The OSCAR NOMINATIONS are In!!!

Hey folks, Harry here with the Oscar Nominations about to come in. It's 2 minutes till they begin to be announced... allegedly... Let's all tune in to our personal live news choice - I'll be back with the noms shortly! Harry here again. I was going by the countdown on the Academy's own website, but that countdown apparently meant NOTHING - as NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN IT GOT TO 0. So let's see how long it takes, they're 6 minutes late already. Man, I hope this won't be another DVD Column debacle. Anne Hathaway will be doing the announcements... Tom Sherak is the other announcer... Best Picture AVATAR THE BLIND SIDE DISTRICT 9 AN EDUCATION THE HURT LOCKER INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS PRECIOUS A SERIOUS MAN UP UP IN THE AIR

I'm just shockingly pleased to see my pick for best of 2009, DISTRICT 9 nominated. If it, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, UP or AVATAR wins I'll probably freak out.

-- BEST ACTOR Jeff Bridges, CRAZY HEART George Clooney, UP IN THE AIR Colin Firth, A SINGLE MAN Morgan Freeman, INVICTUS Jeremy Renner, THE HURT LOCKER

Honestly, as much as I love Jeff Bridges, I was not blown away by CRAZY HEART. Same with Clooney in UP IN THE AIR - a film I like less and less as time goes on. Here, I pretty much have to hope that Jeremy Renner wins it. Tis a real shame though. The two best performances, SHARLTO COPLEY for DISTRICT 9 and TOM HARDY for BRONSON, were snubbed.

-- BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Matt Damon, INVICTUS Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER (and ZOMBIELAND ahem) Christopher Plummer, THE LAST STATION Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES Christoph Waltz, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Very happy to see Tucci get a nom. Woody Harrelson would give the greatest acceptance speech. But Christoph Waltz owns this award, right?

-- BEST ACTRESS Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE Helen Mirren, THE LAST STATION Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION Gabourey Sidibe, PRECIOUS Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA

I'm just gonna root for Carey Mulligan. She was amazing.

-- BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penelope Cruz, NINE Vera Farmiga, UP IN THE AIR Maggie Gyllenhaal, CRAZY HEART Anna Kendrick, UP IN THE AIR Mo'Nique, PRECIOUS

Really can't believe Penelope Cruz didn't get a nom for BROKEN EMBRACES which was my favorite role of the year of the femme variety. Let's root for Maggie Gyllenhaal, just because we collectively whack it to THE SECRETARY.

-- BEST ANIMATED FEATURE CORALINE FANTASTIC MR FOX THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG THE SECRET OF KELLS UP

With UP pulling a Best Picture nomination, it kind of forces it to be the favorite in this category. And for those of you wondering what the hell THE SECRET OF KELLS is:

-- BEST ART DIRECTION AVATAR - Art Direction: Rick Carter & Robert Stromberg. Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS - Art Direction: Dave Warren & Anastasia Masaro. Set Dec: Caroline Smith NINE - Art Direction: John Myhre. Set Dir: Gordon Sim SHERLOCK HOLMES - Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood. Set Dir. Katie Spencer THE YOUNG VICTORIA - Art Direction: Patrice Vermette. Set Dir. Maggie Gray

I'm gonna root for THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, because that stunningly beautiful work of genius MUST GET SOMETHING!

-- BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AVATAR, Mauro Fiore HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, Bruno Delbonnel THE HURT LOCKER, Barry Ackroyd INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Robert Richardson THE WHITE RIBBON, Christian Berger

Go Robert Richardson!!!

-- BEST COSTUME DESIGN BRIGHT STAR, Janet Patterson COCO BEFORE CHANEL, Catherine Leterrier THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, Monique Prudhomme NINE, Colleen Atwood THE YOUNG VICTORIA, Sandy Powell

Kinda hard to imagine that COCO BEFORE CHANEL won't win.

-- BEST DIRECTOR AVATAR, James Cameron THE HURT LOCKER, Kathryn Bigelow INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Quentin Tarantino PRECIOUS, Lee Daniels UP IN THE AIR, Jason Reitman

Bigelow's DGA win pretty much guarantees her this award, but you never know for sure. I feel it's between Bigelow, Cameron and Tarantino.

