The Oscar Narrative: Finale

So let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. Price, Waterhouse & Cooper royally screwed up the biggest award of the night. They ruined the Bonnie & Clyde reunion and made poor Warren Beatty look like a fool. I feel so sorry for the La La Land folks, that was simply heartbreaking. I feel bad for the Moonlight folks, because their big moment will forever be marred with controversy. It was a bad moment. There's no denying it. And my guess is that in the future, there will be some interesting show changes. They could find a more engaging host. Kimmel started off great, but as time wore on, his racist name jokes, and copycat gags (seriously, everyone stop trying to copy Ellen's pizza bit. It was great once, but it has now gotten old) fell flat. They could now quadruple check every ballot, as PWC will probably be in the limelight for a while (not the positive limelight), or they could continue to be too long with too many uninteresting gags, and hope the world keeps tuning in. Unfortunately though, the folks that made the Oscars a rallying cry for political reasons will have plenty of ridiculous ammunition, and the bad press will likely continue.

But, just for a moment, let's celebrate the positive. Nine incredible films received Best Picture nominations. Kevin O'Connell, after 21 nominations, finally won an Oscar. In a year when three films clearly rose the the top, the three writer/directors, Chazelle, Jenkins, and Lonergan, all won Oscars. Damien Chazelle became the youngest director to win Best Director. Moonlight became the first film directed by an African-American, and the first film to have character of the LGTBQ community as its lead, to win Best Picture. Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar, and Viola Davis (finally!) became the first African American to win the triple crown of acting. These are the moments I'd like to remember, because a jaw-dropping end should not ruin the rest of a great slate of winners

Moonlight winning was a surprise. It was great surprise (although I liked La La Land better), and two things: 1) the SAG stat is not to be ignored, and 2) the preferential ballot really does have all of us stumped. But that's not all. The tech categories ruined my predictions, proving that even those normally unpredictable categories were even more unpredictable than normal. In the end though, that is the nature of the Oscars, and I'm glad that  they spread the love. But I am still shocked that La La Land lost. Was it because it was a passion vote, not a 2nd or 3rd place vote? Was it the undeserved backlash that turned people off? Or was, simply put, that 12 years after Brokeback Mountain lost in a shocking fashion, that Oscar voters finally realized that a story about a gay man doesn't have be niche? That it can resonate? That those stories deserved to be told? Was it a response to #OscarsSoWhite? Or did voter simply get swept up in the magic that is Moonlight (this is the theory I hope is right)? We will never know, and if the industry doesn't produce the type of diverse cinema that 2016 did, we may end up right where we started. In the end, this is a loss that I will be examining for a while, as I think a lot of us will.

But in these troubling times, and with all the uproar over the ending, I want to pause and remember that despite their flaws, what makes the Oscars great are not the nominees or the winners. It's not the ceremony or the red carpet or the ratings. Each and every year, on television's biggest stage, the Academy celebrates film. As film lovers this is why we watch the Oscars. We enjoy the race, we boo and cheer, we fight for our favorites, and we cover the narrative as it is told. But the real reason we all get so swept up in all of this madness is because we love film. This year particularly, film, music, television, great literature, theater, are all needed. In times of upheaval and divisiveness, often times we find our common humanity in art. When the lights go down we are all the same, and our stories are universal . The great Viola Davis put it best: "You know, there's one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered. One place and that's the graveyard. People ask me all the time, what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? And I say, exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories. The stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition. People who fell in love and lost. I became an artist and thank god I did because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life."

And life is about love. This year, the nine Best Picture nominees, at their core were about love. Fences, Arrival, Manchester By the Sea, Hell or High Water, and Lion were about the love of family no matter the challenges or the losses. Hidden Figures is about love of country and duty, and about realizing that sometimes the best thing you can do for the people you love is pursue your higher cause. Hacksaw Ridge is about the love of mankind, and the recognition that often the bravest thing is not to fight. La La Land is about the fools who dream to love and to succeed even when the odds are against them. And finally, Moonlight is about the love we have for ourselves. Its about discovering our identity, moving forward in the world, and  despite the missteps and the heartbreak, in the end, finally recognizing what love can be. So while the world burns around us with hatred, bigotry, and yet deafening silence, the Oscars this year taught us to love. Love is what caused a producer to recognize a mistake and honor the real winner instead. Love was seeing the real family from Lion see their story finally told. Love was seeing Katherine Johnson finally be a hidden figure no more. Love is realizing just how much film can transport you. I work full time, am going to grad school, have a grandmother with dementia, a workplace that seems in perpetual chaos, and an alcohol addiction that borderlines on a problem. Yet at the end of a long week, there is nothing better than allowing the power of film wash over you as you escape your day to day existence. Writing about film has also proven to not just be a hobby, or a way to fill time, but a calling, and more importantly, the cathartic dose of medicine that keeps me going. So thank you to all of you out there who read this blog. Thank you for once again seeing a less than stellar effort due to lack of time. Thank you for helping me love this, even when it sometimes gets to be too much. And most importantly, thank you for loving film and continually celebrating it with me. This July, the Awards Psychic will begin its ninth year of existence. Man how nine years can fly. When I started this I was just a young college student who had a few ideas about the Oscars I wanted to share. Now I am almost at a decade of  sharing my loud, often incoherent, and (as my predictions proved), often wrong thoughts about the awards world. Thank you for sticking with me. Cheers to nine more years, and nine more after that. And maybe La La Land's message has even more meaning now that it lost at the finish line: Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here's to the hearts that ache. Here's to the mess we make. Let's make more messes together, let's dream like fools, let's keep aching with passion, and most importantly, let us always keep loving, for love truly is the only thing there's just too little of...

The 89th Annual Academy Awards

I will update the winners live! Enjoy the show!

Best Picture - Moonlight
Best Director - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Best Actor - Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Actress - Emma Stone "La La Land"
Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Best Supporting Actress - Viola Davis "Fences"
Best Adapted Screenplay - Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney "Moonlight"
Best Original Screenplay - Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Animated Feature - Zootopia
Best Documentary Feature - O.J.: Made in America
Best Foreign Language Film - The Salesman (Iran)
Best Cinematography - Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
Best Costume Design - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Best Film Editing - Hacksaw Ridge
Best Makeup and Hairstyling - Suicide Squad
Best Original Score - Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Best Original Song - City of Stars from La La Land
Best Production Design - La La Land
Best Sound Editing - Arrival
Best Sound Mixing - Hacksaw Ridge
Best Visual Effects - The Jungle Book
Best Animated Short - Piper
Best Documentary Short - The White Helmets
Best Live Action Short - Sing

The 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Best Feature - Moonlight
Best Director - Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"
Best First Feature - The Witch
Best Actor - Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Actress - Isabelle Huppert "Elle"
Best Supporting Actor - Ben Foster "Hell or High Water"
Best Supporting Actress - Molly Shannon "Other People"
Best Screenplay - Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McRaney "Moonlight"
Best First Screenplay - Robert Eggers "The Witch"
Best International Film - Toni Erdmann
Best Documentary Feature - O.J.: Made in America
Best Cinematography - James Laxton "Moonlight"
Best Editing - Moonlight
John Cassavetes Award - Spa Night
Robert Altman Award - Moonlight

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Final List

Best Picture - La La Land
Best Director - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Best Actor - Denzel Washington "Fences"
Best Actress - Emma Stone "La La Land"
Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Best Supporting Actress - Viola Davis "Fences"
Best Adapted Screenplay - Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McRaney "Moonlight"
Best Original Screenplay - Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Animated Feature - Zootopia
Best Documentary Feature - O.J.: Made in America
Best Foreign Language Film - A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
Best Cinematography - Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
Best Costume Design - Jackie
Best Film Editing - La La Land
Best Makeup and Hairstyling  - Star Trek Beyond
Best Original Score - Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Best Original Song - City of Stars from La La Land
Best Production Design - Arrival
Best Sound Editing - Hacksaw Ridge
Best Sound Mixing - La La Land
Best Visual Effects - The Jungle Book
Best Animated Short - Piper
Best Documentary Short - The White Helmets
Best Live Action Short - Ennemis Interieurs

Television Academy Adds New Categories for 2017 Emmys

With it being Oscar weekend, it seems like an odd time to drop Emmy news, but after tomorrow we are officially in Tony and Emmy season so, why not?

