2012 Awards Oscar Tracker

It's that time again. Not only the Holiday season when Hollywood begins rolling out its big-budgeted blockbusters with hopes of decking the theaters with boughs of bottoms, but also that time of year when the studios make their big Oscar push.

Throughout the remainder of the movie season, we'll be tracking all the Oscar hopefuls by updating this list with all the goings-on in the end-of-season Oscar push.

But keep in mind, this isn't a list of our predictions, or even the ones we hope will win, but rather a list of those getting the most buzz in the Critic voting circles. Stay tuned!

Best Picture

The top five contenders

  1. The Artist
  2. The Descendants
  3. The Help
  4. Hugo
  5. War Horse

In the running

Best Actor

The top five contenders

  1. George Clooney - The Descendants
  2. Michael Fassbender - Shame
  3. Brad Pitt - Moneyball
  4. Jean Dujardin - The Artist
  5. Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar

In the running

Best Actress

The top five contenders

  1. Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
  2. Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
  3. Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin
  4. Viola Davis - The Help
  5. Glen Close - Albert Nobbs

In the running

  • Elizabeth Olsen - Martha Marcy May Marlene
  • Rooney Mara - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
  • Keira Knightley - A Dangerous Method
  • Charlize Theron - Young Adult
  • Adepero Oduye - Pariah

Best Director

The top five contenders

  1. Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
  2. Martin Scorcese - Hugo
  3. Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life
  4. Alexander Payne - The Descendants
  5. Stephen Daldry - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

In the running

Best Supporting Actor

The top five contenders

  1. Albert Brooks - Drive
  2. Christopher Plummer - Beginners
  3. Armie Hammer - J. Edgar
  4. Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
  5. Patton Oswalt - Young Adult

In the running

Best Supporting Actress

The top five contenders

  1. Jessica Chastain - The Help
  2. Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
  3. Berenice Bejo - The Artist
  4. Octavia Spencer - The Help
  5. Shailene Woodley - The Descendants

In the running

  • Carey Mulligan - Shame
  • Vanessa Redgrave - Coriolanus
  • Sandra Bullock - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
  • Janet McTear - Albert Nobbs
  • Judi Dench - J. Edgar
  • Emily Watson - War Horse
  • Jessica Chastain - The Tree of Life

Best Adapted Screenplay

The top five contenders

  1. Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Alexander Payne - The Descendants
  2. Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Stan Chervin - Moneyball
  3. Tate Taylor - The Help
  4. Richard Curtis, Lee Hall - War Horse
  5. Eric Roth - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

In the running

  1. Steven Zaillian - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  2. Christopher Hampton - A Dangerous Method
  3. Hossein Amini - Drive
  4. George Clooney, Grant Heslov - The Ides of March

Best Original Screenplay

The top five contenders

  1. Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
  2. Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life
  3. Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
  4. Diablo Cody - Young Adult
  5. Kristin Wiig & Annie Mumolo - Bridesmaids

In the running

  • Mike Mills - Beginners
  • Abi Morgan - The Iron Lady
  • Steve McQueen & Abi Morgan - Shame
  • Sean Durking - Martha Marcy May Marlene

Best Foreign Language Film

  1. A Separation
  2. Where Do We Go Now?
  3. Happy, Happy
  4. In Darkness
  5. Point Blank

Best Documentary

  1. Project Nim
  2. Hell and Back Again
  3. Buck
  4. Undefeated
  5. We Were Here
  6. Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Best Animated Film

The top five contenders

  1. Rango
  2. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
  3. Arthur Christmas
  4. Winnie the Pooh
  5. Puss in Boots

Best Cinematography

The top five contenders

  1. The Tree of Life
  2. War Horse
  3. The Artist
  4. Hugo
  5. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo