Nearly ready ... Oscar statuettes are plated in Chicago. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images Best picture War Horse, Artist, Moneyball, Descendants, Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Help, Hugo, Extremely Loud Original screenplay The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, Margin Call, A Separation Adapted screenplay Payne, Hugo, Ides of March, Moneyball, Tinker Director: Hazanavicius, Payne, Scorsese, Allen, Mallick Actor Clooney, Bichir, Dujardin, Oldman, Pitt Actress, Close, Davies, Mara, Streep, Williams Supporting actor Branangh Nolte, Hill, Plummer. Von Sydow Supporting Actress. Bejo. Chastian, McCarthy, McTeer, Spencer. 1.39pm: It's the news we've all been waiting for. 1.38pm: Horns. And Tom Sherak is up. Introducing Jennifer Lawrence. 1.37pm: One minute to air. 1.36pm: We've had the three minute warning. Here's another one: in an effort to keep up, we'll be making this liveblog as bald as possible. So - expect surnames. And typos. 1.34pm: Well, it's begun, sort of. The stage is set, there's a bubbly Oscars backdrop and mild chatter. 1.26pm: Best supporting actress: lockdowns are Help tagteam Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain, plus Bérénice Bejo. Then - who knows? Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs? Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids? Shailene Woodley for The Descendants? Or even Carey Mulligan for either Shame or Drive? 1.23pm: Supporting actor now. Christopher Plummer, never the bride, has to be in there, likewise Albert Brooks and Jonah Hill. And then it gets interesting: Kenneth Branagh, anyone? Patton Oswalt? Even Max Von Sydow or Armie Hammer? 1.19pm: Best director looks certain to find space for Michel Hazanavicius, Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen. We're rooting for Terrence Malick to bring up the rear, but David Fincher and Tate Taylor are probably more likely. And is the Academy actually going to snub Steven Spielberg? We're still not totally convinced. 1.17pm: Best actress is the strongest field in years. Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Michelle Williams and Viola Davis are dead certs. It's the fifth spot that proves the hardest to call. Tilda Swinton has a chance, but then so too do Rooney Mara and Charlize Theron. 1.13pm: OK: best actor. Clooney, as discussed, is the frontrunner. Jean Dujardin, Brad Pitt look certain to be bridesmaids. In a slightly weak year, it looks probable Shame's x-rated content won't prevent Michael Fassbender from getting a nod. But who will fill out the fifth spot? Might Gary Oldman get lucky? Or will Leonardo DiCaprio's old-school latex turn deliver the goods. The only other man who could sneak in is - fingers crossed, Michael Shannon - for Take Shelter. 1.08pm: Some quick predictions before they're proved wrong. For best picture, The Artist is surely a lockdown, likewise The Help, The Descendants, Hugo and Midnight in Paris. But who knows how many nominations there will be this year. It might stay at five, but it might go all the way to 10. If so, there will probably be space in there somewhere for Moneyball, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and War Horse. Might The Tree of Life buck its trend and see some light? Might Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy capitalise on its Bafta love last week? And might Bridesmaids or even Drive warrant a space. At this stage, it looks like the Academy's Clooney love will be sated by lavishing honours on The Descendants. But could The Ides of March sneak a mention? 1.06pm: Get primed on the imminent announcement by reading Joshua Alston's picks of the flicks. 1.01pm: The countdown is on - just 37 minutes to go until this year's Oscar nominations are unveiled in Los Angeles. Join us as we attempt to type as fast as Jennifer Lawrence talks.