The awards season is starting to get into full swing with the Golden Globes on Sunday night. Its been a strong year for film, so who will get into jockeying position for Best Picture at the Oscars? We've seen Argo pull off an upset at the Critics Choice Awards this past Thursday, so anything is possible. But first, lets start off with the TV awards:
Best Miniseries, or TV Film:
Game Change
The Girl
The Hour
Hatfields & McCoys
Political Animals
The way it swept the Emmy's, I think it continues at the Golden Globes.
Dark Horse: Hatfields & McCoys. Great acting ensemble, could pull off the upset.
Best Supporting Actress in a series, mini series, or TV Film:
Hayden Panettiere - Nashville
Archie Panjabi - The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson - Game Change
Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara - Modern Family
Downton Abbey has been such a force, I think Smith gets recognized.
Dark Horse: I have a feeling about Panjabi, part of an underrated show The Good Wife
Best Supporting Actor in a series, mini series, or TV film:
Max Greenfield - New Girl
Ed Harris - Game Change
Danny Huston - Music City
Mandy Patinkin - Homeland
Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family
In what was season as a slightly down season 2 of Homeland, i think Patinkin gets recognition here.
Dark Horse: Ed Harris, in a solid Game Change performance.
Best Actress in a mini series or TV film:
Nicole Kidman - Hemingway & Gellhorn
Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller - The Girl
Julianne Moore - Game Change
Sigourney Weaver - Political Animals
Emmy's success will continue for Moore.
Dark Horse: Lange. A lot of buzz for American Horror Story.
Best Actor in a mini series or TV film:
Kevin Costner - Hatfield & McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock
Woody Harrelson - Game Change
Toby Jones - The Girl
Clive Owen - Hemingway & Gellhorn
Game Change continues to score with Harrelson
Dark Horse: Look for Costner
Best Actress in a TV musical/comedy:
Zooey Deschanel - New Girl
Lena Dunham - Girls
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Julia Louis Dreyfus - Veep
Amy Poehler - Parks & Recreation
Calling for an upset here. HBO's Girls has gotten a lot of buzz, particularly Dunham
Dark Horse: Don't forget about Emmy winner Dreyfus though
Best Actor in a TV musical/comedy:
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Don Cheadle - House of Lies
Louis CK - Louis
Matt LeBlanc - Episodes
Jim Parsons - Big Bang Theory
Louis CK's emmy success will continue here
Dark Horse: Watch for Parsons, TBBT has blown up this year
Best Actress in a TV Drama:
Connie Britton - Nashville
Glenn Close - Damages
Claire Danes - Homeland
Michelle Dockery - Downton Abbey
Julianna Marguiles - The Good Wife
Claire's awards success will continue here.
Dark Horse: Watch for Dockery, as Downton Abbey continues to grow
Best Actor in a TV Drama:
Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels - The Newsroom
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Damian Lewis - Homeland
Lewis's awards success continues.
Dark Horse: Look fro Cranston, as Breaking Bad starts to get recognition
Best TV Musical/Comedy:
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash
Like with Dunham, I'm calling this upset. A show just starting get on people's radar
Dark Horse: Watch for TBBT, as its been blowing up this season in ratings
Best TV Drama:
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom
May have not matched season 1, but season 2 was still suspenseful, Homeland continues dominating
Dark Horse: Watch for Downton Abbey, as it continues trending upwards.
Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour
A Royal Affair
The Intouchables
Rust and Bone
Kon-Tiki
Following its Oscar best picture nomination, an easy choice here
Dark Horse: If there's any upset, look for Rust and Bone with Cotillard leading the way
Best Animated Film:
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph
Look for Wreck-It Ralph to take this, critically acclaimed Disney film with an interesting take
Dark Horse: Not as acclaimed, but don't count out Pixar's latest Brave, with is original score and scenery
Best Original Song:
"For You" - Act Of Valor
"Not Running Anymore" - Stand Up Guys
"Safe and Sound" - The Hunger Games
"Skyfall" - Skyfall
"Suddenly" - Les Miserables
Look for Adele's Skyfall to dominate awards season. Solid Bond theme by Adele
Dark Horse: But watch for the original song for Les Miserables as well
Best original score:
Dario Marianelli - Anna Karenina
Alexandre Desplat - Argo
Mychel Danna - Life Of Pi
John Williams - Lincoln
Tykwer, Kilnek, Herl - Cloud Atlas
Look for Williams to add to his stack of awards
Dark Horse: Don't count out Danna for his brilliant score for Life of Pi
Best Screenplay:
Chris Terrio - Argo
Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained
Tony Kushner - Lincoln
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty
Look for an upset here, and for Argo to garner some recognition
Dark Horse: Its been a strong year, so I could see anyone winning, but watch for Lincoln, or Zero Dark Thirty here.
Best Director:
Ben Affleck - Argo
Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee - Life Of Pi
Steven Spielburg - Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained
Affleck got his recognition at the Critics Choice Awards, and I think Bigelow gets it here, both Oscar snubs
Dark Horse: Really, I could see any of Affleck, Lee, or Spielburg taking this.
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - The Master
Sally Field - Lincoln
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
Helen Hunt - The Sessions
Nicole Kidman - The Paperboy
Hathaway is runaway choice here, expect her to take charge during the awards season
Dark Horse: If there's any upset, look for Sally Field's portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln to take it
Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin - Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Jones stole the spotlight when Day-Lewis wasn't on screen, he deserves this
Dark Horse: Hoffman already has picked up some awards, and Waltz's character acting was at its best during Django Unchained, so look for those possible upsets
Best Actress Musical/Comedy:
Emily Blunt - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith - Quartet
Meryl Streep - Hope Springs
Being a best actress contender, there is no question here. This is all but certain…I don't see any dark horses in this field, sorry Streep.
Best Actor Musical/Comedy:
Jack Black - Bernie
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
Ewan McGregor - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray - Hyde Park on Hudson
Hugh Jackman was a stand out for Les Miserables, tremendous performance
Dark Horse: For an upset, look for Cooper, as Silver Linings Playbook has been getting a lot of play
Best Actress Drama:
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren - Hitchock
Naomi Watts - The Impossible
Rachel Weisz - The Deep Blue Sea
The Best Actress Oscar race is between Lawrence and Chastain. In separate fields, I see no competition here.
Best Actor Drama:
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Richard Gere - Arbitrage
John Hawkes - The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Denzel Washington - Flight
No contest here, very much deserved awards sweep for Day-Lewis
Best Musical/Comedy:
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook
Coming off a good night at the Critics Choice Awards, I see Silver Linings Playbook taking this
Dark Horse: Don't be shocked if Les Miserables take this, one of the better musicals on film we've seen
Best Drama:
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
This has been a top year in film, making it one of the toughest years to predict, but I'm going with the front-runner right now, Lincoln coming off being the leading Oscar nominee.
Dark Horse: Besides Django, I could see Argo, Life of Pi or Zero Dark Thirty pulling off this upset. I wouldn't be shocked if any of those 3 came away with this.
Well, there you have it. Now we just have to wait, sit back, and see how the Golden Globes play out. This could be a truly unique, confusing awards season, with a number of front-runners
