The Oscars 2012 – Meryl Streep wins Best Actress

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The King is here to deliver his speech… aka Colin Firth. He is up to present the Best Actress Award. He speaks fondly of each nominee, their achievement in film and in particular this year. Who wins?

Meryl Streep wins

“Oh my God. Oh come on. Alright. Thank you so much. Thank you thank you. When they called my name I had this feeling half of America going aah come alive, her again. But whatever. First I’m going to thank Don. I want him to know everything I value in our lives you’ve given me…. I just want to thank all my colleagues, all my friends. I see my life before my eyes. Really, this is such an honour. The thing that counts the most with me are the friendships. Thank you for this inextricably wonderful career.”

The Oscars 2012 – Hugo, Christopher Plummer

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Ben Stiller and Emma Stone are up to present the Achievement in Visual Effects. She’s very excited to be on the stage to present an award at the Oscars. She’s poking fun at all the presenters gone by in the past. Singing, doing the ever-so rehearsed antiques so many of the presenters go through every year. That was fun.

Hugo wins the award in this category.”I know it’s a huge thrill to be nominated, but it’s awesome to win. Really underrated.” The winners thanked Martin Scorsese once again.

Melissa Leo is up to present the Best Supporting Actor Award. And that award goes to… Christopher Plummer for his role in The Beginners. He is the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar. He gets a standing ovation.

Holding the Oscar in his hand he says, “You’re only two years older than me darling, where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make, when I first emerged from my mother’s womb, I was already rehearsing my Academy thank you speech. But it was so long ago, mercifully for you, I’ve forgotten it. But I haven’t forgotten who to thank. The Academy, of course, for this extraordinary honor and my fellow nominees: Kenneth, Nick, Jonah, dear Max, I’m so proud to be in your company. And of course I wouldn’t be here at all if it weren’t for Michael Mills and his enchanting film, “Beginners,” and my screen partner of course, Ewan McGregor, that superb artist, who I would happily share this award with if I had any decency, but I don’t.

To all the producers, at Olympus Films especially, Leslie Urdang and Miranda de Pencier. All the people at Focus for their tremendous generosity and support, and not to mention my, haha, little band of agents provocateurs: Lou Pitt and his wife Berta, Carter Cohn, Pippa Markham, Perry Zimel, who’ve tried so hard to keep me out of jail, my daughter Amanda who always makes me proud and lastly, my long-suffering wife, Elaine, who deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life. Thank you so much.”

The 84th Academy Awards are here

Awards season is coming to an end and while you might be sad that the glitz, the glamour and the prestigious ceremonies are ending for another season, there’s still one major awards show to go. That being the 84th Academy Awards, which happens tonight (tomorrow morning if you’re in my timezone). Will The Artist take home top honours at the awards? Who will win between Viola, Meryl and Michelle? It’s anyone’s guess at this point, but it’s going to be awesome nonetheless. Check out a complete list of nominations below and be sure to check back in later on for more from the red carpet, the awards and more.

1.     BEST PICTURE

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

The Help, The Artist win big at the SAG Awards

We’re heading closer and closer to the biggest night in film, with the Academy Awards a little under a month away.

The latest awards show took place last night, that being the Screen Actors Guild Awards. We’ve seen early wins from The Artist and The Help at other award shows and that hasn’t stopped them here. Jean DuJardin is bound to win his first Academy Award, as he walked away with the Best Actor in a Lead Role award. Meryl Streep took home the Golden Globe recently for her role in The Iron Lady. When she got her Oscar nomination nodd, it seemed as if she’d be well on her way to Oscar glory. That was until Viola Davis won the award last night for her role in The Help. Right now it’s anyone’s game and one thing’s for sure, it’s going to get interesting.

 

Others winners worth mentioning? The Boardwalk Empire crew, Betty White and the rest of her Hot in Cleveland cast as well as the ever awesome and hilarious Modern Family team. Well done to all the winners (and nominees). Check out the full list of winners below:

And the 2012 Oscars Nominees are?

Today is the day many actors, filmmakers and industry experts and employees have been waiting for- the Academy Awards nominations. The 2012 nominees will be announced at 15:30, South African time. Who will be in the running to take home the coveted award?

