Oscar Predictions 2017: Who Will Win Big At The 89th Academy Awards?

The 2017 award season is in full swing and the long-awaited nominees for the upcoming 89th Academy Awards have finally been revealed. The 2017 Oscars feature over 20 awards, but it’s the major categories such as best picture and best actress which receive the most fanfare.

Nominated for 14 awards including best picture, best director and best actress, “La La Land” has tied an Oscars record and is expect to win many of its awards. But 14 nods for “La La Land” isn’t the only feat; Meryl Streep picked up her 20th Oscar nod, while the best supporting actress category including three black actresses. Below is our predictions for the winners in major categories at the 2017 Oscars:

Best Picture

• “Arrival”
• “Fences”
• “Hacksaw Ridge”
• “Hell or High Water”
• “Hidden Figures”
• “La La Land”
• “Lion”
• “Manchester by the Sea”
• “Moonlight”

Prediction: With nine films nominated for the award, winning best picture has become a difficult feat. With a total of 14 nominations, “La La Land” is an easy favorite to win the award but will have some competition from “Moonlight” and “Manchester by the Sea.” “Moonlight” already won best motion picture – drama at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards, but expect “La La Land” – a favorite of critics – to win the award.

Best Actor

• Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
• Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”
• Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
• Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
• Denzel Washington, “Fences”

Prediction: Casey Affleck’s performance in “Manchester by the Sea” was highly praised, but going up against Ryan Gosling and his performance in “La La Land” may make it difficult for Affleck to win. Expect Ryan Gosling to take home the award.

Best Actress

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

Prediction: Isabelle Huppert surprised many when she beat out Amy Adams, Natalie Portman and Ruth Negga for best actress in a motion picture – drama at the 2017 Golden Globes, but fortunately for the French actress, she wasn’t going against Emma Stone at the time. With Stone now nominated for her performance in “La La Land,” she becomes the clear favorite to win the award.

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”

Prediction: “Moonlight” may not win some of the other awards at the upcoming Oscars but don’t expect the film and its actors to miss out on others. Mahershala Ali’s portrayal of Juan in “Moonlight” has been praised by many, and his performance has already been nominated and won many awards. Expect Ali to take home another award during the upcoming Academy Awards.

Best Supporting Actress

• Viola Davis, “Fences”
• Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
• Nicole Kidman, “Lion”
• Octavia Spencer, “Hidden Figures”
• Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”

Prediction: Viola Davis is the clear favorite to win best supporting actress, an award she’s been nominated twice for in the past but has never won.

Best Director

• Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
• Mel Gibson, “Hacksaw Ridge”
• Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
• Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
• Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”

Prediction: In 2005, Ang Lee famously won best director for “Brokeback Mountain” but the film lost out in the best picture category. While it may seem that best picture and best director go hand in hand, there have been a number of times when it doesn’t go that way. Expect that to happen to “Moonlight” this year.

The 89th Academy Awards air on Feb. 26, 2017 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.