My Bold Predictions for 2016 Oscar Nominations

Of course, "La La Land" has been having a great sweep of wins from critic and professional groups, including a historic clean sweep of its seven nominations from The Golden Globes on Jan. 8. "Moonlight" and "Manchester By the Sea" have also been given its fair share of love from a plethora of organizations.

Things seem to get a little interesting in a few races like, will Meryl Streep earn her record-extending 20th Oscar nomination for "Florence Foster Jenkins"? Will her co-star Hugh Grant earn his first nod for the film? Can Isabelle Huppert finally break into the Oscar race for her leading turn in the French film "Elle"? Will "Nocturnal Animals" be more of a contender than we thought?

My predictions for the highest award in the film world are based on the usually tea leaves of accolades presented so far, and some "Gotcha!" nominations that usually sneak in.

Nomination will be announced on Jan. 24, and in a new format, no less!

Best Picture
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Jackie Hidden Figures (added 1/20)
La La Land
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight
Nocturnal Animals

Best Director
Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight"
Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester By the Sea"
Denis Villeneuve, "Arrival"

Best Actor
Casey Affleck, "Manchester By the Sea"
Andrew Garfield, "Hacksaw Ridge"
Ryan Gosling, "La La Land"
Viggo Mortenson, "Captain Fantastic"
Denzel Washington, "Fences"

Best Actress
Amy Adams, "Arrival"
Isabelle Huppert, "Elle"
Natalie Portman, "Jackie"
Emma Stone, "La La Land"
Meryl Streep, "Florence Foster Jenkins"


Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, "Moonlight"
Jeff Bridges, "Hell or High Water"
Lucas Hedges, "Manchester By the Sea"
Dev Patel, "Lion"
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, "Fences"
Naomie Harris, "Moonlight"
Nicole Kidman, "Lion"
Octavia Spencer, "Hidden Figures"
Michelle Williams, "Manchester By the Sea"

Best Original Screenplay
Hell or High Water
Jackie
La La Land
The Lobster
Manchester By the Sea

Best Adapted Screenplay
Arrival
Fences
Lion
Moonlight
Nocturnal Animals

Best Animated Feature Film
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Best Foreign Language Film
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland)
Paradise (Russia)
The Salesman (Iran)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Best Documentary Feature
13th
Cameraperson
The Eagle Huntress
O.J.: Made in America
Tower

Best Cinematography
Arrival
La La Land
Moonlight
Nocturnal Animals
Silence

Best Costume Design
The Dressmaker
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Best Editing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
A Man Called Ove

Best Original Score
Hidden Figures
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Nocturnal Animals

Best Original Song
"Can't Stop The Feeling!" from "Trolls"
"City of Stars" from "La La Land"
"The Empty Chair" from "Jim: The James Foley Story"
"Try Everything" from "Zootopia"
"Wish That You Were Here" from "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"

Best Production Design
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
La La Land
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Best Sound
Arrival
Deadpool
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Patriot's Day

Best Sound Editing
Arrival
Deadpool
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hacksaw Ridge
Patriot's Day

Best Visual Effects
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars

Predicted number of nominations per film:
La La Land- 12
Arrival- 10
Moonlight- 7
Hacksaw Ridge- 6
Manchester By the Sea- 6