From golden pond... a newly minted Academy Award, destined to be handed out at the 79th annual Oscars ceremony on February 25, gets its bath in 24-karat gold. Photograph: Tannen Maury/EPA
Half of Hollywood will be literally waking up with Salma Hayek tomorrow morning, collectively dusting the sleep from their eyes as the actor prepares to reel off the nominations for this year's Academy Awards. The announcement - at the ungodly hour of 5.30 am (PST) - sets off the annual celebrity cavalcade that culminates on the evening of February 25th.
You don't have to be Nostradamus to predict most names that will feature on the list. Previous awards have already anointed the likes of Scorsese, Mirren, Whitaker and DiCaprio as this year's Oscar favourites. But the Academy is a rum body, made up of some rum voters, and they usually toss in a few wild cards for good measure. Last year Terrence Howard caught most observers flat-footed when he cropped up among the nominees for best actor.
So think of this as a chance to have your say before Salma has hers. What names will positively-definitely be nominated? What surprise choices will sneak in under the wire? And what titles, stars or directors really should be nominated but almost certainly won't be? Needless to say we shall be here to cover the announcement live on the site, no doubt shaking our heads at the sheer addle-brained injustice of it all. Oscar wouldn't be Oscar without the grouch.
