2014 Oscar Nomination Predictions

With the awards season already in full swing, we're now on the eve of the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards. As with the 2013 Oscars I'm joining in with Film Actually's annual Oscar prediction competition and as with 2013, I'm going to use my Britishness as an excuse for a poor showing. As my fellow countrymen will know, the likes of The Wolf of Wall Street, Her, Inside Llewyn Davis and Dallas Buyers Club haven't been released in the UK yet so it puts us at a slight disadvantage compared to our American chums. Despite this, I'm going to use my expert film knowledge as well as other award ceremonies as a guide and have a stab at predicting the nominations and winners in 21 of the categories. The list of my predictions is below and my predicted winner is in red.

According to my predictions, 12 Years a Slave will be the winner nominations wise with an impressive (14). Gravity will get (11) with American Hustle on (10), Captain Philips not far behind with (8) and The Wolf of Wall Street and Rush on (5) nominations apiece. 

For the Oscar winners, I'm predicting that Gravity will win a total of (6) awards with 12 Years a Slave taking (5) home and American Hustle (2).

For those who want to keep an eye on awards buzz all year round, head over to Film Actually for up to date and insightful awards news, predictions, rumours and lists.

BEST PICTURE
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
The Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle
Captain Philips
Philomena
Nebraska

BEST DIRECTOR

Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave
Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity
David O. Russell - American Hustle
Paul Greengrass - Captain Philips
Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street
 
BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale - American Hustle
Leonardo Di Caprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks - Captain Philips
Matthew McConaughey - The Dallas Buyers Club
 
BEST ACTRESS
Amy Adams - American Hustle
Sandra Bullock - Gravity
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Emma Thompson - Saving Mr. Banks
Meryl Streep - August: Osage County
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto - The Dallas Buyers Club
Daniel Bruhl - Rush
Barkhad Abdi - Captain Philips
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave
Bradley Cooper - American Hustle
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
June Squibb - Nebraska
Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
 

BEST EDITING
The Wolf of Wall Street
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Rush
Captain Philips
 
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Blue Jasmine
Her
Gravity
Before Midnight
American Hustle
 
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Philomena
Captain Philips
August: Osage County
 
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Hunt - Denmark
The Great Beauty - Italy
The Missing Picture - Cambodia
Two Lives - Germany
The Notebook - Hungary

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nebraska
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Captain Philips
Inside Llewyn Davis
 
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Great Gatsby
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Gravity
Rush
 
BEST SOUND MIXING
Gravity
12 Years a Slave
Rush
All is Lost
Inside Llewn Davis
 
BEST SOUND EDITING

Gravity
12 Years a Slave
Rush
All is Lost
Inside Llewn Davis
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
American Hustle
The Great Gatsby
The Hobbit Part II
Saving Mr. Banks
12 Years a Slave
 
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Captain Philips
Gravity
12 Years a Slave
Saving Mr. Banks
Mud
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Cutie and the Boxer
The Crash Reef
Stories We Tell
 
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Frozen
Monsters University
Despicable Me 2
The Wind Rises
Epic
 
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
The Hobbit Part II
Iron Man
Elysium
Pacific Rim
 
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
American Hustle
Dallas Buyers Club
The Great Gatsby
 
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Let It Go - Frozen
Amen - All Is Lost
I See Fire - The Hobbit Part II
My Lord Sunshine (Sunrise) - 12 Years a Slave
Stay Alive - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty