With the eighty-fourth Academy Awards just around the corner on Feb. 26, we make our picks for winners. No money bets, sorry folks.

Best Picture: The Artist
Paying homage to the silent, black-and-white film era of the 1920s, The Artist is a breath of fresh air in an industry dominated by fast-paced action and disorder. A look into the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood, The Artist delves into the lives of George Valentin, a famous silent movie star threatened by the appearance of talkies and Peppy Miller, a wannabe actor whose life changes after a publicized photo with Valentin. Leading the pack with 11 Oscar nominations, The Artist has critics raving about everything from the actors to the screenplay to the score.

Click here to read our Arts Editor’s reviews of the other best picture nominees here.

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Scorsese is undoubtedly a film legend. This year, Scorsese is nominated for Hugo, a film about a boy who lives in Paris and must solve a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. Known for much darker films, like Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, Scorsese does well with his first children’s movie. With a Golden Globe for Hugo under Scorsese’s belt, an Oscar may not be too far behind.

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
On one hand, we have breakthrough actor Jean Dujardin, who charmed audiences with his charismatic performance as George Valentin in The Artist. On the other hand, popular Hollywood veterans Brad Pitt and George Clooney, are also contenders with strong performances. However, the Academy tends to pair Best Picture and Best Actor, and this year seems to be the year of the underdogs, which may mean a win for Dujardin.

Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
In The Help, an enduring film about racial injustice in the 1960s, Davis is convincing as Aibileen, a black maid who works for a white family. She plays all the emotions just right and delivers her lines with overwhelming emotion. However, Meryl Streep’s shadow looms over Davis, after a brilliant portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (an otherwise mediocre film).

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer
In Beginners, Plummer plays an endearingly real character as Hal Fields, an elderly man with cancer who has also just come out of the closet to his son. Just as heavy as it sounds, Plummer is both sublime and full of life.

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer
Although some gold would be nice for Bérénice Bejo or Janet McTeer, fresh talents with charming performances, Spencer shines as the favourite, single-handedly adding sass and spirit to The Help.