ACTRESS

Bullock
The Blind Side
Mirren
The Last Station
Mulligan
An Education
Sidibe
Precious
Streep
Julie & Julia

WINNER
The Hurt Locker

Locker reigned all season (but for the Globes) and Oscar only rejects the frontrunner if its gay. Even the low low gross -- the lowest for a best picture ever -- couldn't penetrate chink in Locker's bomb gear

prediction correct

WINNER
Kathryn Bigelow

Bigelow win was obviously inevitable even without her film triumphing. They like to make history.

prediction correct

WINNER
Jeff Bridges

Bridges is a Son of Hollywood and though they made him wait an awful long time considering his Great American Actor reputation, the years look good on him and he's fully earned the rep.

prediction correct

WINNER
Sandra Bullock

Three of her competitors haddiehard fanbases, but none of them could pull enough attention away from this year's media darling or from Oscar's love of the romcom queens gone serious

prediction correct

SUPP. ACTOR

Damon
Invictus
Harrelson
The Messenger
Plummer
The Last Station
Tucci
The Lovely Bones
Waltz
Inglourious

SUPP. ACTRESS

Cruz
Nine
Farmiga
Up in the Air
Gyllenhaal
Crazy Heart
Kendrick
Up in the Air
Mo'Nique
Precious

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Hurt Locker
Boal
Inglourious
Tarantino
The Messenger
Moverman & Camon
A Serious Man
Coen
Up
Peterson

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

District 9
Blomkamp & Tatchell
An Education
Hornby
In the Loop
various
Precious
Fletcher
Up in the Air
Reitman/Turner

WINNER
Christoph Waltz

Waltz thoroughly dominated the precursors and this category loves a villain. It was Inglourious Basterds only win of the night

prediction correct

WINNER
Mo'Nique

Mo'Nique's powerhouse portrayal won its earned reward. Her speech reminded that it can be about the performance and not the politics. (some times at least)

prediction correct

WINNER
The Hurt Locker

I thought that Basterds would win some love here but it was not to be. The Hurt Locker's frontrunner status helped it take this prize.

prediction wrong

WINNER
Precious

I felt a Precious upset coming... it hadn't lost much steam and if anything it had been regaining it... but in the end I thought the precursor kindness to Up in the Air would pay off. Nope.

prediction wrong

Cinematography

Avatar
Fiore
Harry Potter
Delbonnel
Hurt Locker
Ackroyd
Inglourious
Richardson
The White Ribbon
Bergen

Costume Design

Bright Star
Patterson
Coco Before Chanel
Leterrier
Dr. Parnassus
Prudhomme
Nine
Atwood
Young Victoria
Powell

Editing

Avatar
Refoua & Rivkin
District 9
Clarke
Hurt Locker
Innis & Murawski
Inglourious
Menke
Precious
Klotz

WINNER
Avatar

The Academy couldn't look past the overall tech achievement of this blockbuster or be discerning about which awards it deserved visually

prediction correct

WINNER
Avatar

The competition has either won before, won a surprise nomination or is less visually spectacular

prediction correct

WINNER
Young Victoria

I was hoping for Bright Star, but it was clear voters didn't like that movie. And they rarely pass up royalty porn. So Powell won a third.

prediction correct

WINNER
Hurt Locker

The tightly strung setpieces and overall love for The Hurt Locker gave it the edge over the epic grandeur and thrills of Avatar

prediction correct

FOREIGN

Argentina
The Secret of Her Eyes
France
Un Prophete
Germany
The White Ribbon
Israel
Ajami
Peru
The Milk of Sorrow

SOUND MIXING

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers

WINNER
UP

Behind the scenes categories care far less about who has won before and who hasn't. Desplat (Fox) and Giacchino (Up) are both busy busy and will win soon enough. Giacchino right away I think.

prediction correct

WINNER
Secret of Her Eyes

It's that rare category where you're actually required to see the movies before voting... (too bad all categories don't play like that) so people don't actually vote on hype alone. Which makes it wonderfully difficult to predict.

prediction wrong

WINNER
The Hurt Locker

I was right to predict a non-split for the two sound categories but I was wrong as to which of the two big frontrunners, the prizes would go to. The explosive Hurt Locker won it.

prediction wrong
prediction wrong

VISUAL fx

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

MAKE-UP

Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

WINNER
Avatar

It was the biggest lock of the night.

prediction correct

WINNER
Star Trek

Here's where they had a chance to honor a popular blockbuster that' wasn't in the BP field. They took it.

prediction correct

WINNER
Crazy Heart

The Weary Kind was part of that late blooming Crazy Heart love. Good song.

prediction correct

WINNER
UP

Since UP is in the best picture field, enough of them really really loved it.

prediction correct

WINNER
LOGORAMA

I was rooting for Lady & The Reaper (so funny) but the acting was won over by the clever Logorama

prediction wrong

WINNER
The Cove

I think The Cove's emphasis on movie-making as heroic plot element made the win a cinch.

prediction correct

WHO WILL WIN?
Music by Prudence

I didn't see this one coming.

prediction wrong

WINNER
The New Tenants

I didn't see this one coming.

prediction wrong