The Best Director Oscar category is always one that is tightly contested - and this time around that tradition it set to continue.
There are some real directing heavyweights that are in with a shot of waltzing away with this prestigious prize and, as of yet, there is no clear frontrunner.
There may be no favourite but there are plenty of names that are being banded around so we have taken at those we expect to see nominated.
Tom Hooper has already done the Best Director/Best Picture double and he could be set to do it for a second time with his new movie Les Miserables.
Les Mis is the first film for Hooper since his The King's Speech triumph and all of the early noise about the new movie is that it is going to be a musical epic.
The secret screening last weekend had audience members weeping and raving - not to mention that the movie and the cast who came on stage at the end got a standing ovation.
It has been quite a while since there has been a musical that has been making this much noise and gaining this much support that Hooper could well be on for more awards success.
Steven Spielberg is back in the director's chair with his new movie Lincoln - which is a bio-pic about the later years of Abraham Lincoln.
The movie has been a hit at the U.S. box office but UK cinema go-ers will not see the movie until the end of January 2013.
Lincoln is a movie that is being raved about as Spielberg concentrates on Lincoln's battle to end slavery and the Civil War, rather than trying to cram his whole life into just two hours.
Spielberg may have two Best Director Oscars already under his belt, for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, but it has been nearly fifteen years since he was last recognised - this very well could be his year.
I would love to see Ben Affleck nominated for his first Best Director Oscar as he really does deserve the recognition.
Not only is Argo a fantastic movie but it was his third directing triumph on the bounce - Gone Baby Gone and The Town also being fantastic and yet he was not nominated for either.
But Argo has been winning support left, right and centre and Affleck has been tipped as a possible Oscar contender for some time.
With this movie Affleck demonstrated that he is a real talent behind the camera and if he doesn't this year he is bound to be honoured at some point if he keeps producing movies like this.
Silver Linings Playbook is another movie that has been wowing critics and audiences in recent week as David O.Russell returns to the director's chair.
It is the first directorial outing for Russell since he was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture for The Fighter.
And he could well find Silver Lining Playbook nominated in both of those categories and more as it is a movie that is a heartwarming triumph.
There is a real magic to this film and Russell really has captured the essence of the novel.
If these four directors are not nominated then it really is a travesty as they have produced some fantastic work this year.
That leaves a single spot open and we could see that filled by Peter Jackson for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey or Kathryn Bigelow as she makes her return with Zero Dark Thirty.
Best Director is going to be one of the most closely fought categories at the Oscars this year as so many great movies have hit the big screen.
The Oscar nominations are announced 10th January
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Ben Affleck Stephen Spielberg Tom Hooper