The Television Academy has announced it is adding new categories, including splitting existing ones into two:

1) Best Music Supervision - For all programming

2) Single Camera Cinematography is now two categories: 1 hour and Half-Hour

3) A New Casting award for Best Reality Casting

4) New Interactive Awards: Outstanding Original Interactive Program, Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted Program, Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within An Unscripted Program, and a new jury award - Outstanding Innovation In Interactive Programming

The 33rd Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards

WORST PICTURE
Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party

WORST ACTOR
Dinesh D’Souza [as Himself] "Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party"

WORST ACTRESS
Becky Turner [as Hillary Clinton] "Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 
Kristen Wiig  "Zoolander No. 2"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jesse Eisenberg "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"

WORST SCREEN COMBO
Ben Affleck & His BFF (Baddest Foe Forever) Henry Cavill "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"

WORST DIRECTOR
Dinesh D’Souza and Bruce Schooley  "Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party"

WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Dawn of Justice

WORST SCREENPLAY
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

RAZZIE REDEEMER AWARD
Mel Gibson for Hacksaw Ridge

The 42nd Cesar Awards

BEST FILM
Elle

BEST DIRECTOR
Xavier Dolan, It’s Only The End Of The World

BEST ACTOR
Gaspard Ulliel, It’s Only The End Of The World

BEST ACTRESS
Isabelle Huppert, Elle

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
James Thierrée, Chocolat

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Deborah Lukumuena, Divines

BEST NEWCOMER, MALE
Niels Schneider, Diamant Noir

BEST NEWCOMER, FEMALE
Oulaya Amamra, Divines

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Céline Sciamma, Ma Vie De Courgette

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Solveig Anspach, Jean-Luc Gaget, L’Effet Aquatique

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Merci Patron!, dir: François Ruffin

BEST FOREIGN FILM
I, Daniel Blake, dir: Ken Loach

BEST DEBUT FEATURE
Divines, dir: Houda Benyamina

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Ma Vie De Courgette, dir: Claude Barras

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Pascal Marti, Frantz

BEST COSTUMES
Anaïs Romand, The Dancer

BEST EDITING
Xavier Dolan, It’s Only The End Of The World

BEST SCORE
Ibrahim Maalouf, Dans Les Forêts De Sibérie

BEST SET DESIGN
Jérémie D Lignol, Chocolat

BEST SOUND
Marc Engels, Fred Demolder, Sylvain Réty, Jean-Paul Hurier, L’Odyssée

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Celui Qui A Deux Ames, dir: Fabrice Luang-Vija

BEST SHORT FILM 
(TIE)  Maman(s) and Vers La Tendresse

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) Award Winners

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR
Arrival, music by Jóhann Jóhannsson

COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
Michael Giacchino

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
Justin Hurwitz

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
“Epilogue” from La La Land, music by Justin Hurwitz

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM
Nocturnal Animals, music by Abel Korzeniowski

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM
La La Land, music by Justin Hurwitz

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM
Xi You Ji Zhi: Sun Wukong San Da Baigu Jing [The Monkey King 2], music by Christopher Young

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, music by James Newton Howard

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE
La Tortue Rouge [The Red Turtle], music by Laurent Perez del Mar

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY
Järven Tarina [Tale of a Lake], music by Panu Aaltio

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION SERIES
Game of Thrones, music by Ramin Djawadi

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Abzû, music by Austin Wintory

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
The Ten Commandments, music by Elmer Bernstein; album produced by Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Joe Sikoryak

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION
The John Williams Jurassic Park Collection, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Mike Matessino; album art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR
Intrada Records, Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Best Picture and Best Director

Best Picture
Will Win - La La Land
Could Win - Moonlight or Hidden Figures
Should Win - La La Land
Commentary - So many folks are hating on La La Land, which proves two things: 1) people hate winners 2) exuberance brings out the worst in people. That last statement may seem off, but let's face it, films like The Artist and The King's Speech are considered lightweight and forgettable simply because they happen to have joy at their center. They find other excuses not to like them, but at the core of their hatred is cynicism. Well I think this is going to be another rough year for the cynics because I think that La La Land is going to have a hell of a night. And guess what, despite the haters, it actually deserves it. It is a great film achievement, an exuberant film that lights up the screen in a way that I haven't seen in a long time. Moonlight is also fantastic, as is Hidden Figures, and both are the spoilers. But honestly, I don't see it going any other way.

Best Director
Will Win - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Could Win - Barry Jenkins "La La Land"
Should Win - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Commentary - The preferential ballot can cause uneasiness in Best Picture, which is why I have kept Moonlight and Hidden Figures on my radar. But this race feels like it is over for me. I know that Barry Jenkins is going to get a lot of love, but in the end if anyone other than Chazelle wins, I will be shocked. For the record, he will be the youngest director to ever win this award, and the first American to win since Kathryn Bigelow. If Jenkins wins, he will be the first American to win since Bigelow as well, and the first African American director. Either way history will be made, and either way the Academy cannot go wrong.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Best Actor

Will Win - Denzel Washington "Fences"

Could Win - Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"

Should Win - Washington or Affleck

Commentary - This category really is a win-win for me on a personal level, because either of these performers winning will make me happy. Affleck is quiet and heartbreaking and Denzel is commanding. They are both great in their own ways, and its kind of a shame they can't tie (or can they? probably not). This one is the closet of the acting categories, set off by Denzel's SAG win. Casey came back at BAFTA, but that has always been a strange anomaly for Denzel who has yet to receive a nomination from that body. This really is a close race, but in the end I think that Denzel will pull it off. He has been campaigning like crazy in the last couple of months, whereas Casey is absent. Oscar voters like bigger performances, and Casey is so quiet compared to Denzel in Fences. Finally, while many voters might not really care, I can't help but think that Casey's personal controversies has affected enough voters to make a difference. It is a horse race to the finish, but I think it is Denzel who will cross the line first, and join an elite group of actors with three well-deserved Academy Awards.

Costume Designer's Guild (CDG) Awards

Excellence in Period Film
Hidden Figures – Renee Ehrlich Kalfus

Excellence in Fantasy Film
Doctor Strange – Alexandra Byrne

Excellence in Contemporary Film
La La Land – Mary Zophres

Excellence in Short Form Design
Pepsi: “Momotaro” Episode Four, featuring Jude Law — Ami Goodheart

Outstanding Period Television Series
The Crown – Michele Clapton

Outstanding Fantasy Television Series
Game of Thrones – Michele Clapton, April Ferry

Outstanding Contemporary Television Series
American Horror Story: Roanoke – Lou Eyrich, Helen Huang

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Best Actress

Will Win - Emma Stone "La La Land"

Could Win - Isabelle Huppert "Elle" or Meryl Streep "La La Land"

Should Win - Stone or Ruth Negga "Loving"

Commentary - Ruth Negga's nomination was one of my favorites, and while I know she will not win, I think that I will bask in her nomination glory for a while. Huppert has not yet faced Emma Stone. The Globes were separate categories, she wasn't eligible for BAFTA, and wasn't nominated at SAG. This is the first time they are facing off, and so we are kind of in new territory, which is frightening for those of us in the predicting world, because it throws in an unknown. That being said, it is really difficult to lose an Oscar when you have won the Globe, the SAG, and the BAFTA, and when your film is the leading Best Picture contender. Huppert certainly has her cheerleaders, but this is really Stone's to lost. The wild card? Meryl Streep. She is always in this, because she is Meryl Streep. But after her Globes speech, don't be surprised if Hollywood gives her a chance to take the stage again.

