In many ways the Critics Choice Awards are just as good, if not a better gauge of how the Oscars are going to go than the Golden Globes. Granted, there are no Academy members who vote for either of those award shows (unlike the guilds, where there are some crossover members with the Academy.) 

Here are is a breakdown of the how many times in the last 14 years that the Critics Choice and Oscars have coincided in a few choice categories:

best picture: 9/14  |  best director:  12/14  |  best actor: 10/14  |  best actress: 8/14  

Here is the same information for the Golden Globes. (Keep in mind, however, that the Golden Globes splits awards between Comedy & Musical and Drama, so I’m counting the Best Picture/Actor/Actress at the Oscar won either of those categories)

best picture: 9/14  |  best director 9/14  |  best actor: 9/14  |  best actress:  11/14

(although Kate Winslet won last year for The Reader as supporting actress at the Globes, I’m still counting that as the Globes/Oscars coinciding)

That being said I think it’s definitely Sandra Bullock vs. Meryl Streep for Best Actress. I think for Gabby Sidibe and Carey Mulligan, the nomination is the prize. 

I also think we’re going to see a shattered glass ceiling on March 7th as Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman ever to win Best Director.

I’ve yet to see The Hurt Locker, mostly due to my living in the middle of nowhere when it was released and Netflix being evil now that it’s out on dvd. I will see it before the Oscars if it kills me.