-- BEST DOCUMENTARY - Feature BURMA VJ THE COVE FOOD, INC THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG & THE PENTAGON PAPERS WHICH WAY HOME

THE COVE will take this.

--- BEST DOCUMENTARY - Short CHINA'S UNNATURAL DISASTER: THE TEARS OF SICHUAN PROVINCE THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF GOVERNOR BOOTH GARDNER THE LAST TRUCK: CLOSING OF A GM PLANT MUSIC BY PRUDENCE RABBIT A LA BERLIN -- BEST FILM EDITING AVATAR, Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua & James Cameron DISTRICT 9, Julian Clarke THE HURT LOCKER, Bob Murawski & Chris Innis INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Sally Menke PRECIOUS, Joe Klotz

Go Julian Clarke!

-- BEST FOREIGN FILM AJAMI, Israel EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS, Argentina THE MILK OF SORROW, Peru UN PROPHETE, France THE WHITE RIBBON, Germany

Go Argentina!

-- BEST MAKE-UP IL DIVO, Aldo Signoretti & Vittorio Sodano STAR TREK, Barney Burman, Mindy Hall & Joel Harlow THE YOUNG VICTORIA, Jon Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore

Go Barney, Mindy & Joel!

-- BEST MUSIC (Original Score) AVATAR, James Horner FANTASTIC MR FOX, Alexandre Desplat THE HURT LOCKER, Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders SHERLOCK HOLMES, Hanz Zimmer UP, Michael Giacchino

Giacchino will not be denied! Though if he is, it should be by Zimmer or Desplat.

-- BEST MUSIC (Original Song) "ALMOST THERE" - THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG "DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS" - THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG "LOIN DE PANAME" - PARIS 36 "TAKE IT ALL" - NINE "THE WEARY KIND" - CRAZY HEART

Somebody save us.

-- BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM FRENCH ROAST, Fabrice O Joubert GRANNY O'GRIMM'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, Nicky Phelan & Darragh O'Connell THE LADY AND THE REAPER, Javier Recio Gracia LOGORAMA, Nicolas Schmerkin A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH, Nick Park

Has Nick Park ever lost when nominated?

-- BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM THE DOOR, Juanita Wilson & James Flynn INSTEAD OF ABRACADABRA, Patrik Eklund & Mathias Fjellstrom KAVI, Gregg Helvey MIRACLE FISH, Luke Doolan & Drew Bailey THE NEW TENANTS, Joachim Back & Tivi Magnusson

I'm really fond of THE NEW TENANTS personally.

-- BEST SOUND EDITING AVATAR - Christopher Boyes & Gwendolyn Yates Whittle THE HURT LOCKER - Paul N. J. Ottonsson INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Wylie Stateman STAR TREK - Mark Stoeckinger & Alan Rankin UP - Michael Silvers & Tom Myers

Go Everyone!

-- BEST SOUND MIXING AVATAR, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson & Tony Johnson THE HURT LOCKER, Paul N.J. Ottosson & Ray Beckett INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti & Mark Ulano STAR TREK, Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson & Peter J Devlin TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, Greg P Russell, Gary Summers & Geoffrey Patterson

Go Everyone Not Working on Transformers!

-- BEST VISUAL EFFECTS AVATAR, Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham & Andrew R Jones DISTRICT 9, Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros & Matt Aitken STAR TREK, Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh & Burt Dalton

Well, wouldn't it blow your mind if the tiny $40 million movie won this category? They should. But there's no way in hell AVATAR won't run off with this deservedly.

-- BEST WRITING (Adapted Screenplay) DISTRICT 9, Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell AN EDUCATION, Nick Hornby IN THE LOOP, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche PRECIOUS, Geoffrey Fletcher UP IN THE AIR, Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner

IN THE LOOP should win, but won't. They'll probably give it to the intolerably soulless UP IN THE AIR.

-- BEST WRITING (Original Screenplay) THE HURT LOCKER, Mark Boal INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Quentin Tarantino THE MESSENGER, Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman A SERIOUS MAN, Joel & Ethan Coen UP, Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

If somehow THE HURT LOCKER doesn't win Director & Picture, it'll win this. Though I have to pull for Quentin, The Coens and Pete Docter. Right?