2017 Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards

FILM NOMINEES

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Moonlight

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Arrival

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Command and Control

TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA NOMINEES

DRAMA SERIES
The Americans

COMEDY SERIES
Atlanta

NEW SERIES
Atlanta

ORIGINAL LONG FORM
Confirmation

ADAPTED LONG FORM
The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

ORIGINAL SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA
“The Party” (The Commute)

ADAPTED SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA
“Part 4” (Fear the Walking Dead: Passage)

ANIMATION
“Stop the Presses” (BoJack Horseman)

EPISODIC DRAMA
“The Trip” (This Is Us)

EPISODIC COMEDY
“Kimmy Goes on a Playdate!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)

COMEDY / VARIETY TALK SERIES
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

COMEDY / VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Saturday Night Live

COMEDY / VARIETY SPECIALS
Triumph The Primary Election Special 2016

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Hollywood Game Night

DAYTIME DRAMA
General Hospital

CHILDREN’S EPISODIC
“Mel vs. The Night Mare of Normal Street” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street)

CHILDREN’S LONG FORM
Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
(TIE) “The Choice 2016” (Frontline) and “Inside Assad's Syria” (Frontline)

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Jackie Robinson, Part One,”

TV NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Muhammad Ali: Remembering A Legend” (48 Hours)

TV NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“CBS Sunday Morning Almanac” June 12, 2016 (CBS Sunday Morning)

Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Awards

BEST SOUND EDITING IN FEATURE FILM – DIALOGUE / ADR
Hacksaw Ridge

BEST SOUND EDITING IN FEATURE FILM – FX/FOLEY
Hacksaw Ridge

BEST SOUND EDITING IN FEATURE FILM – MUSIC SCORE
Warcraft: The Beginning

BEST SOUND EDITING IN FEATURE FILM – MUSIC, MUSICAL FEATURE
La La Land

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: ANIMATION – FEATURE FILM
Moana

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: DOCUMENTARIES – FEATURE FILM
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: FEATURE FILM – FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The King’s Choice

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: SHORT FORM – MUSIC SCORE
Stranger Things - “Chapter Three: Holly Jolly”

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: SHORT FORM – MUSIC, MUSICAL
(TIE) Mozart In The Jungle - “Now I Will Sing” and The Get Down - "Raise Your Words, Not Your Voice"

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: SHORT FORM – DIALOGUE / ADR
Penny Dreadful III - “Ebb Tide”y

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: SHORT FORM – FX/FOLEY
Westworld - “Trompe L’Oeil”

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: LONG FORM – MUSIC SCORE & MUSICAL
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: LONG FORM – DIALOGUE/ADR
The Night Of - “Part 1 The Beach”

BEST SOUND EDITING IN TELEVISION: LONG FORM – FX/FOLEY
Westworld - “The Bicameral Mind”

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: TELEVISION ANIMATION
Albert

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY SHORT FORM
Sonic Sea

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY LONG FORM
My Beautiful Broken Brain

VERNA FIELDS AWARD IN SOUND EDITING IN STUDENT FILMS
(TIE) Fishwitch and Icarus

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: COMPUTER EPISODIC ENTERTAINMENT (WEBISODE)
Joyride

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: GAME CINEMATICS
Gears of War 4

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: DIRECT TO VIDEO ANIMATION
Lego DC Comics Superheroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: DIRECT TO VIDEO LIVE ACTION
The Duel

BEST SOUND & MUSIC EDITING: SPECIAL VENUE
Pearl

2017 Makeup Artists and Hair Styling Guild Awards

Winners for Feature Length Motion Picture (Feature Films):

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE-UP 
Nocturnal Animals

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
La La Land

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKE-UP
Suicide Squad

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIR STYLING
Hail, Caesar!

BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
Star Trek Beyond

Winners for Television and New Media Series:

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE-UP
Westworld          

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
Dancing With the Stars

BEST PERIOD / CHARACTER MAKE-UP
Game of Thrones

BEST PERIOD / CHARACTER HAIR STYLING
Game of Thrones

BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
Westworld

Winners for Television Mini Series or Movie Made for Television

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE-UP
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
American Horror Story: Roanoke

BEST PERIOD / CHARACTER MAKE-UP
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

BEST PERIOD / CHARACTER HAIR STYLING          
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
American Horror Story: Roanoke

Winners for Commercials and Music Videos:

BEST MAKE-UP
American Horror Story: Roanoke – Promo

BEST HAIR STYLING
Dior J’adore “The Absolute Femininity” Feat. Charlize Theron

Winners for Theatrical Productions (Live Stage):

BEST MAKE-UP
A Chorus Line

BEST HAIR STYLING
Amadeus

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Best Supporting Actor

Will Win - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"

Could Win - Dev Patel "Lion"

Should Win - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"

Commentary - BAFTA really threw a wrench into this race, picking Dev Patel. This shows two things: 1) that Lion (which also won Adapted Screenplay) has its passionate supporters 2) That Ali is not a slam dunk. But over here in the United States Moonlight is a lot more well liked than in the UK, and Ali won the SAG. It's not just that he won the SAG, he gave a timely and memorable speech that I think will resonate here more than elsewhere. This is now a real race, make no mistake, and if they call Dev Patel's name, I will not be shocked. But in the end, I think that Mahershala Ali has enough support, and enough momentum to seal the deal.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Predictions - Best Supporting Actress

Will Win - Viola Davis "Fences"

Could Win - I honestly don't know

Should Win - Viola Davis "Fences"

Commentary - There are certain moments in an awards race, where a category becomes clear. With this one, most people had made up their minds months ago that Viola Davis was going to win. For me there was one final barrier. Fences only got one BAFTA nomination. It was clearly not a favorite of those voters. If Viola Davis could win there, it would show just how strong she is going into Oscar night. Well lo and behold if she didn't pull it off. Another sign of an unstoppable contender is when you can't really picture another nominee winning instead. All of the other four are recognizable names, amazing performances, and all come from Best Picture nominees. But none of them really stand out as the clear number two. All that does is solidify Davis' dominance.

Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards

MOTION PICTURE: LIVE ACTION
La La Land

MOTION PICTURE: ANIMATED
Finding Dory

MOTION PICTURE: DOCUMENTARY
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble

TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
The People v. O.J. Simpson

TELEVISION SERIES – 1 HOUR
Game of Thrones – “Battle of the Bastards”

TELEVISION SERIES – 1/2 HOUR
Modern Family –  “The Storm”

TELEVISION NON-FICTION, VARIETY or MUSIC SERIES or SPECIALS
Grease Live!

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win - Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"
Could Win - Luke Davies "Lion" or Alison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi "Hidden Figures"
Should Win - Moonlight or Arrival
Commentary - Lion winning the BAFTA makes this race interesting, and my guess is either Arrival or Hidden Figures is going to win tomorrow at the WGA. But none of these folks were up against Moonlight. The only time that the same five competed was at the Scripter, which has been remarkable reliable in this category (due to a lot of similar voters in both), and Moonlight won. This category has been tough this year due to a lot of weird switches from original to adapted, and there is honestly no telling where Oscar voters are going to go. But Lion is probably too late to the party, and while I still think Hidden Figures could upset here, its low nomination count is troubling for a movie that is apparently so beloved. Arrival is the wild card here, because it is such a think piece. But as we have seen before sci-fi films getting nominated is rare enough, winning just doesn't happen. I think this is Moonlight's, and a great way to honor Barry Jenkins.

Best Original Screenplay
Will Win - Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Could Win - Damien Chazelle "La La Land" or Taylor Sheridan "Hell or High Water"
Should Win - Lonergan
Commentary - A musical hasn't won this category in almost 60 years, and its because Oscar voters just don't think that music equates dialogue. La La Land actually has a lot of dialogue and even managed to win the Globe. But I don't think this is one that La La Land can count on, unless it manages to win the WGA tomorrow night. Lonergan is a beloved playwright, and Manchester is by far the best script of the bunch (with Hell or High Water not far behind). After winning the BAFTA, I think he will also win the WGA (as writers will recognize the merits), and even though they love La La Land, I think that the Academy as a whole will recognize Manchester as the real writing achievement of the bunch.

The 17th Annual Black Reel Award Winners

Outstanding Actor
Denzel Washington "Fences"

Outstanding Actress
Ruth Negga "Loving"

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Viola Davis "Fences"

Outstanding Director
Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"

Outstanding Screenplay
Barry Jenkins "Moonlight"

Outstanding Film
Moonlight

Outstanding Documentary
13th

Outstanding Ensemble
Moonlight

Outstanding Foreign-Language Film
Eye of the Storm

Outstanding Score
Nicholas Britell "Moonlight"

Outstanding Original Song
“I’m Still Here” - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (Miss Sharon Jones!)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
Trevante Rhodes "Moonlight"

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
Janelle Monae "Hidden Figures"

Outstanding Voice Performance
Idris Elba "The Jungle Book"

Outstanding Independent Film
American Honey

Outstanding World Cinema Film
Where the Road Runs Out

Outstanding Independent Short
$15 Kicks

Outstanding Emerging Filmmaker
O.J.: Made in America - Ezra Edelman

Outstanding First Screenplay
The Land - Steven Caple, Jr.

