This Thursday morning, Oscar nominations will be announced in Los Angeles. As I noted recently, all 5 nominations for Best Picture are already locked up, but that doesn't mean there won't be surprises in other categories.

Here are my predictions for how things will shake out on Thursday in 6 major categories...

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

The PGA, DGA, and WGA are all in agreement on these 5 movies, so it seems no one else will crash this party. That means WALL•E will have to settle for a nomination in the animated film category. Otherwise, there are no other contenders. There were high hopes early for Revolutionary Road and The Reader, but once those films were released, the acclaim for each was limited to Kate Winslet's performances.

Best Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk

Most years you can count on 1 or 2 films not nominated for Best Picture to sneak in here, but this year doesn't seem to be one of them. Nolan looks to be on the shakiest ground since his movie was the kind of blockbuster that rarely sees award season love. That leaves the door open a crack for Stephen Daldry (The Reader) or Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky), but each of those films will be lucky to eke out a single acting nomination.

Best Actor
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
MIckey Rourke - The Wrestler

This is really a two horse race between Penn and Rourke, with the latter taking a post-Golden Globes lead. The other 3 slots are pretty wide open. Sentimentality for what may be Eastwood's final on-screen role should garner him a nod, while Langella's channeling of Richard Nixon looks like another safe-ish bet. When The Visitor opened in theaters last summer, Jenkins received a lot of well-deserved Oscar talk, but his small picture could be forgotten by voters by now. If so, Brad Pitt may get a token nomination for Best Picture contender Benjamin Button.

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Hathaway was a strong favorite here for most of last year, so her place is assured. Perennials Streep and Winslet seem like no-brainers, too, while Jolie seems to (inexplicably) be on everyone's short list for her scenery chewing performance. Hawkins, winner of a Golden Globe and several critics' awards is the logical 5th nominee, but oddly enough she seems the least certain. If she falters, either Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy) or SAG nominee Melissa Leo (Frozen River) could be a surprise contender.

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

Don't look for a lot of surprises here, as Brolin, Downey, Hoffman, and Ledger have all been virtual locks for quite some time. Patel should benefit from Slumdog's transformation into an Oscar heavyweight, but if not, Tom Cruise seems most likely to step in for his jaw droppingly hilarious performance in Tropic Thunder.

Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Cruz took several critics' awards early to help her cause, while Davis more than held her own among all the acting heavyweights in Doubt. In addition, Winslet's stock grew considerably after her double win at the Golden Globes, including a victory in this category. That leaves 3 actresses battling it out for the remaining 2 nods: Henson, Tomei and Doubt's Amy Adams. Henson and Adams both have SAG nominations on their side, and while Henson's small role in Benjamin Button is exactly what Oscar loves, Adams will probably see her nomination go to Tomei as part of a very late surge from The Wrestler.