It’s late February, and we all know what that means. No, not Mardi Gras. It’s time for the Oscars!

Yes, it’s already time to sit back, relax and watch the three-hour award ceremony that honors the best films of the year.

The biggest nominees this year include “12 Years a Slave,” which tells the story of a free black man in 1841 who is drugged and sold into slavery. We also have “Gravity,” which tells the tale of a woman who is stranded in space following an accident at the Hubble Telescope and must fight for survival. Then there’s “Her,” the film following a writer in the near future who falls in love with an OS.

Needless to say, there are countless great films nominated this year. But, what films and actors will win, and who will go home empty-handed? We’ve got our top picks right here:

**Best Picture:** _“Gravity”_

This is such a hard category to judge: the nine films nominated are all A-level films. That said, there are a few that stand out above the rest.

We struggled with choosing between “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave.” This year, the race for best picture has been closer than ever, as these two films tied for the honors at the Producer’s Guild Awards.

This was a toss up, but “Gravity” just has more pull, in our opinion. While “12 Years” was a startling and edgy look at slavery just before the Civil War, “Gravity” is a film that grabs hold of an audience and flings them into space, alone and scared with Sandra Bullock.

It’s a tough choice, but we think “Gravity” will pull it off.

**Best Directing:** _Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”_

There is no denying that Alfonso Cuarón’s direction of “Gravity” was superb, to say the least. Although he is up against names such as Steve McQueen and David O. Russell, Cuarón let “Gravity” take hold of the audience in a way that should earn him the title of “Best Director.”

**Best Actor in a Leading Role:** _Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”_

While the nominated actors for this category are all incredibly talented individuals, it’s hard to see Matthew McConaughey not winning this year.

The only real competition McConaughey has is Chiwetel Ejiofer from “12 Years a Slave.” Even then, McConaughey’s performance in “Dallas Buyers Club” was the best of his career, and one of the best of the year. While every ounce of our being wants Leo to win his first Oscar, we’re afraid this is not his year.

**Best Actress in a Leading Role:** _Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”_

Cate Blanchett basically has this in the bag. While Sandra Bullock was incredible in “Gravity” and Amy Adams memorable in “American Hustle,” no one has stopped talking about Blanchett’s performance in “Blue Jasmine” since the film’s release.

Her competition is limited at best, and the chances of an upset are slim to none.

**Best Actor in a Supporting Role:** _Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”_

This is another sure-fire win. Leto did incredible work for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club,” and even with the likes of Jonah Hill running against him, there is little to no chance that Leto will lose.

Also, he’s swept the awards season (excluding the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award, for which he was not nominated), making him pretty difficult to pass up for the Oscar.

**Best Actress in a Supporting Role:** _Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”_

Another tough category, the race for Best Supporting Actress is essentially a competition between Nyong’o and Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle”.

While both gave absolutely stunning performances, the difference is the fact the Lawrence won last year. While that seems something small to base this decision on, almost no actress has ever won an Oscar two years in a row. Lawrence’s performance was also slightly weaker than Nyong’o’s, so we do think that breakout actress Nyongo’o will be winning her first Oscar this year.