2014-2015 Awards Season

Cafe Society
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The Art Directors split their categories, so a lot more movies get into the nominations. From Awards Daily (link will give you the TV nominations too):

Art Directors Guild (ADG) nominations

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM IN 2014:

Period Film

INHERENT VICE
Production Designer: DAVID CRANK

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Production Designer: ADAM STOCKHAUSEN

THE IMITATION GAME
Production Designer: MARIA DJURKOVIC

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Production Designer: JOHN PAUL KELLY

UNBROKEN
Production Designer: JON HUTMAN
Fantasy Film

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Production Designer: PETER WENHAM

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Production Designer: JAMES CHINLUND

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Production Designer: CHARLES WOOD

INTERSTELLAR
Production Designer: NATHAN CROWLEY

INTO THE WOODS
Production Designer: DENNIS GASSNER
Contemporary Film

AMERICAN SNIPER
Production Designers: JAMES J. MURAKAMI, CHARISSE CARDENAS

BIRDMAN
Production Designer: KEVIN THOMPSON

FOXCATCHER
Production Designer: JESS GONCHOR

GONE GIRL
Production Designer: DONALD GRAHAM BURT

NIGHTCRAWLER
Production Designer: KEVIN KAVANAUGH

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Here are a few more critics awards/nominations. I know I’ve missed many but I can’t keep up. As usual, they’re in spoilers just to avoid having to scroll through long lists. The Guilds deserve their lists to be open.

National Society of Film Critics WINNERS (and runners-up. The numbers are how many votes each received)

[spoiler]BEST PICTURE

*1. Goodbye to Language 25 (Jean-Luc Godard)
2. Boyhood 24 (Richard Linklater)
3. Birdman 10 (Alejandro G. Iñárritu)
3. Mr. Turner 10 (Mike Leigh)

BEST DIRECTOR

*1. Richard Linklater 36 (Boyhood)
2. Jean-Luc Godard 17 (Goodbye to Language)
3. Mike Leigh 12 (Mr. Turner)

BEST NON-FICTION FILM

*1. Citizenfour 56 (Laura Poitras)
2. National Gallery 19 (Frederick Wiseman)
3. The Overnighters 17 (Jesse Moss)

BEST SCREENPLAY

*1. The Grand Budapest Hotel 24 (Wes Anderson)
2. Inherent Vice 15 (Paul Thomas Anderson)
2. Birdman 15 (four co-writers)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

*1. Mr. Turner 33 (Dick Pope)
2. The Immigrant 27 (Darius Khondji)
3. Goodbye to Language 9 (Fabrice Aragno)

BEST ACTOR

*1.Timothy Spall 31 (Mr. Turner)
2. Tom Hardy 10 (Locke)
3. Joaquin Phoenix 9 (Inherent Vice)
3. Ralph Fiennes 9 (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

BEST ACTRESS

*1. Marion Cotillard 80 (Two Days, One Night, The Immigrant)
2. Julianne Moore 35 (Still Alice)
3. Scarlett Johansson 21 (Lucy; Under the Skin)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

*1. J.K. Simmons 24 (Whiplash)
2. Mark Ruffalo 21 (Foxcatcher)
3. Edward Norton 16 (Birdman)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

*1. Patricia Arquette 26 (Boyhood)
2. Agata Kulesza 18 (Ida)
3. Rene Russo 9 (Nightcrawler)
[/spoiler]

Central Ohio Film Critics Association nominees

[spoiler]Best Film

-Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Boyhood
-Gone Girl
-The Grand Budapest Hotel
-The Imitation Game
-A Most Violent Year
-Nightcrawler
-Selma
-Snowpiercer
-Whiplash

Best Director

-Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
-Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
-Ava DuVernay, Selma
-Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of
Ignorance)
-Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Actor

-Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
-Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
-Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-David Oyelowo, Selma
-Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress

-Essie Davis, The Babadook
-Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin
-Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
-Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
-Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor

-Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
-Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
-Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
-J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress

-Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
-Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
-Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
-Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer

Best Ensemble

-Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Foxcatcher
-Gone Girl
-The Grand Budapest Hotel
-Guardians of the Galaxy

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)

-Jessica Chastain (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Interstellar, Miss
Julie, and A Most Violent Year)
-Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and The
Imitation Game)
-Jake Gyllenhaal (Enemy and Nightcrawler)
-Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy and The LEGO Movie)
-Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Only Lovers Left Alive,
Snowpiercer, and The Zero Theorem)

Breakthrough Film Artist

-Damien Chazelle, Whiplash – (for directing and screenwriting)
-Ava DuVernay, Selma – (for directing)
-Jennifer Kent, The Babadook – (for directing and screenwriting)
-Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle and Beyond the Lights – (for acting)
-Justin Simien, Dear White People – (for directing and screenwriting)

Best Cinematography

-Benoît Delhomme, The Theory of Everything
-Hoyte Van Hoytema, Interstellar
-Daniel Landin, Under the Skin
-Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Film Editing

-Sandra Adair, Boyhood
-Spencer Averick, Selma
-Kirk Baxter, Gone Girl
-Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue
of Ignorance)
-Tom Cross, Whiplash

Best Adapted Screenplay

-Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
-Bong Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson, Snowpiercer
-Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
-Nick Hornby, Wild
-Graham Moore, The Imitation Game

Best Original Screenplay

-Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
-J.C. Chandor, A Most Violent Year
-Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
-Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and
Armando Bo, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Paul Webb, Selma

Best Score

-Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
-Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
-Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Gone Girl
-Antonio Sanchez, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
-Hans Zimmer, Interstellar

Best Documentary

-Citizenfour
-Dinosaur 13
-Finding Vivian Maier
-Jodorowsky’s Dune
-Life Itself

Best Foreign Language Film

-Force Majeure (Turist)
-A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
-Ida
-Two Days, One Night (Deux jours, une nuit)
-We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!)

Best Animated Film

-Big Hero 6
-The Book of Life
-The Boxtrolls
-How to Train Your Dragon 2
-The LEGO Movie

Best Overlooked Film

-The Babadook
-Blue Ruin
-Edge of Tomorrow
-Enemy
-Locke

COFCA offers its congratulations to the nominees.

Previous Best Film winners:

2002: Punch-Drunk Love
2003: Lost in Translation
2004: Million Dollar Baby
2005: A History of Violence
2006: Children of Men
2007: No Country for Old Men
2008: WALL·E
2009: Up in the Air
2010: Inception
2011: Drive
2012: Moonrise Kingdom
2013: Gravity
[/spoiler]

Georgia Film Critics Association nominations

[spoiler]Best Picture

“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Gone Girl”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Ida”
“A Most Violent Year”
“Nightcrawler”
“Selma”
“Snowpiercer”
“Whiplash”

Best Director

Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
David Fincher, “Gone Girl”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”

Best Actor

Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
David Oyelowo, “Selma”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”

Best Actress

Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Scarlett Johansson, “Under the Skin”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Lisa Loven Kongsli, “Force Majeure”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Best Supporting Actor

Riz Ahmed, “Nightcrawler”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Rene Russo, “Nightcrawler”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Tilda Swinton, “Snowpiercer”

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Gone Girl”
“The Imitation Game”
“Inherent Vice”
“Snowpiercer”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Wild”

Best Original Screenplay

“Boyhood”
“Calvary”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Nightcrawler”
“Selma”

Best Cinematography

“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Ida”
“Inherent Vice”
“Interstellar”

Best Production Design

“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Inherent Vice”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Snowpiercer”
“Under the Skin”

Best Original Score

“Birdman”
“Gone Girl”
“Interstellar”
“Life Itself”
“Under the Skin”

Best Original Song

“Everything is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”
“Glory” from “Selma”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Something so Right” from “Muppets Most Wanted”
“We Will Not Go” from “Virunga”

Best Ensemble

“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Gone Girl”
“Selma”

Best Foreign Film

“Force Majeure”
“Ida”
“Sepideh”
“Two Days, One Night”
“We Are the Best!”

Best Animated Film

“Big Hero 6”
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The Lego Movie”

Best Documentary

“CITIZENFOUR”
“Finding Vivian Maier”
“Keep On Keepin’ On”
“Life Itself”
“Sepideh”

Breakthrough Award

Ellar Coltrane, “Boyhood”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Belle,” “Beyond the Lights”
David Oyelowo, “Default,” “Interstellar,” “A Most Violent Year,” “Nightingale,” “Selma”
Jenny Slate, “The Longest Week,” “Obvious Child”
Tessa Thompson, “Dear White People,” “Grantham & Rose,” “Selma”
[/spoiler]

North Texas Film Critics Association WINNERS

[spoiler]Best Picture
“Boyhood”

Best Director
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”

Best Cinematography
Hoyte van Hoytema, “Interstellar”

Best Animated
“The LEGO Movie”

Best Documentary
“Life Itself”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Ida”

Best Ensemble Cast
“Birdman”

[/spoiler]

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Golden Globes on Sunday! The first watching party of the season is upon us!

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Yes! It’s always a fun party. I found out my HFPA member friend will be in charge of all the photography for the media and social media. He’s going to be very VERY busy taking care of all the photographers present. I don’t even know if I’ll be home on time because I have to do something that day. Then, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to watch the Globes (no TV). But, if I can somehow watch the red carpet, I’m going to be looking in the background for him.

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More Guild nominations. From Awards Daily.
Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominations

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Boyhood, Written by Richard Linklater; IFC Films

Foxcatcher, Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman; Sony Pictures Classics

The Grand Budapest Hotel, Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness; Fox Searchlight

Nightcrawler, Written by Dan Gilroy; Open Road Films

Whiplash, Written by Damien Chazelle; Sony Pictures Classics
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

American Sniper, Written by Jason Hall; Based on the book by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice; Warner Bros.

Gone Girl, Screenplay by Gillian Flynn; Based on her novel; 20th Century Fox

Guardians of the Galaxy, Written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman; Based on the Marvel comic by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The Imitation Game, Written by Graham Moore; Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges; The Weinstein Company

Wild, Screenplay by Nick Hornby; Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed; Fox Searchlight
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Finding Vivian Maier, Written by John Maloof & Charlie Siskel; Sundance Selects

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, Written by Brian Knappenberger; FilmBuff

Last Days in Vietnam, Written by Mark Bailey & Kevin McAlester; American Experience Films

Red Army, Written by Gabe Polsky; Sony Pictures Classics
Lots of screenplays weren’t eligible. A writer has to be a member in good standing of the Guild (the only Guild with that requirement, I think). I’m delighted that Guardians of the Galaxy was a beneficiary of that rule. I’m THRILLED at the inclusion of Finding Vivian Maier and The Internet’s Own Boy!

66

American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) nominations.

Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC for Unbroken

Óscar Faura for The Imitation Game

Emmanuel Lubezki ASC, AMC for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Dick Pope, BSC for Mr. Turner

Robert D. Yeoman, ASC for The Grand Budapest Hotel

A good list. I’m especially happy for Dick Pope. I saw Mr. Turner last night for the 2nd time and the cinematography is breathtaking.

67

I saw that the Academy said that Whiplash is an adapted screenplay because of the funding short they put together. I’m not sure I really understand their rules…

68

Costume Design Guild (CDG) nominations. They split their nominees up into categories the way the Art Directors do.