George Clooney, Jean DuJardin, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are bound to feature in the list of nominees for their roles in a lead role. The Artist and The Help have enjoyed early wins this awards season and they’re bound to continue on that winning tip, well at least in terms of nominations that is. The Descendants, Hugo and Moneyball are bound to feature too.

In terms of the ladies, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close will surely get nominated. Will our golden girl Charlize Theron get yet another Oscar nod for her role in Young Adult? I think so. I think Michelle Williams will get one too.

Scorsese, Clooney and Allen will go up against Alexander Payne(The Descendants) and Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist) in the Best Director category. I think this is going to be one of the most hotly contested categories and the one to watch out for.

Overall, The Artist seems like a firm favourite this year. Let’s reconvene at 15:30 to find out who will be in the running for one of Academy Awards, the 84th of its kind.

2012 Golden Globes- Meryl Streep wins Best Actress

Last year’s Academy Award winner Colin Firth is up to present the award Best Actress. The Golden Globe goes to Meryl Streep for her role in The Iron Lady.

“Oh my God. Well. When Ricky Gervais deal fell through and they came to me to play Margret Thatcher. I can’t joke. This is such a thrill. I shiiiiiiit I forgot my glasses. I know I’m going to leave people out. I just want to thank my agent and God (Harvey Weinstein). The Punisher, Old Testament I guess. Everyone in England who let me come and trample all over their history. All the cast and crew who made this for twenty five cents and twenty five minutes. I love you Viola. You’re my girl.”

Critics Choice Awards- Winners

Best Picture:
The Hurt Locker

Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side & Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress:
Mo’Nique- Precious

Best Young Actor/Actress:
Saoirse Ronan- The Lovely Bones

Best Acting Ensemble:
Inglourious Basterds

Best Directing:
Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Original Screenplay:
Quentin Tarantino- Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner- Up In The Air

Best Cinematography
Mauro Fiore- Avatar

Best Art Direction:
Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg- Avatar

Best Editing:
Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameraon- Avatar

Best Costume Design:
Sandy Powell- The Young Victoria

Best Makeup:
District 9

Best Visual Effects:
Avatar

Best Sound:
Avatar

Best Animated Feature:
Up

Best Action Movie:
Avatar

Best Comedy:
The Hangover

Best Picture Made For Television:
Grey Gardens

Best Foreign Language Film:
Broken Embraces

Best Documentary Feature:
The Cove

Screen Actors Guild Awards- nominees

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“The Hurt Locker”
“Precious”
“Nine”
“An Education”
“Inglourious Basterds”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Diane Kruger, “Inglourious Basterds”
Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”

Outstanding Stunt Ensemble:
“Public Enemies”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“The Closer”
“Dexter”
“The Good Wife”
“Mad Men”
“True Blood”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“30 Rock”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Glee”
“Modern Family”
“The Office”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Simon Baker, “The Mentalist”
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie, “House”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette, “Medium”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?”
Toni Collette, “The United States of Tara”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance”
Cuba Gooding, Jr., “Gifted Hands”
Jeremy Irons, “Georgia O”Keefe”
Kevin Kline, “Great Performances: Cyrano de Bergerac”
Tom Wilkinson, “A Number”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Joan Allen, “Georgia O’Keefe”
Drew Barrymore, “Grey Gardens”
Ruby Dee, “America”
Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens”
Sigourney Weaver, “Prayers for Bobby”

Outstanding Stunt Ensemble:
“24″
“The Closer”
“Dexter”
“Heroes”
“The Unit”

A busy few hours

While musicians gear up for the big night in music, across the pond actors and actresses are walking the wet, red carpet for this year’s BAFTAs taking place in London. Singer Alesha Dixon, who was recently in South Africa (Check it out) was presenting on the red carpet alongside Steve Jones. Both of them seemed a little starstruck, as some of the biggest names walked past them. The Branjelina bunch were there; fresh from their promo trip to the East, as was Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Meryl Streep, Mickey Rouke and Kate Winslet. Winslet was asked how she was feeling ahead of the ceremony, to which she said she was extremely nervous because of this being her hometown etc. Kate fear not, I’m sure you’ll be fine. For more on the BAFTAs read movie critic, Rob McKay’s blog here and to see all the latest trailers click here