So my plan this year is to go through most of the major categories (sorry technical awards I don’t have the knowledge to predict you) and give both my choice and my prediction. I’m planning to go through 10 of the awards. It would have been 11 but I won’t be able to do the best foreign language film as I have not seen any of the nominees. Also bear in mind I’ve seen quite a lot of the films up for awards, but not all of them.

 

Best Documentary Feature: This category has to go to Amy, the British Amy Winehouse documentary which gives a brilliant look at a very troubled but hugely talented artist. It has won a lot of awards, including the documentary BAFTA.

  • My Choice: Amy
  • Prediction: Amy

 

Best Animated Feature Film: There’s some really good talent in the animated feature category this year. I haven’t yet seen Anomalisa but I have heard great things. I also really enjoyed the Shaun the Sheep movie, another great Aardman film. However the only real winner in this category is Inside Out, my favourite film of last year.

  • My Choice: Inside Out
  • Prediction: Inside Out

 

Best Original Screenplay: I loved 4 of the films nominated for this award. As I said previously Inside Out was my favourite film of the year and Straight Outta Compton was brilliant as well. I thought no film this year had as engaging dialogue as Ex Machina, and this is the only category it has any representation in. But Spotlight is the clear favourite in this category.

  • My Choice: Ex Machina
  • Prediction: Spotlight

 

Best Adapted Screenplay: Best Adapted contains 4 of the best picture nominees in its ranks, so there is clearly a lot of great films here. The Big Short is one of the real contenders for Best Picture, so will be strong in this category. This could also be where the Academy looks to reward Carol, as it doesn’t have a Best Picture nomination. But I would love to see them give this award to Room, which was such a brilliant film.

  • My Choice: Room
  • Prediction: The Big Short

 

Best Supporting Actor: This is an award that will most likely be given for a legacy and the story as much as the performance. Sylvester Stallone’s role in Creed was possibly his best performance ever and will make a great story. His main competition is Mark Rylance who has won a few awards for Bridge of Spies. I also really enjoyed Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight, but this is Sly’s year.

  • My Choice: Sylvester Stallone
  • Prediction: Sylvester Stallone

 

Best Supporting Actress: Probably the hardest of all the acting categories to predict, but only because there are two realistic candidates. Kate Winslet for Jobs has, like Rylance won a few of the build up awards, whilst Alicia Vikander isn’t really a Supporting Actress, but the star of the film. Vikander is the more likely, as much for her work in Ex-Machina as the Danish Girl.

  • My Choice: Alicia Vikander
  • Prediction: Alicia Vikander

 

Best Actor: This is going to be a great story, it’s Leo’s 6th acting nomination, and this is his year. There isn’t really any other competition in the category, and I felt a lot of the Revenant was there to allow Leo to give such a flashy performance.

  • My Choice: Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Prediction: Leonardo DiCaprio

 

Best Actress: This is the best acting performance of the year for me. Brie Larson completely moved me to tears in Room and gave such a raw and heartbreaking performance. No one else has been touted in any other award, and I can’t see anyone else winning this.

  • My Choice: Brie Larson
  • Prediction: Brie Larson

 

Best Director: I loved what Lenny Abrahamson did with Room, but really this category comes down to two people. For me George Miller should be winner. What he did with Mad Max was brilliant, to get such incredible story telling without huge amounts of dialogue. However I only think Mad Max will do well in the technical awards. Instead Iñárritu will most likely pick up his second best Director award in a row for the Revenant.

  • My Choice: George Miller
  • Prediction: Alejandro Iñárritu

 

Best Picture: In the best picture category there are two separate battles. My choice comes down to Mad Max and Room, which is such a hard choice for me, but I’m going to have to go for Mad Max. It was such an incredible cinematic experience, I think it deserves the top prize. As for what I think will actually win, well that comes down to 3 options. The Revenant, Spotlight and The Big Short. Of the three I think Spotlight is most deserving, it’s the most important of the films, and had the most emotional resonance. Those who know about Oscar predicting are suggesting that The Big Short may win as it won the Producers Guild award. However I’ve not really seen any hype about it going into the awards. The Revenant on the other hand has had a lot of support and have campaigned hard. My gut is telling me the Revenant, so that’s what I’m going with.

  • My Choice: Mad Max
  • Prediction: The Revenant

 

What do you want to win? What do you think will win? Please let me know what you think.