While last month's Oscars winners are still fresh in the minds everyone, it is still not too early to take a fun stab in the dark on next year's nominees. We already have one legitimate contender in Zootopia and more are sure to be on the way. So here are my first set of predictions (the shorts categories are not included as I'm not even close to knowledgable enough on those categories to make a call):
BEST PICTURE
1. The Birth of a Nation
2. Silence
3. Sully
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. The Girl on the Train
6. The Founder
7. The BFG
8. Loving
9. Passengers
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Martin Scorsese, Silence
2. Nate Parker, The Birth of a Nation
3. Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
4. Jeff Nichols, Loving
5. Tate Taylor, The Girl on the Train
BEST LEAD ACTOR
1. Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
2. Michael Keaton, The Founder
3. Andrew Garfield, Silence
4. Nate Parker, The Birth of a Nation
5. Joel Edgerton, Loving
BEST LEAD ACTRESS
BEST LEAD ACTRESS
1. Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
2. Emily Blunt, The Girl on the Train
3. Jessica Chastain, The Zookeeper’s Wife
4. Ruth Negga, Loving
5. Jennifer Lawrence, Passengers
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Kyle Chandler, Manchester by the Sea
2. Liam Neeson, Silence
3. Michael Shannon, Loving
4. Armie Hammer, The Birth of a Nation
5. John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
2. Aunjanue Ellis, The Birth of a Nation
3. Laura Dern, The Founder
4. Rachel Weisz, The Light Between Oceans
5. Helen Mirren, Collateral Beauty
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
1. The Light Between Oceans
2. Silence
3. The BFG
4. Sully
5. The Girl on the Train
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Zootopia
3. Loving
4. The Birth of a Nation
5. Untitled Woody Allen Project
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
1. Zootopia
2. Finding Dory
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
4. Moana
5. Kung Fu Panda 3
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
1. The Land of the Enlightened
2. Weiner
3. Sonita
4. Jim: The James Foley Story
5. We Are X
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. Fire at Sea
2. The Commune
3. Letters From War
4. Death in Sarajevo
5. Saint-Amour
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Hail, Caesar!
2. The Light Between Oceans
3. The BFG
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. Knight of Cups
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
1. Hail, Caesar!
2. The BFG
3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
5. Silence
BEST FILM EDITING
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. The BFG
3. Passengers
4. The Birth of a Nation
5. Jason Bourne
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
1. The BFG
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1. The BFG
2. The Light Between Oceans
3. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
5. Passengers
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
1. Zootopia
2. Finding Dory
3. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
4. La La Land
5. La La Land
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. The BFG
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
4. Passengers
5. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
BEST SOUND EDITING
1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2. The BFG
3. Passengers
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
5. Deadpool
BEST SOUND MIXING
1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2. The BFG
3. Passengers
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
5. La La Land
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2. The BFG
3. Passengers
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
5. 10 Cloverfield Lane