Introduction: Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of the year again: the Oscars have finally arrived. The nominees this year are fair. The movie Hugo leads with 11 nominations. Many films, on the other hand, were snubbed — specifically, Drive and 50/50. But you have to do the best with your options, so below are my picks for every category in this year’s Academy Awards, with commentary for the “Big 6” categories.

Best Picture: The Artist
Why The Artist: Well, we don’t live in the silent era, but if it were to make a return, this film shows great hope. My personal pick for best picture of the year would be The Descendants, but you can’t always get what you want. Critics were ranting and raving all year over The Artist, so I believe that is the sure-fire winner.

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Why Martin Scorsese:Martin Scorsese is the big winner in my opinion, because he took a children’s book and reinvented it in a way of his own. The film became not a children’s movie, but a Martin Scorsese modern-classic.

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendents
Why George Clooney: “Why not?” is my immediate response. Clooney gave this year’s most emotionally captivating performance as a Hawaiian landowner, Matt King. Although Jean Dujardin of The Artist is also nominated, believe me — Clooney will be going home with the Oscar.

Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
Why Viola Davis: If I were to write everything amazing about Viola Davis’s performance in The Help, this section would go on a page or two. So, go out, buy The Help, and go to the last scene. It explains everything.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Why Christopher Plummer: Although the biggest snub occurred in this category (Albert Brooks, Drive), Christopher Plummer most likely still would have won the award. Playing an elderly man, who admits to his son that he is homosexual after a terminal cancer diagnosis, doesn’t sound like the easiest task, but it was in good hands here. Christopher Plummer’s outstanding performance in this film, at the age of 82, was one of the biggest surprises of the year in film. It just goes to show that the younger guys can’t win them all.

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Why Octavia Spencer: Being able to steal the spotlight from the lead actress is never easy, but that wasn’t done here. Instead, Spencer created a spotlight of her own and shined just as bright as Viola Davis. This was a performance that didn’t feel like a supporting actress role. It was nearly a leading performance and for that she deserves all of the awards that come to her.

Best Music (Original Score): The Artist

Best Makeup: Albert Nobbs

Best Costume Design: Jane Eyre

Best Cinematography: The Artist

Best Film Editing: The Artist

Best Art Direction: Hugo

Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight In Paris

Best Documentary (Short): Incident In New Baghdad

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran)

Best Animated Feature: Rango

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Moneyball

Best Short Film (Animated): Wild Life

Best Sound Editing: War Horse

Best Sound Mixing: War Horse

Best Visual Effects: Rise of the Planet Of the Apes

Best Documentary Feature: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Music (Original Song): “Man Or Muppet”, The Muppets

Best Short Film (Live Action): Time Freak