Best Picture — “Up in the Air”

“Up In The Air,” the staff’s pick for this year’s Best Picture Oscar, is an unapologetic dramedy starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. In addition to the outstanding performances, the message of the film is a powerful one. Clooney’s character, Ryan Bingham, is hired to fly around the country and fire people whose bosses are too timid to do it themselves. With the recent economic crisis affecting millions of people, “Up In The Air” serves as a snapshot of the current state of corporate America. It’s no wonder that this film has resonated so strongly this awards season.

Best Director — James Cameron

A film director of epic proportions, James Cameron shines in this year’s “Avatar.” Taking him around 15 years to complete, Cameron is most deserving of an Oscar in this truly groundbreaking and glorious cinematic experience. James Cameron did a beautiful job putting this 3-D movie together, and this film will remain a marvel for many years to come.

Best Actor — Morgan Freeman

The man has literally played God. He’s been the President of the United States, and more recently the voice of the Olympics. Freeman does not just play a role in “Invictus,” he becomes Nelson Mandela. He takes on the dramatic political climate effortlessly and delivers a profoundly moving performance. Freeman is our top choice for Actor in a Leading Role because just as the real Mandela made all South Africans believe in their country, Freeman makes the audience believe in the power of unity over extreme diversity.

Best Actress — Sandra Bullock

Formerly pegged as “America’s sweetheart,” Sandra Bullock has been a rom-com queen since the 1990s. Like with most goofy comedic actresses, critics have had a hard time taking Bullock seriously. That is, until her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy in the bio/drama “The Blind Side” based on the life of Ravens offensive left tackle Michael Oher — a role she almost turned down. This is the first Academy Award nomination for Bullock, and while many have predicted a snub, her Golden Globe win has given the actress some more weight in her category.

Best Supporting Actor — Chris Waltz

I need an actor, a great actor. He must be fluent in French, German and have a unique mastery of English. Intimidated? So was Quentin Tarantino, who nearly pulled the plug on “Inglourious Basterds” before casting virtually unknown Austrian actor Christoph Waltz. Waltz has received nods for his role as charismatic “Jew Hunter” Col. Hans Landa from the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs, and a win for Best Actor from the Cannes Film Festival. Later this year, Waltz is due to square off against “The Green Hornet” (Seth Rogen) as the film’s crime boss, Chudnofsky. The Austrian will also portray Sigmund Freud in “The Talking Cure,” which is due to hit theaters in 2011.

Best Supporting Actress — Mo’Nique

Mo’Nique won the Golden Globe in January for Best Supporting Actress in the movie “Precious.” Thus far, “Precious” has accumulated six Oscar nominations, and now it seems that Mo’Nique will be nominated for an Oscar as well. However, Mo’Nique might have hurt her chances for the Oscars when she gave Lionsgate’s executives and the movie’s financial backers, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, a big attitude about what her salary should be.

Best Animated Film — “Up”

Released by Disney’s Pixar, “Up” offers us the story of Carl Fredricksen, a crotchety old widower who builds a balloon empire and takes off in his newly helium-dependent floating house in search of Paradise Island, a South American paradise that he had vowed to visit with his late wife. Along the way, we meet Russell — a charming young wilderness explorer who will stop at nothing to get his last merit badge for helping the elderly — as well as an evil scientist, the exotic species of bird that he tries to capture and a world where dogs are able to speak English through a simple device attached to their collars. This heartwarming tale brings together the importance of love, comedy, dignity, compassion and the desire to chase dreams no matter how old we may become.