Outstanding TV Documentary or Special
Beyonce: Lemonade

Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series
The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series
Courtney B. Vance "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story"

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series
Kerry Washington "Confirmation"

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series
Sterling K. Brown "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story"

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series
Regina King "American Crime"

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Limited Series
John Singleton "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story"

Outstanding Screenplay, TV Movie or Limited Series
Joe Robert Cole - The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story (“The Race Card”)

The Oscar Narrative: Final Oscar Predictions - Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Makeup & Hairstyling, and Production Design

Best Cinematography
Will Win - Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
Could Win - Greig Fraser "Lion" or Bradford Young "Arrival"
Should Win - Linus Sandgren "La La Land" or Bradford Young "Arrival"
Commentary - The ASC win put Fraser in this race for Lion, but BAFTA went for the front runner Sandgren, and I think the Oscars will follow the same path. I also am not ruling out Bradford Young's work in Arrival. Let's face it, of the three, Arrival fits more in line with the type of films that have won this category recently. But the La La Land scene on the highway is enough to woo voters to Sandgren, who really did knock it out of the park.

Best Film Editing
Will Win - La La Land
Could Win - Arrival or Hacksaw Ridge
Should Win - La La Land
Commentary - Arrival took the drama Eddie, and Hacksaw upset at the BAFTAs, and this makes this race a lot closer than most folks probably think. Also, this category has been fraught with upsets in the last decade. This would be a way to honor Arrival or Hacksaw, and while I love La La Land, honestly, in terms of editing, both of them are actually a bit better. But Tom Cross has won before (for a much more taut Whiplash), and while I think there are some cracks in the La La Land sweep, I don't think this is one of them.

Best Costume Design
Will Win - Jackie
Could Win - La La Land or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Should Win - Jackie
Commentary - Speaking of cracks, this is one that I think La La Land is not going to win. While it is actually brilliant contemporary design, those kinds of looks just don't win this Oscar. Colleen Atwood has won a bunch here recently, and Fantastic Beasts is both fantasy and period. But Jackie won the Critics Choice, will probably win the period category at the CDG Monday (actually, I think all three will win at CDG), and it upset at BAFTA last weekend. There are not many precursors for this award, but it looks like it is going to be a Jackie sweep. I think Oscar voters will respond in kind.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Will Win - Star Trek Beyond
Could Win - The other two
Should Win - Star Trek Beyond
Commentary - The makeup work of Star Trek Beyond is clearly the best of the bunch, and it also happens to be the kind of bold makeup work that Oscar voters love. But Suicide Squad has its merits (at least in this category), and A Man Called Ove will probably get a lot of votes based on the love of the film alone. In a weird race without a clear front runner, I am picking the most obvious choice.

Best Production Design
Will Win - Arrival
Could Win - La La Land or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Should Win - The final crack in La La Land's possible record-breaking night. Here's the thing. If La La Land is sweeping it wins. But if BAFTA is any indication, there are other films they like too. Let's face it, a contemporary film has not won this award in ages (I honestly can't find one, seriously, maybe All the President's Men in 1976?). So voters are either going to go for the period/fantasy elements of Fantastic Beasts as BAFTA voters did, or they are going to follow their trend of films like Mad Max, Hugo, Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, where visual effects were blended in with more traditional elements to create a truly modern production design. I think the latter, and Arrival is that film. This is a bit of a limb, and honestly, I just really don't know where to go here, but I have a sneaking suspicion that, at least in the tech categories, Arrival is stronger than we think.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Predictions: Best Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, Foreign Language Film, Original Score, and Original Song

Best Animated Feature
Will Win - Zootopia
Could Win - Kubo and the Two Strings or Moana
Should Win - Zootopia
Commentary - Kubo and the Strings pulled off a bit of an upset at the BAFTAs, but here stateside, I really don't see anything stopping Zootopia. It has bulldozed its way through the major awards this season (Critics Choice, Globe, PGA, Annie) and my guess is that its message of race in America will probably have a greater impact on voters over here. On a personal note, while Kubo is the most creative of the bunch, I will be thrilled to see Zootopia take this prize.

Best Documentary Feature
Will Win - O.J.: Made in America
Could Win - 13th
Should Win - O.J. Made in America, 13th, or I Am Not Your Negro
Commentary - The trilogy of masterpieces that describe race in America this year are competing for this prize, and literally the voters could not go wrong with any of them. 13th, in the absence of O.J.: Made in America won Best Documentary at the BAFTAs, proving that if there is another film out there that can challenge the front runner it is 13th. It is done by rising star Ava DuVernay, features the most topical of the subjects, and if it wins, you can thank the 2016 election cycle, and the last several months of political upheaval. But with DGA, PGA, and a wholly host of wins under its belt, I think that Ezra Edelman's sprawling masterpiece O.J.: Made in the America, which also manages to be timely, will continue its winning streak.

Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win - The Salesman
Could Win - A Man Called Ove or Toni Erdmann
Should Win - A Man Called Ove
Commentary - Before the political chaos of the travel ban of the last several weeks, I thought that there was a clear front runner in this race. No it was not Toni Erdmann, the 3-hour German comedy. It has the critical support, and definitely is in the mix. But I always thought that this was A Man Called Ove's to lose. I come from the library world, and I have witnessed the rapid rise of Fredrik Backman and his sweet Swedish stories. They have been perpetually on hold for months, and have sold a tremendous amount of copies. The film is a sweet, sad look at a grumpy old man, who overcomes multiple suicide attempts to find new love and new family. It is right up the Academy's alley, and don't discount it on Oscar night. There are a lot of older Academy members who may not be swept up in the hysteria, and simply vote for their favorite film. But the hysteria is real, the press is real, the fear is real, and previous winner Asghar Farhadi choosing not to come to the ceremony might have earned him a second Foreign Language Film Oscar. The film is on the rise. I am going to predict it, for all of the above, and the fact that his films have found previous Oscar glory. But don't be shocked if Ove or Toni win instead.

Best Original Score
Will Win - Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Could Win - Nicholas Britell "Moonlight" or Mica Levi "Jackie"
Should Win - Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Commentary - The music is such an essential part of La La Land, whether they are singing or not. Justin Hurwitz deserves as much credit as Damian Chazelle for making La La Land happen and making it the phenomenon that it is. I think that Oscar voters will recognize that, with this award, probably one of the easiest wins for La La Land of the night.

Best Original Song
Will Win - City of Stars from La La Land
Could Win - How Far I'll Go from Moana
Should Win - City of Stars from La La Land
Commentary - We have seen this so many times before, The Princess and the Frog, Enchanted, and the most notable example being Dreamgirls, where multiple nominations cancelled each other out. I think that City of Stars is the clear favorite here, and will prevail. But if for some reason, the two La La Land songs cancel each other out, then I think that Lin Manuel Miranda becomes the youngest EGOT winner in history. He is still riding high off of the Hamilton love, and honestly, he could just win outright because if voter recognize that he is the songwriter, I think that Hamilton trumps La La Land. But as we learned last year, the ballots don't show songwriters. So based on the song alone, then it is City of Stars for the win.

The Oscar Narrative: Final Predictions - Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and the Shorts

Best Sound Mixing
Will Win - La La Land
Should Win - Arrival
Could Win - Arrival or Hacksaw Ridge
Commentary -  Musicals, or even musically inclined films win Sound Mixing: Whiplash, Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, Ray, Chicago. I expect La La Land to join the list. The CAS Awards are this Saturday. I expect La La Land to win there as well. If something dramatic happens, it might change the pick, but with the whole Academy voting, probably not.

Best Sound Editing
Will Win - Arrival
Should Win - Arrival
Could Win - Hacksaw Ridge or La La Land
Commentary - No live musical has ever been nominated for Best Sound Editing, so we are in uncharted territory. They could just check off La La Land, as this award often goes to the same movie. All those musicals that won Sound Mixing might have gotten similar treatment had they gotten a nomination here. Or it is that they thing that musicals simply have better mixing, and less effects added on the editing side. I am going with theory #2 because history suggests that it is the better path. Hacksaw Ridge feels like a perfect choice here, as American Sniper, Zero Dark Thirty and other war films have done well in the past. But I think that after its BAFTA win for Sound (a combined category), that there is going to be a desire to honor Arrival somewhere. It is such a favorite among the technical branches this year, and this could be the place to reward it, as their British peers did this weekend.

Best Visual Effects
Will Win - The Jungle Book
Could Win - Doctor Strange or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Should Win - The Jungle Book
Commentary - After last year's Ex Machina shocker, I am a bit hesitant in this category. But honestly, I don't know how Academy voters pass up The Jungle Book here, because in terms of the quality and importance of the visual effects it is miles above its competition. However, Doctor Strange and Rogue One got some nominations in other categories showcasing a broad support across other categories, plus they are more recent films and might be on voters' minds more so than a film that came out in March. All of that being said, I really don't think either will overtake The Jungle Book.

