen give another hilarious speech, I think The Departed will win since people probably voted for Babel over it for Best Picture, but still feel a need to reward the entire film.

I don't think this will be an exciting Oscars, but it may be a "coronation" ceremony, with many first time nominees/winners picking up trophies.