The 84th Academy Awards are set to broadcast on ABC on Feb. 26 from the Kodak Theatre.

It is notoriously difficult to predict what the Academy will choose, but these films, actors and directors are the ones I believe will be frontrunners. Watch the Oscars a month from now to see if I was correct.

Best Picture

The film “The Artist” is a respectable front runner because Michael Hazanavicius’ film is an interesting, daring story of a 1927 silent movie star. The comedy-drama starring Dean Dujardin does not have any dialogue. It focuses on his character George Valentin’s fear that talking pictures will force him out of his job.

“The Descendants” is a tear-jerker about a troubled man who takes his daughters to Kauai, Hawaii to confront the man that his wife had an affair with. Here’s the catch: his wife is on life support because of a boating accident.

“Moneyball” is in contention because of Brad Pitt’s fantastic performance as a failed baseball player, Billy Beane. Beane is the Oakland Athletics’ general manager and comes up with an unorthodox idea that he believes is best way to win. This gutsy film, that’s based on a true story, turns America’s sweet pastime into our fast-paced society.

My prediction: “The Descendants.”

Best Actress

Although Meryl Streep has already won many Academy Awards, her empowering performance as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” will make it hard for her to come second to anyone. The movie depicts the price that the women paid for power. Streep was the perfect choice for the strong-willed British Prime Minister.

The Tony Award-winning actress Viola Davis plays a pivotal role as Aibileen Clark in “The Help.” What is so impressive about Davis in this novel-gone-movie is that the most important part of her role was facial expressions; she didn’t have very much dialogue.

Michelle Williams is a possible winner of Best Actress because she captured Marilyn Monroe’s spontaneous personality perfectly in “My Week with Marilyn.” The film is an inside look at an interaction between Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Oliver.

My Prediction: Viola Davis, “The Help”

Best Actor

No matter how many movies Brad Pitt has been in, he is always a fan favorite.

His performance in “Moneyball” as a built-to-win general manager showcases his ability to be calm and collected, yet aggressive and determined. The high school star turned Minor League washout challenges baseball’s old-fashioned tactics and focuses only on role playing run producers.

Leonardo DiCaprio captures the president with a hidden fear, speaking, perfectly in J. Edgar. This heart throb transformed his young looks into those of a stressed out 77-year-old president. DiCaprio describes Hoover “as completely unsympathetic to a very important time in our country where we were going through some major transformation.” He plays that role very well.

In today’s politically-stimulating modernized world, “The Ides of March” is quite the refreshing film. Ryan Gosling, an actor who is quickly gaining popularity, stars in this George Clooney film. Gosling plays a young idealistic press secretary, Stephen Meyers.

My prediction: Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Director

With his brilliant silent film, “The Artist,” at the top of almost every Oscar prediction list, Michael Hazanavicius is a top contender for Best Director. What would make the feat of winning Best Director even more glorious is that he made this comedy-drama with no dialogue. Hazanavicius completed this task with flying colors.

Martin Scorsese’s 3-D film “Hugo” is quickly gaining  attention – so much so that it has already been nominated for 11 awards by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for the Critics’ Choice Awards. Scorsese’s adaptation about a 1930’s orphan is based off of Brian Selznick’s award-winning novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

Alexander Payne is no stranger to the Oscars; he’s been nominated for three of them. In 2005, Payne won an Oscar for co-writing “Sideways” and was nominated for Best Director because of that film. “The Descendants” has already been positively reviewed because of great acting by George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. Don’t count out Alexander Payne for Best Director.

My prediction: Michael Hazanavicius, “The Artist”