Best Animated Short - Piper
Best Documentary Short - Joe's Violin
Best Live Action Short - La Femme et le TGV

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards

I will update throughout the night!:

Album of the Year - Adele "25"
Record of the Year - Adele "Hello"
Song of the Year - Adele Atkins and Greg Kurstin "Hello" (Adele)
Best New Artist - Chance the Rapper
Best Pop Vocal Album - Adele "25"
Best Pop Solo Performance - Adele "Hello"
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance -  Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out"
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album - Willie Nelson "Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin"
Best Dance Recording - The Chainsmokers feat. Daya "Don't Let Me Down"
Best Dance/Electronica Album - Flume "Skin"
Best Rock Album - Cage the Elephant "Tell Me I'm Pretty"
Best Alternative Music Album - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Best Rock Performance - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Best Metal Performance - Megadeth "Dystopia"
Best Rock Song - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Best Urban Contemporary Album - Beyonce "Lemonade"
Best R&B Album - Lalah Hathaway "Lalah Hathaway Live"
Best R&B Performance - Solange "Cranes in the Sky"
Best Traditional R&B Performance - Lalah Hathaway "Angel"
Best R&B Song - Hod David and Musze "Lake By the Ocean" (Maxwell)
Best Rap Album - Chance the Rapper "Coloring Book"
Best Rap Performance - Chance the Rapper feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz "No Problem"
Best Rap/Sung Performance - Drake "Hotline Bling"
Best Rap Song - Aubrey Graham and Paul Jefferies "Hotline Bling" (Drake)
Best Country Album - Sturgill Simpson "A Sailor's Guide to Earth"
Best Country Solo Performance - Maren Morris "My Church"
Best Country Duo/Group Performance - Pentatonix feat. Dolly Parton "Jolene"
Best Country Song - Lori McKenna "Humble and Kind" (Tim McGraw)
Best Comedy Album - Patton Oswalt "Talking for Clapping"
Best Spoken Word Album - Carol Burnett "In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox"
Best Musical Theater Album - The Color Purple
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media - Miles Ahead
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media - John Williams "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Best Song Written for Visual Media - Max Martin, Shellback, and Justin Timberlake "Can't Stop This Feeling" from Trolls
Best Music Video - Beyonce "Lemonade"
Best Music Film - The Beatles: Eight Days a Week The Touring Years

The 70th Annual BAFTA Awards

I will update the winners as they come in...

Best Film - La La Land
Best Director - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Best British Film - I, Daniel Blake
Best Actor - Casey Affleck "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Actress - Emma Stone "La La Land"
Best Supporting Actress - Viola Davis "Fences"
Best Supporting Actor - Dev Patel "Lion"
Best Foreign Language Film - Son of Saul
Best Documentary - 13th
Best Animated Film - Kubo and the Two Strings
Best Adapted Screenplay - Luke Davies "Lion"
Best Original Screenplay - Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Film Editing - Hacksaw Ridge
Best Cinematography - Linus Sandgren "La La Land"
Best Costume Design - Jackie
Best Makeup and Hair - Florence Foster Jenkins
Best Original Music - Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Best Production Design - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Best Sound - Arrival
Best Special Visual Effects - The Jungle Book
Best British Short - Home
Best British Animated Short - A Love Story
Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer - Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh "Under the Shadow"
EE Rising Star - Tom Holland

Art Directors Guild (ADG) Awards

Period Film
HIDDEN FIGURES
Production Designer: WYNN THOMAS

Fantasy Film
PASSENGERS
Production Designer: GUY HENDRIX DYAS

Contemporary Film
LA LA LAND
Production Designer: DAVID WASCO

One-Hour Period Or Fantasy Single-Camera Series
WESTWORLD: “Pilot”
Production Designer: NATHAN CROWLEY

One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series
MR. ROBOT: “Eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc,” “Eps2.4_m4ster-slave.aes,” “Eps2.9_pyth0n-pt1.p7z”
Production Designer: ANASTASIA WHITE

Television Movie Or Limited Series
THE NIGHT OF: “Pilot”
Production Designer: PATRIZIA VON BRANDENSTEIN

Half Hour Single-Camera Series
MOZART IN THE JUNGLE: “Now I Will Sing”
Production Designer: TOMMASO ORTINO

Multi-Camera Series
THE GREAT INDOORS: “Pilot”
Production Designer: GLENDA ROVELLO

Awards Or Event Special
BEYONCÉ: LEMONADE
Production Designer: HANNAH BEACHLER

Short Format: Web Series, Music Video Or Commercial
iPHONE 7: BALLOONS
Production Designer: JAMES CHINLUND

Variety, Reality Or Competition Series
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: “Larry David/The 1975,” “Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani,” “Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga”
Production Designers: KEITH IAN RAYWOOD, EUGENE LEE, AKIRA YOSHIMURA, N. JOSEPH DeTULLIO

The USC Scripter Award

Moonlight wins here, cementing its Best Adapted Screenplay status versus Hidden Figures and Fences. It is still a close race though...

Film
Barry Jenkins for Moonlight, based on the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Television
(TIE)
David Farr for "The Night Manager" based on the John Le Carre novel

AND

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski "The People v. O.J. Simpson" from Jeffrey Toobin's The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J .Simpson

The 48th NAACP Image Awards

Entertainer of the Year - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Film
Outstanding Film: Hidden Figures
Outstanding Actor: Denzel Washington "Fences"
Outstanding Actress: Taraji P. Henson "Hidden Figures"
Outstanding Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
Outstanding Supporting Actress: Viola Davis – Fences
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: Moonlight
Outstanding Documentary -13th
Outstanding Directing: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Outstanding Writing: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film): Idris Elba – The Jungle Book

Television
Outstanding Drama Series: Queen Sugar
Outstanding Comedy Series: black-ish
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: Sterling K. Brown "This is Us"
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Taraji P. Henson "Empire"
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: Anthony Anderson "black-ish"
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Tracee Ellis Ross "black-ish"  
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Laurence Fishburne – black-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Tichina Arnold – Survivor’s Remorse
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Jussie Smollett – Empire
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Naturi Naughton – Power
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Donald Glover – Atlanta – Value
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series: John Singleton – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – The Race Card
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Kenya Barris – black-ish – Hope
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series: Ava DuVernay – Queen Sugar – First Things First
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special: The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special: Courtney B. Vance – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special: Regina King – American Crime
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television): Rick Famuyiwa – Confirmation
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television): Charles Murray – Roots – Night 3
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special): BET Love and Happiness White House Special
Outstanding Documentary - Roots: A New Vision
Outstanding Talk Series: Steve Harvey
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series: Iyanla: Fix My Life
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special): 2016 Black Girls Rock
Outstanding Children’s Program: An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series): Marsai Martin – black-ish
Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety Program (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble: Roland S. Martin – NewsOne Now with Roland S. Marti

Music
Outstanding New Artist: Chance the Rapper
Outstanding Male Artist: Maxwell
Outstanding Female Artist: Beyoncé
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration: "Freedom," Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar
Outstanding Jazz Album: Latin American Songbook, Edward Simon
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary): One Way, Tamela Mann
Outstanding Music Video: "Formation,"  Beyoncé
Outstanding Song (Traditional): "I See A Victory," Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams
Outstanding Album: Lemonade, Beyoncé
Outstanding Song (Contemporary): "Freedom," Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar

2017 BAFTA Predictions

Best Film - La La Land
Best Director - Damien Chazelle "La La Land"
Best British Film - I, Daniel Blake
Best British Debut - Pete Middleton, James Spinney, and Jo-Jo Ellison "Notes on Blindness"
Best Actor - Andrew Garfield "Hacksaw Ridge"
Best Actress - Emma Stone "La La Land"
Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali "Moonlight"
Best Supporting Actress- Viola Davis "Fences"
Best Original Screenplay - Kenneth Lonergan "Manchester By the Sea"
Best Adapted Screenplay - Eric Heisserer "Arrival"
Best Cinematography - Bradford Young "Arrival"
Best Costume Design - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Best Film Editing - La La Land
Best Makeup and Hair - Florence Foster Jenkins
Best Production Design - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Best Score - Justin Hurwitz "La La Land"
Best Sound - La La Land
Best Special Visual Effects - The Jungle Book
Best Animated Feature - Zootopia
Best Documentary - Notes on Blindness
Best Foreign Language Film - Son of Saul
EE Rising Star - Tom Holland

