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Oscars 2017 predictions: It’s down to Moonlight and La La Land now

While it is still weeks until the 89th Annual Academy Awards ceremony goes down, speculations are already brewing.

• By: Fukres |
• February 2, 2017 5:40 pm

The 89th Annual Academy Awards are to be held this month on 26th and while it is still weeks until the ceremony goes down, speculations are already brewing. The ceremony, which is to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. While La La Land bagged a whopping 14 nominations, its success at the Golden Globes hints towards a possibly dry spell at the Oscars. Anyway, that’s for the future to tell. Until then, check out our predictions for this year’s Academy Awards.

Best picture
La La Land
Moonlight
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Fences
Lion
Hidden Figures
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water

Our Prediction: Moonlight
La La Land seems to be done sweeping the awards. It is expected to take a step back and let some other films take the statuette. Although there has been a lot of chit-chat about the underdog, Hidden Figures, Moonlight is still a ground-breaking film that deserves to win.

Best Actress

Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Our Prediction: Natalie Portman
While Emma Stone usually comes to mind in this category (thanks to the hype), Natalie Portman was utterly brilliant in her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy. Golden Globe winner Isabelle Huppert is also in the race and could just as easily emerge as the winner.

Best Actor

Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Our Prediction: Denzel Washington
To please the fans, Ryan Gosling might just win in this category but Denzel Washington truly deserves this award for his role in Fences.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Our Prediction: Mahershala Ali
Had Aaron Taylor-Johnson been nominated for Nocturnal Animals instead, I’d rather name him but, with the current nominees, the winner is quite obvious.

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

Our Prediction: Viola Davis
I see Viola Davis fighting for the top slot with Octavia Spencer in this category but for now, I’m placing my bets on Viola.

Best Director

Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Our Prediction: Damien Chazelle
Let’s give this one to La La Land. The craft with which Chazelle pulled off his passion for music, specifically jazz, made for a refreshing cinematographic experience.

Best Original Score

Mica Levi, Jackie
Justin Hurwitz, La La Land
Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka, Lion
Nicholas Britell, Moonlight
Thomas Newman, Passengers

Our Prediction: La La Land
With songs like ‘City of Stars’, La La Land is the undeniable winner in this category. After all, a musical without a good soundtrack is no musical at all.

Best Original Song

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” La La Land
“Can’t Stop The Feeling,” Trolls
“City of Stars,” La La Land
“The Empty Chair,” Jim: The James Foley Story
“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana

Our Prediction: City of Stars
A real neck-and-neck between Moana’s ‘How Far I’ll Go’ and La La Land’s ‘City of Stars’. But, given the hype surrounding the movie, the latter would probably take the cake with this one.

Best Animated Feature Film

Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Our Prediction: Moana
Disney’s animated film surrounding a headstrong, young, female lead has been quite popular among the masses for its great story and breathtakingly beautiful music.

Best Animated Short Film

Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper

Our Prediction: Borrowed Time
The heart-rending tale of an old man is expressed elegantly by Pixar. In the short span of a couple of minutes, Borrowed Time managed to connect with the viewer and certainly exceed the other nominees, even Piper.