And the Oscar goes to...

The slightly modified version -- posted approx. 85min before start time!

Here we are again... doesn't feel at all like an entire year has gone by since we posted our prediction that ARGO would earn Ben Affleck and his team the Oscar for Best Picture, leaving Spielberg's epic LINCOLN in its Civil War dust.  Well, this year, while most Oscar prophets are calling the race assigned to 12 YEARS A SLAVE in the top category, we all wonder if the 'wonder' of the space epic, GRAVITY, doesn't pull a full coup and triumph bigger than any film in the last several years... One of the last Oscar sweeps in recent history came a decade ago, when LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, cleaned house with 11 wins out of 11 nominations.

Here now, is our full list of Oscar predictions for this year's race, featuring the top choice as the likeliest winner, followed by our 2nd possibility choice, and a third choice for the longshot honoree:

Best Picture
Will win:  12 YEARS A SLAVE
Could win:  GRAVITY
Longshot:  AMERICAN HUSTLE

Director
Alfonso Cuaron  GRAVITY
Steve McQueen   12 YEARS A SLAVE
David O'Russell   AMERICAN HUSTLE

Actor
Matthew McConaughey  DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Bruce Dern  NEBRASKA
Leonardo DiCaprio  WOLF OF WALL STREET

Actress
Cate Blanchett  BLUE JASMINE
Amy Adams  AMERICAN HUSTLE
Judi Dench  PHILOMENA

Supporting Actor
Jared Leto  DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Barkhad Abdi  CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Jonah Hill  WOLF OF WALL STREET

Supporting Actress
Lupita Nyong'o  12 YEARS A SLAVE
Jennifer Lawrence  AMERICAN HUSTLE
June Squibb  NEBRASKA

Original Screenplay
HER
AMERICAN HUSTLE
BLUE JASMINE

Adapted Screenplay
12 YEARS A SLAVE
WOLF OF WALL STREET
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Animated Feature
FROZEN
THE WIND RISES
THE CROODS

Foreign Language Film
THE GREAT BEAUTY
THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN
THE HUNT

Documentary Feature
20 FEET FROM STARDOM
THE ACT OF KILLING
THE SQUARE

Documentary Short
THE LADY IN NUMBER 6: MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE
FACING FEAR
CAVEDIGGER

Live Action Short
HELIUM
THE VOORMAN PROBLEM
JUST BEFORE LOSING EVERYTHING

Animated Short
GET A HORSE
FERAL
ROOM FOR THE BROOM

Cinematography
GRAVITY
NEBRASKA
THE GRANDMASTER

Editing
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
GRAVITY
12 YEARS A SLAVE

Costume Design
THE GREAT GATSBY
12 YEARS A SLAVE
AMERICAN HUSTLE

Production Design
THE GREAT GATSBY
HER
GRAVITY

Original Score
GRAVITY
PHILOMENA
HER


Original Song
"Let It Go"  FROZEN
"Ordinary Love"  MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
"The Moon Song"  HER

Makeup & Hairstyling
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
JACKASS PRESENTS BAD GRANDPA
THE LONE RANGER

Visual Effects
GRAVITY
THE HOBBIT
THE LONE RANGER

Sound Editing
GRAVITY
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
ALL IS LOST

Sound Mixing
GRAVITY
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
THE HOBBIT