2017 Grammy Predictions: Final List

Album of the Year - Beyonce "Lemonade"
Record of the Year - Adele "Hello"
Song of the Year - Adele Adkins and Greg Kurstin "Hello"
Best New Artist - The Chainsmokers
Best Pop Vocal Album - Adele "25"
Best Pop Solo Performance - Adele "Hello"
Best Pop Duo/Group - Lukas Graham "7 Years"
Best Traditional Pop Album - Barbra Streisand "Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway"
Best Rock Performance - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Best Rock Song - Blackstar (David Bowie)
Best Rock Album - Weezer "Weezer"
Best Alternative Music Album - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Best R&B Performance - Rihanna "Needed Me"
Best R&B Song - Kiss it Better (Rihanna)
Best R&B Album - BJ the Chicago Kid "In My Mind"
Best Urban Contemporary Album - Beyonce "Lemonade"
Best Rap Performance - Chance the Rapper feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz "No Problem"
Best Rap Song - Hotline Bling (Drake)
Best Rap/Sung Performance - Drake "Hotline Bling"
Best Rap Album - Drake "Views"
Best Country Solo Performance - Maren Morris "My Church"
Best Country Duo/Group - Pentatonix feat. Dolly Parton "Jolene"
Best Country Song - My Church (Maren Morris)
Best Country Album - Sturgill Simpson "A Sailor's Guide to Earth"
Best Spoken Word Album - Patti Smith "M Train"
Best Comedy Album -  Amy Schumer "Live at the Apollo"
Best Musical Theater Album - The Color Purple
Best Visual Media Compilation Album - Amy
Best Visual Media Score Album - Ennio Morricone "The Hateful Eight"
Best Visual Media Song - Justin Timberlake "Trolls - Can't Stop The Feeling"
Best Music Video - Beyonce "Formation"
Best Music Film - Beyonce "Lemonade"

2017 Grammy Predictions: General

Album of the Year
Will Win - Beyonce "Lemonade"
Could Win - Adele "25" or Drake "Views"
Should Win - Beyonce "Lemonade"
Commentary - Is this finally Beyonce's year? Rap albums historically struggle here, but Drake's album sales alone keep him in the running, and while 25 was another smash hit for Adele, most people agree that it was not quite the level of Album of the Year winner 21. I think that this is the year that Beyonce finally wins the top prize. Her work on the album was nominated across an incredible amount of genres, showing a lot of support, and in terms of buzz, album sales, and headlines, this was the year of Queen B. I expect her to finally take her well-deserved Album of the Year crown.

Record of the Year
Will Win - Adele "Hello"
Could Win - Beyonce "Formation" or Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out"
Should Win - Beyonce "Formation" or Adele "Hello"
Commentary - I still have not gotten Adele's Hello out of my head, and its been like a year a half since it premiered. Also, this category has lately rewarded bigger songs, after years of giving songs like Please Read the Letter, Here We Go Again, and Clocks the reward. This fits in with the last two winners: Stay With Me and Uptown Funk. It was inescapable and wildly popular. However, watch out for a potential Beyonce domination or the rock band of the bunch Twenty One Pilots, as rock songs have historically done well in this category.

Song of The Year
Will Win - Adele Atkins and Greg Kurstin "Hello"
Could Win - Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin, and Ed Sheeran "Love Yourself" or Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II "Formation"
Should Win - Formation
Commentary - Beyonce has surprised her before, so don't be shocked if she wins. And last year's winner Ed Sheeran could take it again for Love Yourself, the first Justin Bieber song that has actually made a dent here in the general categories (and Sheeran's name alone could be enough). But in the end, I think that Hello is going to be popular enough to do what Rolling in the Deep did, and sweep both categories.

Best New Artist
Will Win - The Chainsmokers
Could Win - Chance the Rapper or Maren Morris
Should Win - Chance the Rapper or Maren Morris
Commentary - Morris and Chance the Rapper are easily the two best of the bunch, and a win for either would be great, and is not out of the realm of possibility. But The Chainsmokers have lit up the charts, and are the most popular of the bunch, which has tended to be the trend in recent years.

International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) Award Nominations

SCORE OF THE YEAR
ARRIVAL, music by Jóhann Jóhannsson
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, music by James Newton Howard
LA LA LAND, music by Justin Hurwitz
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, music by Abel Korzeniowski
LA TORTUE ROUGE [THE RED TURTLE], music by Laurent Perez del Mar

COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
MICHAEL GIACCHINO
JAMES NEWTON HOWARD
JUSTIN HURWITZ
FERNANDO VELÁZQUEZ

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
CHAD CANNON
KYLE DIXON AND MICHAEL STEIN
SIMON FRANGLEN
DANIEL HART
JUSTIN HURWITZ

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM
AH-GA-SSI [THE HANDMAIDEN], music by Jo Yeong-Wook
HIGH-RISE, music by Clint Mansell
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS, music by Alexandre Desplat
MOONLIGHT, music by Nicholas Britell
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, music by Abel Korzeniowski

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM
EDDIE THE EAGLE, music by Matthew Margeson
HAIL, CAESAR!, music by Carter Burwell
LA LA LAND, music by Justin Hurwitz
THE NICE GUYS, music by John Ottman and David Buckley
SWISS ARMY MAN, music by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM
ELLE, music by Anne Dudley
THE JUNGLE BOOK, music by John Debney
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, music by James Horner and Simon Franglen
NERVE, music by Rob Simonsen
XI YOU JI ZHI: SUN WUKONG SAN DA BAIGU JING [THE MONKEY KING 2], music by Christopher Young

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM
ARRIVAL, music by Jóhann Jóhannsson
BELLEROFONTE [DARK WAVES], music by Alexander Cimini
DOCTOR STRANGE, music by Michael Giacchino
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, music by James Newton Howard
THE NEON DEMON, music by Cliff Martinez

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FILM
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, music by Dario Marianelli
MOANA, music by Mark Mancina
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, music by Alexandre Desplat
LA TORTUE ROUGE [THE RED TURTLE], music by Laurent Perez del Mar
ZOOTOPIA, music by Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY
JÄRVEN TARINA [TALE OF A LAKE], music by Panu Aaltio
PAPER LANTERNS, music by Chad Cannon
PLANET EARTH II, music by Hans Zimmer, Jasha Klebe, and Jacob Shea
LES SAISONS [SEASONS], music by Bruno Coulais
SPAIN IN A DAY, music by Alberto Iglesias

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION SERIES
GAME OF THRONES, music by Ramin Djawadi
THE NIGHT MANAGER, music by Víctor Reyes
PENNY DREADFUL, music by Abel Korzeniowski
STRANGER THINGS, music by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein
WESTWORLD, music by Ramin Djawadi

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA
ABZÛ, music by Austin Wintory
THE BANNER SAGA 2, music by Austin Wintory
THE DWARVES, music by Benny Oschmann
THE LAST GUARDIAN, music by Takeshi Furukawa
RECORE, music by Chad Seiter

BEST RE-RELEASE/RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
THE BLUE MAX, music by Jerry Goldsmith; conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Matthew Wright (Tadlow)
CHINATOWN, music by Jerry Goldsmith; album produced by Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson; liner notes by Jeff Bond; album art direction by Joe Sikoryak (Intrada)
GOJIRA [GODZILLA], music by Akira Ifukube; conducted by Kaoru Wada; album produced by nominee to be determined; liner notes by Kaoru Wada and Masaru Hayakawa; album art direction by nominee to be determined (King)
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, music by Elmer Bernstein; album produced by Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Joe Sikoryak (Intrada)
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, music by Miklós Rózsa; conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Jim Titus (Tadlow/Prometheus)