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM

Birdman – Albert Wolsky
Boyhood – Kari Perkins
Gone Girl – Trish Summerville
Interstellar – Mary Zophres
Wild – Melissa Bruning

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
The Imitation Game – Sammy Sheldon Differ
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Selma – Ruth E. Carter
The Theory of Everything – Steven Noble

EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM

Guardians of the Galaxy – Alexandra Byrne
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – Kurt and Bart
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard, Jane Clive

FINALLY! Maleficent gets mentioned somewhere.

69

I know, that’s weird. I don’t understand that at all.

70

I meant to put in a link for Awards Daily.

71

It’s why Billy Bob Thornton has an Oscar–because his screenplay for Sling Blade was considered an adaptation of his previous short film from which the feature was derived. I think the key thing is how picky they are about what actually constitutes “previously published material”.

72

If it were me, I might change the rule to make it impossible to ‘adapt’ your own material, unless it were a change in format (e.g. book to film). That would cut through all the uncertainty.

73

Here’s an article from Hitfix about it. Damien Chazelle had submitted the 18-minute funding film to Sundance 2013, where it won the Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction. I guess that even if it’s a funding short, the Academy figures that if you go submitting it to film festivals they’re going to consider it a stand-alone entity, like Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade.

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Central Ohio Film Critics Winners and Runners-Up. They liked Selma. A lot! Nominees earlier in the thread.

[spoiler]

CENTRAL OHIO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

The 13th Annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2014, were announced on January 8, 2015.

Best Film

  1. Selma
  2. Whiplash
  3. Snowpiercer
  4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
  5. Nightcrawler
  6. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
  7. The Imitation Game
  8. Boyhood
  9. A Most Violent Year
  10. Gone Girl

Best Director
• Ava DuVernay - (Selma)
• Runner-Up: Wes Anderson - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Actor
• David Oyelowo - (Selma)
• Runner-Up (tie): Michael Keaton - (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
• Runner-Up (tie): Jake Gyllenhaal - (Nightcrawler)

Best Actress
• Essie Davis - (The Babadook)
• Runner-Up: Scarlett Johansson - (Under the Skin)

Best Supporting Actor
• J.K. Simmons - (Whiplash)
• Runner-Up (tie): Mark Ruffalo - (Foxcatcher)
• Runner-Up (tie): Josh Brolin - (Inherent Vice)

Best Supporting Actress
• Tilda Swinton - (Snowpiercer)
• Runner-Up: Patricia Arquette - (Boyhood)

Best Ensemble
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Runner-Up (tie): Foxcatcher
• Runner-Up (tie): Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
• Jake Gyllenhaal - (Enemy and Nightcrawler)
• Runner-Up: Tilda Swinton - (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Only Lovers Left Alive, Snowpiercer, and The Zero Theorem)

Breakthrough Film Artist
• Ava DuVernay - (Selma) - (for directing)
• Runner-Up: Jennifer Kent - (The Babadook) - (for directing and screenwriting)

Best Cinematography
• Robert Yeoman - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
• Runner-Up: Daniel Landin - (Under the Skin)

Best Film Editing
• Tom Cross - (Whiplash)
• Runner-Up: Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione - (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Adapted Screenplay
• Graham Moore - (The Imitation Game)
• Runner-Up: Bong Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson - (Snowpiercer)

Best Original Screenplay
• Paul Webb - (Selma)
• Runner-Up: Wes Anderson - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Score
• Alexandre Desplat - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
• Runner-Up: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - (Gone Girl)

Best Documentary
• Finding Vivian Maier
• Runner-Up: Citizenfour

Best Foreign Language Film
• We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!)
• Runner-Up: Ida

Best Animated Film
• The LEGO Movie
• Runner-Up: Big Hero 6

Best Overlooked Film
• The Babadook
• Runner-Up: Edge of Tomorrow[/spoiler]I love these people! Especially their Best Actress, Foreign Language, Documentary and Overlooked Films choices.

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USC Scripter Awards nominees (they only honor Adapted screenplays)

Gone Girl, adapted by Gillian Flynn from her novel of the same name

The Imitation Game, adapted by Graham Moore from Andrew Hodges’ book Alan Turing: The Enigma

Inherent Vice, adapted by Paul Thomas Anderson from Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name

The Theory of Everything, adapted by Andrew McCarten from Jane Hawking’s Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen

Wild, adapted by Nick Hornby from Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of the same name

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BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nominees (Link to IMDB page because I’m too damn tired)

Nice to see some Pride, Finding Vivian Maier, Nightcrawler and Under The Skin love. Nowhere near enough love for Mr. Turner though. I feel bad for Mike Leigh and Timothy Spall.

Ok, I’m going back to bed.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel is really getting a lot of love. Hope some of that goes onto Ralph Fiennes, who deserves the Oscar this year.

DYK? Ralph Fiennes has not been nominated for 19 years, not since English Patient. That is a travesty. Hopefully this year he can take home the main prize.

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There’s a thread for it but since it’s part of awards season, here are the

Golden Globes WINNERS (and nominees)

[spoiler]Best Motion Picture, Drama

WINNER: Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Birdman
WINNER:The Grand Budapest Hotel
Into the Woods
Pride
St. Vincent
Best Director, Motion Picture

Ava DuVernay, Selma
David Fincher, Gone Girl
WINNER: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

WINNER: Michael Keaton, Birdman
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Bill Murray, St. Vincent
Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice
Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

WINNER:Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
Quvenzhané Wallis, Annie
Helen Mirren, The Hundred-Foot Journey
Julianne Moore, Map to the Stars
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jennifer Aniston, Cake
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
WINNER: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
David Oyelowo, Selma
WINNER: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
WINNER: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

WINNER: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

WINNER: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Best Foreign-Language Film

Ida
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trail of Vivian Amsalem
Tangerines
WINNER: Leviathan
Best Animated Feature Film

Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie
WINNER:How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Original Score, Motion Picture

Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
WINNER: Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
Antonio Sanchez, Birdman
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Gone Girl
Best Original Song, Motion Picture

“Big Eyes” by Lana Del Rey, from Big Eyes
“Yellow Flicker Beat” by Lorde, from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
WINNER: ”Glory” by John Legend and Common, from Selma
“Mercy Is,” by Patti Smith & Lenny Kaye, from Noah
“Opportunity,” by Sia, Greg Kurstin, Will Gluck, from Annie[/spoiler]

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This really cements Keaton, Moore, Simmons and Arquette as front-runners (no real surprise there). That doesn’t mean there can’t be spoilers (especially Redmayne) but they definitely have the momentum. Should be interesting to see what SAG has to say.

DGA announces their nominees tomorrow, and that should give a larger view of the Best Picture landscape (though the Academy’s director branch always throws a wrench or two into people’s expectations). Right now, BOYHOOD and BIRDMAN are mortal locks across the 3 major categories (Picture, Director, Screenplay) but then it becomes a little more up-in-the-air as to who will get 3 vs only 2 (SELMA, IMITATION, THEORY, BUDAPEST, WHIPLASH, FOXCATCHER, and GONE GIRL are all on that cusp).

Oh, and the Oscar nominations themselves are this Thursday.

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One “awards show” (admittedly, I’m stretching the term here) that I miss, especially after Roger Ebert’s death; the annual Siskel & Ebert “Memo to the Academy”, where they would announce who they considered to be their “shoo-in” nominees in each category and then throw in their “for your consideration” choices, ending with their selections of “(non-obvious) nominations I most want to see happen.”

The problem was, when the Oscars moved back to February (“the version I heard was,” so the nomination ballot deadline would be before the Golden Globes winners were announced and there wouldn’t be any talk of how somebody got an Oscar nomination just because of a Golden Globe win), the nominating period clashed with the show’s “Best of the Year / Worst of the Year” weeks and “Memo to the Academy” was reduced to a few minutes.