2017 Oscar Predictions (UPDATE: Winners are highlighted in blue)

I've seen all of the Best Picture Nominees (Reviews & Ratings for the 2017 Best Picture Nominees) plus some of the others nominated for other awards (Loving, Nocturnal Animals, Florence Foster Jenkins, O.J.: Made in America, 13th, Allied, Sully, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jackie), so I am ready to make my predictions. Here they are, my 2017 Oscar predictions along with who I personally would pick to win if I was voting.

UPDATE: Winners are highlighted in blue. I was 6 for 8 with my predictions. It was a pretty wild ending with La La Land being incorrectly announced as the winner after Warren Beatty had been given the envelope for Best Actress.

Best Picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

PREDICTION: La La Land

MY CHOICE: La La Land

I gave La La Land, Hidden Figures, and Lion 9/10 stars and I think I like La La Land the best out of all 3, but just barely.

Best Director

La La Land - Damien Chazelle

Hacksaw Ridge - Mel Gibson

Moonlight - Barry Jenkins

Manchester by the Sea - Kenneth Lonergan

Arrival - Denis Villeneuve

PREDICTION: Damien Chazelle

MY CHOICE: Damien Chazelle

I think a big part of what makes La La Land so good is Damien Chazelle's brilliant directing.

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: Denzel Washington

MY CHOICE: Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck makes Manchester By the Sea the movie that it is. Without his performance, it's just a "good" movie. But I think the Academy will go with Denzel, which is not a bad option either since he's pretty awesome in Fences.

Best Actress

Isabelle Huppert - Elle

Ruth Negga - Loving

Natalie Portman - Jackie

Emma Stone - La La Land

Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

PREDICTION: Emma Stone

MY CHOICE: Emma Stone

If Amy Adams were nominated here for Arrival, I might pick her because she is so good in that movie. But Emma Stone is pretty awesome in La La Land and her natural, unassuming charm shines through. I think Streep's nomination for Florence Foster Jenkins is ridiculous.

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: Mahershala Ali

MY CHOICE: Dev Patel

I personally don't think Ali is that great and he's barely IN Moonlight whereas Dev Patel is amazing in Lion. But Ali is the odds-on favorite, so I'm predicting he will win.

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

MY CHOICE: Viola Davis

Viola Davis is a slam dunk here as she's incredible in Fences.

Best Original Screenplay

20th Century Women - Mike Mills

Hell or High Water - Taylor Sheridan

La La Land - Damien Chazelle

The Lobster - Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou

Manchester by the Sea - Kenneth Lonergan

PREDICTION: Manchester by the Sea

MY CHOICE: Manchester by the Sea

I love original screenplays and Lonergan deserves this one for sure.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Arrival - Eric Heisserer

Fences - August Wilson

Hidden Figures - Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi

Lion - Luke Davies

Moonlight - Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

PREDICTION: Moonlight

MY CHOICE: Lion

I think Lion is the better story, but I do think Moonlight will win.