BEST COMPILATION ALBUM
ARCHIPIELAGO: A FILM MUSIC RETROSPECTIVE, music by Alberto Iglesias; album produced by José María Benítez; liner notes by Alex Sánchez and Alberto Iglesias; album art direction by Nacho B. Govantes (Quartet)
THE CINEMA OF QUINCY JONES, music by Quincy Jones; album produced by Stéphane Lerouge; liner notes by Stéphane Lerouge, Toots Thielemans, and Alexandre Desplat; album art direction by Jerome Witz-Gilles Guerlet (Écoutez le Cinéma)
EARLY WORKS, music by Abel Korzeniowski; album produced by Stephan Eicke and John Elborg; liner notes by Gergely Hubai; album art direction by Luis Miguel Rojas (Caldera)
EPIC HOLLYWOOD: THE MUSIC OF MIKLÓS RÓZSA, music by Miklós Rózsa; conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Barry Weekley (Tadlow)
THE JOHN WILLIAMS JURASSIC PARK COLLECTION, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Mike Matessino; album art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR
INTRADA RECORDS, Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson
LA-LA LAND RECORDS, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys
QUARTET RECORDS, José María Benítez
TADLOW MUSIC, James Fitzpatrick
VARÈSE SARABANDE, Robert Townson

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
“Epilogue” from LA LA LAND, music by Justin Hurwitz
“Light of the Seven” from GAME OF THRONES, music by Ramin Djawadi
“Montage” from SWISS ARMY MAN, music by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell
“Night on the Yorktown” from STAR TREK BEYOND, music by Michael Giacchino
“The Master of the Mystic End Credits” from DOCTOR STRANGE, music by Michael Giacchino

AARP Movies for Grownup Awards

BEST MOVIE FOR GROWNUPS
Loving

BEST ACTOR
Denzel Washington "Fences"

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jeff Bridges "Hell or High Water"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis "Fences"

BEST BUDDY PICTURE AWARD
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

BEST INTERGENERATIONAL FILM
20th Century Women

BEST TIME CAPSULE
Jackie

BEST REFUSE TO GROW UP
Kubo and the Two Strings

BEST COMEDY
La La Land

BEST GROWNUP LOVE STORY
The Hollars

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week

BEST DIRECTOR
Kenneth Lonergan

BEST SCREENWRITER
Kenneth Lonergan

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Elle (France)

2017 Grammy Predictions - Pop

Best Pop Vocal Album
Will Win - Adele "25"
Could Win - Justin Bieber "Purpose"
Should Win - Adele "25"
Commentary - There are two that cross over to the Album of the Year category, but I think Adele is going to be the favorite here. They love rewarding their favorites, and Adele is definitely one of their most reward as of late. Plus, of the two, it is miles above the competition.

Best Pop Solo Performance
Will Win - Adele "Hello"
Could Win - Justin Bieber "Love Yourself"
Should Win - Adele "Hello"
Commentary - See Pop Vocal Album

Best Pop Duo or Group
Will Win - Lukas Graham "7 Years"
Could Win - Rihanna feat. Drake "Work" or The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey "Closer" or Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out"
Should Win - The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey "Closer"
Commentary - Three Record of the Year nominees are here, and Closer is infectious, so this is a tough one to nail down. Of the bunch, 7 Years is the only one with both a Record and Song of the Year nomination. In a close race, that broader support could win the day. But seriously, any one of these five could win.

Best Traditional Pop Album
Will Win - Barbra Streisand "Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway"
Could Win - Bob Dylan "Fallen Angels"
Should Win - Streisand
Commentary - Never discount the power of Bob Dylan, but I think the star power of the fun Encore will win the day.

Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards

As predicted, The Jungle Book rocked the house:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature 
 THE JUNGLE BOOK        

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
DEEPWATER HORIZON

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS  
   
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
GAME OF THRONES; Battle of the Bastards  

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
 BLACK SAILS; XX              

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project
UNCHARTED 4                    

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
John Lewis; Buster the Boxer            

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN; Battle for the Sunken Treasure            

Outstanding Animated Performance in a Photoreal Feature
THE JUNGLE BOOK; King Louie              

Outstanding Animated Performance in an Animated Feature
FINDING DORY; Hank  

Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project
 GAME OF THRONES; Battle of the Bastards; Drogon              

Outstanding Animated Performance in a Commercial
John Lewis; Buster the Boxer            

Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature
DOCTOR STRANGE; New York City        

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature
MOANA; Motunui Island          

Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project
GAME OF THRONES; Battle of the Bastards; Meereen City  

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project
THE JUNGLE BOOK        

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project
DEEPWATER HORIZON; Deepwater Horizon Rig        

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature
THE JUNGLE BOOK; Nature Effects      

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature
MOANA              

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project
GAME OF THRONES; Battle of the Bastards; Meereen City  

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature
THE JUNGLE BOOK        

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode
GAME OF THRONES; Battle of the Bastards; Retaking Winterfell  

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Commercial
John Lewis; Buster the Boxer

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
BREAKING POINT

Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Award Nominations

Damn, I am WAY behind on these. So sorry. Here are the belated nominations. The ceremony is February 19th.

Feature English Language – Dialogue/ADR
Arrival
Deadpool
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
Lion
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sully

Feature English Language – Effects/Foley
Arrival
Captain America: Civil War
Deadpool
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
Hacksaw Ridge
The Jungle Book
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Feature Animation
Finding Dory
Kubo And The Two Strings
The Little Prince
Moana
The Red Turtle
Sing
Zootopia

Feature Documentary
13th
Amanda Knox
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
Before The Flood
The Eagle Huntress
The Ivory Game
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble
Passage To Mars

Feature Foreign Language – Effects/Foley/Dialogue/ADR
Elle
The Handmaiden
The King's Choice
Neruda
Toni Erdmann
Under the Shadow

Feature Music
13 Hours: The Secrets Soliders of Benghazi
Arrival
Doctor Strange
Don't Breathe
Hacksaw Ridge
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Trek Beyond
Warcraft: The Beginning

Feature Musical
Florence Foster Jenkins
La La Land
Moana
Sing Street
Trolls

Direct to Video Animation
Batman Bad Blood
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash
Lego DC Comics Superheroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout
Open Season: Scared Silly
Space Dogs Adventure to the Moon

Direct to Video Live Action
Broken Vows
The Duel
Rattle The Cage
The Thinning
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

Computer Episodic (Webisode)
Future-Worm!
Joyride
Overwatch: The Last Bastion
StartUp 104 “Angel Investor”
Vixen

Game Cinematics
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare
Gears of War 4
Mafia III
Uncharted 4 a Thief’s End
World of Warcraft: Legion Cinematic

Special Venue
America Wild: National Parks Adventure
A Beautiful Planet
Extreme Weather
Pearl

TV Animation – Effects/Foley/Dialogue/ADR
Albert
Avengers Assemble (Adapting To Change)
BoJack Horseman (Fish Out of Water)
Gravity Falls (Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls)
Star Wars Rebels: (Twilight of the Apprentice)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (The Ever-Burning Fire)
Voltron: The Legendary Defender (The Black Paladin)

TV Documentary Long Form – Effects/Foley/Dialogue/ADR
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
My Beautiful Broken Brain
Searching For Home: Coming Back From War
Team Foxcatcher
World of Wonder

TV Documentary Short Form – Effects/Foley/Dialogue/ADR
Captive
Chef’s Table
Last Chance U
Sonic Sea
We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World
The White Helmets

TV Long Form – Dialogue/ADR
Harley and the Davidsons (Night 2: Race to the Top)
The Night Of (Part 1 The Beach)
Roots (Part 2)
Sherlock (The Abominable Bride)
Westworld (The Bicameral Mind)

TV Long Form – FX/Foley
Preacher (Pilot)
Roots (Part 1)
Sherlock (The Abominable Bride)
War and Peace (Night 4)
Westworld (The Bicameral Mind)

TV Long Form Musical
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Summer)
The Get Down (Where There Is Ruin, There Is Hope for a Treasure)
Quarry (You Don’t Miss Your Water)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge, Michell'e

TV Short Form – Dialogue/ADR
Game of Thrones (Battle of the Bastards)
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Deals With Your Devils)
Penny Dreadful (Ebb Tide)
The Shannara Chronicles (Bloodfire)
Shooter (Overwatch)
The Walking Dead (Heart’s Still Beating)
Westworld (Trace Decay)

TV Short Form – FX/Foley
American Horror Story: Roanoke (Chapter 1)
Better Call Saul (Nailed)
Black Sails (XX)
Game of Thrones (Battle of the Bastards)
Marco Polo (Heirs)
Narcos (The Good, The Bad, and The Dead)
Stranger Things (Chapter 8: The Upside Down)
Westworld (Trompe L’Oeil)

