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Oscars 2017: Who Will Win?

2017 Oscar Predictions


This year there is no mystery as to which movie is going to be the big winner on Oscar night, as La La Land is sure to dominate. That movie earned a record tying 14 nominations and will undoubtedly win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. The question now becomes just how many of those nominations will turn into wins. I do not think it's going to break the record for most wins (which is currently at 11 held by Ben-Hur, Titanic, and The Return of the King). Tying the record is certainly possible, but I think 10 wins sounds about right. To see a complete list of nominees, click here.

Here are my predictions with analysis on some of the major categories:

Best Picture: La La Land

There's nothing to analyze here - La La Land is going to win. 

Best Actor: Denzel Washington, Fences 

This is probably the toughest category to predict and it's down to either Denzel Washington or Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea. Affleck was the presumed frontrunner for most of award season until Washington beat him for the SAG Award. It's been 13 years since the SAG winner did not repeat at the Oscars, which is why I am predicting him for now. 

Best Actress: Emma Stone, La La Land

I'm pretty confident it's going to be Stone. Her biggest competition is Isabelle Huppert, but performances in foreign language films very rarely win. Still Best Picture and Best Actress have not gone to the same movie since Million Dollar Baby and no Best Actress has won for a musical since Liza Minnelli in Cabaret

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Although he surprisingly lost the Golden Globe, Ali has won pretty much every award in existence for Moonlight. No reason to think he won't win the Oscar, especially since the Globe winner, Aaron Taylor Johnson, was not nominated by the Academy. 

Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences

Another easy category to call. Everybody is talking about how it's time for Viola Davis to finally win an Oscar, even if her placement in the Supporting Actress category has been called into question by some. 

Best Original Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea 

If La La Land is going to to tie the record for most wins, it'll do so by winning this category. It's possible, but I just cannot fathom a world where Manchester by the Sea doesn't win a single Oscar. 
Best Director: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Best Adapted Screenplay: Moonlight
Best Original Score: La La Land
Best Original Song: "City of Stars," La La Land
Best Sound Mixing: La La Land
Best Sound Editing: Hacksaw Ridge
Best Cinematography: La La Land
Best Costume Design: La La Land
Best Production Design: La La Land
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Star Trek Beyond
Best Film Editing: La La Land
Best Visual Effects: The Jungle Book
Best Animated Film: Zootopia
Best Documentary Feature: OJ: Made in America
Best Foreign Film: Toni Edrmann
Best Animated Short: Piper
Best Documentary Short: The White Helmets
Best Live Action Short: Ennemis Interieurs 

The Oscars air February 26 on ABC. Let me know who you are predicting to win in the comments below!

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