As a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), I vote in the Critics' Choice Movie Awards. They air January 12 on VH1, and my wife and I will be in the audience (look for the tall couple, she'll be in some impressive heels). Every year I list my ballot before the awards. Thanks again to the BFCA for allowing me to do this. The Oscars are a secret. You never see the ballot of Meryl Streep, George Clooney or Martin Scorsese come awards time. I’m not a fan of that. I know they don’t want to admit they have favorites, but I do. My ballot is below, and I think all critics should show what they consider the best, whether they vote in the OFCS (Online Film Critics Society), CFCA (Chicago Film Critics Society), or Golden Globes.

The 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominations - with my choices in italics (without the bullet).

Best Picture • The Artist • The Descendants • Drive • Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close • The Help Hugo • Midnight in Paris • Moneyball • The Tree of Life • War Horse

Best Actor • George Clooney – “The Descendants” • Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar” • Jean Dujardin – “The Artist” • Michael Fassbender – “Shame” Ryan Gosling – “Drive” • Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”

Best Actress • Viola Davis – “The Help” • Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene” • Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady” • Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin” Charlize Theron – “Young Adult” • Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”

Best Supporting Actor • Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn” • Albert Brooks – “Drive” • Nick Nolte – “Warrior” • Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult” Christopher Plummer – “Beginners” • Andy Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Best Supporting Actress • Berenice Bejo – “The Artist” Jessica Chastain – “The Help” • Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids” • Carey Mulligan – “Shame” • Octavia Spencer – “The Help” • Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

Best Young Actor/Actress Asa Butterfield – “Hugo” • Elle Fanning – “Super 8” • Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” • Ezra Miller – “We Need to Talk About Kevin” • Saoirse Ronan – “Hanna” • Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

Best Acting Ensemble • The Artist • Bridesmaids • The Descendants The Help • The Ides of March

Best Director • Stephen Daldry – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” • Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist” • Alexander Payne – “The Descendants” • Nicolas Winding Refn – “Drive” Martin Scorsese – “Hugo” • Steven Spielberg – “War Horse”

Best Original Screenplay • “The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius • “50/50” – Will Reiser “Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen • “Win Win” – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni • “Young Adult” – Diablo Cody

Best Adapted Screenplay • “The Descendants” – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash • “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” – Eric Roth • “The Help” – Tate Taylor “Hugo” – John Logan • “Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

Best Cinematography • “The Artist” – Guillaume Schiffman • “Drive” – Newton Thomas Sigel • “Hugo” – Robert Richardson “The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki • “War Horse” – Janusz Kaminski

Best Art Direction • “The Artist” – Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Set Decorator: Robert Gould • “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” – Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan “Hugo” – Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo • “The Tree of Life” – Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Set Decorator: Jeanette Scott • “War Horse” – Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales

Best Editing “The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion • “Drive” – Matthew Newman • “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall • “Hugo” – Thelma Schoonmaker • “War Horse” – Michael Kahn

Best Costume Design • “The Artist” – Mark Bridges • “The Help” – Sharen Davis “Hugo” – Sandy Powell • “Jane Eyre” – Michael O’Connor • “My Week With Marilyn” – Jill Taylor

Best Makeup • Albert Nobbs • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 • The Iron Lady J. Edgar • My Week With Marilyn

Best Visual Effects • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 • Hugo Rise of the Planet of the Apes • Super 8 • The Tree of Life

Best Sound • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 • Hugo Super 8 • The Tree of Life • War Horse

Best Animated Feature • The Adventures of Tintin • Arthur Christmas • Kung Fu Panda 2 • Puss in Boots Rango

Best Action Movie Drive • Fast Five • Hanna • Rise of the Planet of the Apes • Super 8

Best Comedy • Bridesmaids • Crazy, Stupid, Love • Horrible Bosses • Midnight in Paris The Muppets

Best Foreign Language Film In Darkness • Le Havre • A Separation • The Skin I Live In • Where Do We Go Now

Best Documentary Feature • Buck • Cave of Forgotten Dreams • George Harrison: Living in the Material World • Page One: Inside the New York Times Project Nim • Undefeated

Best Song • “Hello Hello” – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – Gnomeo & Juliet “Life’s a Happy Song” – performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets • “The Living Proof” – performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas – The Help • “Man or Muppet” – performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets • “Pictures in My Head” – performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman – The Muppets

Best Score “The Artist” – Ludovic Bource • “Drive” – Cliff Martinez • “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross • “Hugo” – Howard Shore • “War Horse” – John Williams