TV Short Form Music Score
Animal Kingdom (What Have You Done)
Arrow (What We Leave Behind)
Game of Thrones (Battle of the Bastards)
Just Add Magic (Just Add Pluots Part 2)
Lethal Weapon (Pilot)
Luke Cage (Soliloquy of Chaos)
Quantico (Lipstick)
Stranger Things (Chapter Three: Holly Jolly)

TV Short Form Musical
Mozart In The Jungle (Now I Will Sing)
Nashville (Didn’t Expect It To Go Down This Way)
The Get Down (Raise Your Words, Not Your Voice)

Verna Fields Award for Student Film Makers
Amelia's Closet
Eden
Fishwitch
Icarus
It’s Just a Gun
Jerry
Shallow Grave
Those Who Are Lost

2017 Grammy Predictions - Rock/Alternative

Best Rock Album
Will Win - Weezer "Weezer"
Could Win - Any of the five.
Should Win - Weezer "Weezer"
Commentary - This is an odd category this years, as none of these nominees are in any of the other rock categories, except for Gojira in Metal Performance. Of the bunch Weezer's album is clearly the best, although I would be on the lookout for Panic! at the Disco or blink-182. The weird part is that none of these artists are particularly Grammy favorites. Cage the Elephant was nominated last year, this is blink-182's first nomination, Panic! has only one previous nomination, and Gojira is the only one with another nomination. Weezer is the only group that has previously won a Grammy. It's not much, but it is enough to hold on to.

Best Rock Performance
Will Win - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Could Win - Twenty-One Pilots "Heathens"
Should Win - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Commentary - So Bowie is easily the best, and should win. We know that Grammy voters have serious sentimentality. But Twenty-One Pilots cracked into the general categories. Yes, it was with a different song, but it shows a lot of support that could trickle down and deny Bowie a well-deserved posthumous Grammy.

Best Rock Song
Will Win - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Could Win - Twenty-One Pilots "Heathens"
Should Win - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Commentary - See Rock Performance

Best Alternative Music Album
Will Win - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Could Win - Radiohead "A Moon Shaped Pool" or Bon Iver "22, A Million"
Should Win - David Bowie "Blackstar"
Commentary - Once again, this all depends on how much they want to reward the late, great Bowie. If not, then look for Grammy favorites Radiohead and Bon Iver to take the prize instead.

2017 Grammy Predictions - Rap

Best Rap Album
Will Win - Drake "Views"
Could Win - Chance the Rapper "Coloring Book" or Kanye West "The Life of Pablo"
Should Win - Chance the Rapper "Coloring Book"
Commentary - Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book is so much better than Views, its not even funny. But, with that Album of the Year nomination, and the ridiculous sales, I think that Drake takes the prize. Also, watch out for Kanye, he is a favorite among these voters.

Best Rap Performance
Will Win - Drake feat. Jay-Z and Kanye West "Pop Style"
Could Win - Chance the Rapper feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz "No Problem"
Should Win - Chance the Rapper feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz "No Problem"
Commentary - Once again, I think there is a clear winner here, but Drake, Jay-Z and Kanye West all on the same song is probably too much for Grammy voters to pass up.

Best Rap/Sung Performance
Will Win - Beyonce feat. Kendrick Lamar "Freedom"
Could Win - Drake "Hotline Bling" or Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream "Ultralight Beam"
Should Win - Drake "Hotline Bling" or Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream "Ultralight Beam"
Commentary -  I think Ultralight Beam is a brilliant collaboration between five of today's best artists, and while I hate Hotline Bling, don't discount the Drake love. But this is year of Beyonce, and Kendrick Lamar is high on their list. I expect them to win in a tight race.

Best Rap Song
Will Win - Aubrey Jefferies and Paul Jefferies "Hotline Bling"
Could Win - Chancelor Bennett, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Kirk Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico "Donnie Trumpet" Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West, Cydel Young & Malik Yusef "Ultralight Beam" or Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West, Cydel Young & Malik Yusef "Famous"
Should Win - Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter, Rachel Cato, Peter Cottontale, Tauheed Epps, Jonathan Hoard, Cam O’bi, Ivan Rosenberg, Conor Szymanski, Lakeithsha Williams & Jaime Woods "No Problem"
Commentary - Without Beyonce here, I think its between Hotline Bling, Famous, and Ultralight Beam. I think Drake wins another one, as they do like to reward multiple Grammys to their big favorites. Once again, this would be the perfect place to reward Chance the Rapper. I hope they take the time to do so.

The 69th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
Damien Chazelle "La La Land"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film
Garth Davis "Lion"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
Ezra Edelman "O.J.: Made in America"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Drama Series
Miguel Sapochnik "Game of Thrones - Battle of the Bastards"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
Becky Martin, "Veep - "Inauguration"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement for a Television Movie/Miniseries
Steve Zaillan "The Night Of - The Beach"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports
Glenn Weiss "The 70th Annual Tony Awards"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming
Don Roy King "Saturday Night Live"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Reality Program
J. Rupert Thompson "American Grit - The Finale - Over the Falls"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs
Tina Mabry "An American Girl Story: Melody 1963: Love Has to Win"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
Derek Cianfrance

Frank Capra Award
Marie Cantin

Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Ridley Scott

The 44th Annual Annie Awards

Of course Zootopia romps here as it makes its way to the Oscar:

Best Animated Feature
Zootopia

Best Animated Feature-Independent
The Red Turtle

Best Animated Special Production
Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Best Animated Short Subject
Piper

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
Loteria ‘Night Shift

Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Bob’s Burgers, Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob?

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children
Tumble Leaf, Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having a Ball

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children
Adventure Time, Episode: Bad Jubies

Best Student Film
Citipati

Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production
Moana

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Doctor Strange

Character Animation in a Television/Broadcast Production
Mike Chaffe “Dreamworks Trollhunters”, Episode: Becoming, Part 1

Character Animation in a Feature Production
Jan Maas, “Kubo and the Two Strings”

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Andrew R. Jones, Peta Bayley, Gabriele Zucchelli, Benjamin Jones, “The Jungle Book”

Character Animation in a Video Game
Jeremy Yates, Almudena Soria, Eric Baldwin, Paul Davies, Tom Bland, “Uncharted 4: A Theif’s End”

Character Design in a TV/Broadcast Production
Victor Maldonado, Alfredo Torres, Jules Rigolle “Dreamworks Trollhunters”, Episode: Win, Lose or Draal

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Cory Loftis “Zootopia”

Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Patrick Osborne “Pearl”

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Byron Howard, Rich Moore, “Zootopia”

Music in a TV/Broadcast Production
Scot Stafford, Alexis Harte, JJ Wiesler, “Pearl”

Music in an Animated Feature Production
Hans Zimmer, Richard Harvey, Camille, “The Little Prince”

Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Tuna Bora “Pearl”

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Nelson Lowry, Trevor Dalmer, August Hall, Ean McNamara “Kubo and the Two Strings”

Storyboarding in a TV/Broadcast Production
Hyunjoo Song “DreamWorks Trollhunters”, Episode: Win, Lose or Draal

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Dean Wellins “Zootopia”

Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Carlos Alazraqui as Ponce de LeÛn “The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show”, Episode: Ponce de LeÛn

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production 
(TIE) Auli’i Cravalho as Moana in “Moana” and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde in “Zootopia”

Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Lizzie Molyneux, Wendy Molyneux“Bob’s Burgers”, Episode: The Hormone-iums

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Jared Bush, Phil Johnston “Zootopia”

Editorial in a TV/Broadcast Production
Illya Owens “Disney Mickey Mouse”, Episode: Sock Burglar

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Christopher Murrie “Kubo and the Two Strings”

American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards

This is the first major guild award that La La Land has lost outright. It made up for it at the DGA (see two posts above), but still, it shows that there are some weaknesses. Probably not enough to lose Best Picture, but enough not to sweep. Also a big win for Lion, and it does make you wonder if it will cross over the Oscar.

Theatrical Release
Greig Fraser “Lion”

Spotlight Award
Gorka Gomez Andreu "House Of Others"

Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television
Fabian Wagner, Game of Thrones, “Battle of the Bastards”

Regular Series for Commercial Television
Tod Campbell, Robot, “eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc”

Television Movie, Miniseries or Pilot
Igor Martinovic, The Night Of, “Subtle Beast”

International Award
Philippe Rousselot

Bud Stone Award of Distinction
Frank Kay and Bruce Berke

Career Achievement in Television
Ron Garcia, ASC

Presidents Award
Nancy Schreiber

ASC Board of Governors Award
Denzel Washington