Joel Siegel's Oscar Predictions

Jan. 26 -- Everyone in Hollywood wakes up early Tuesday, when Academy Award nominations are announced. Until then, here are my predictions.

Only five nominees get to compete in each category. Here are five picks in the most closely watched contests. The sixth choice in each category, marked by asterisks, won't make the cut — but I wish they should.

Best Picture

Cold Mountain Mystic River Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Lost in Translation Seabiscuit

**Finding Nemo

Best Actor Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog Jude Law, Cold Mountain Bill Murray, Lost in Translation Sean Penn, Mystic River **Paul Giamatti, American Splendor

Best Actress Patricia Clarkson, The Station Agent Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give Nicole Kidman, Cold Mountain Charlize Theron, Monster Naomi Watts, 21 Grams **Jamie Lee Curtis, Freaky Friday

Best Supporting Actor Sean Astin, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Alec Baldwin, The Cooler Benicio del Toro, 21 Grams Tim Robbins, Mystic River Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai **Djimon Honsou, In America

Best Supporting Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April Holly Hunter, Thirteen Scarlett Johansen, Lost in Translation Renée Zellweger, Cold Mountain **Emma Bolger, In America

Best Director Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation Clint Eastwood, Mystic River Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Anthony Minghella, Cold Mountain Gary Ross, Seabiscuit

**Jim Sheridan, In America

For more on the 76th Annual Academy Awards, go to www.Oscar.com.