2017 Oscar Predictions: Who Will Win?

Sunday is the 89th Academy Awards, or the 1st Annual La La Land Coronation Awards. The question isn't if La La Land, but how many of its record-tying 14 nominations it will convert into wins (it has two nods in original song). Can anyone stop it at this point? Or Viola Davis? Probably not. Check out our predictions for the top categories below and tell us yours.

Best Picture
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Who will win: La La Land
The throwback musical has been trucking along to the Dolby stage since its festival premieres in September, cleaning up everywhere, including a 7-for-7 sweep at the Golden Globes. It's dreamy escapism about Hollywood itself and will be too irresistible to voters who want to celebrate their industry and craft. It'd only be the 11th musical to win Best Picture and the first in 14 years. The most Oscars won by a film in one night is 11 -- by Ben-Hur, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Watch out for: Moonlight
Barry Jenkins' moving, compassionate portrait of a life marginalized is a critical darling and has a lot of vocal supporters, including Mark Duplass. After two years of #OscarsSoWhite, it would be a big statement for Moonlight to win, especially over La La Land and its racially tone-deaf charges. Also keep an eye out for Hidden Figures, a crowd-pleaser that's rivaling La La Land in box-office receipts (and we know the Oscars are all about $$$).
Did you know? La La Land would be the first film since Braveheart 21 years ago and the second film overall to win Best Picture without a Screen Actors Guild Award ensemble nod. That was also the first time the award was given out at the SAGs.
Best Director
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Who will win: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
The wunderkind will take it home for his song-and-dance visual feast. He's won nearly everything in the lead-up, including the Directors Guild Award, which is one of the best Oscar precursors: It's matched with the Academy's director pick 61 out of 68 times.
Watch out for: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Jenkins would be the first black director to win.
Did you know? Chazelle, who turned 32 last month, would become the youngest director winner ever. The record is currently held by Skippy's Norman Taurog, who was a slightly older 32 when he won way back in 1931.

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

Who will win: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Watch out for: Denzel Washington, Fences
See our full breakdown of the race here.
Best Actress
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Who will win: Emma Stone, La La Land
Watch out for: Isabelle Huppert, Elle
See our full breakdown of the race here.

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

Who will win: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
For the second year in a row, the supporting actor Globe, SAG and BAFTA went to three different people. And for the second year in a row, one of those winners was nominated at the Oscars (Globe champ Aaron Taylor-Johnson from Nocturnal Animals). Ali, who received a slew of critics awards, should be able to pull this out. His soulful father figure turn has become the go-to performance to recognize from Moonlight, even though he's arguably not even the best actor in the film. This category is also the place where longtime working actors and veterans collect their Oscars.
Watch out for: Dev Patel, Lion
Patel won the BAFTA and his feel-good film is peaking at the right time. Plus, he's got Harvey Weinstein, who's leaving no stone unturned in Phase II of the campaign.
Did you know? Hedges, who turned 20 two months ago, would become the youngest male acting winner ever, toppling Ordinary People's Timothy Hutton, who won here 36 years ago at 20 years and seven months old. Patel, 26, would become the second youngest male acting winner.

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

Who will win: Viola Davis, Fences
This is one of the few locks of the night. Like Leonardo DiCaprio last year, when it's your time, it's your time. Davis, who's now the most nominated black actress with three nods under her belt, has dominated the season and you get the sense at every show that everyone just wants this for her. Her powerhouse turn is borderline category fraud and it would've been interesting had she decided to compete in lead, where she won her Tony for the stage production of Fences in 2010. Best Actress was highly competitive this year, but it would not have been out of the realm of possibility for her to win there. As it is, Halle Berry will remain the only black Best Actress champ for another year.
Watch out for: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
Williams is on her fourth nod and her achingly beautiful -- and indisputably supporting -- performance likely would've won had Davis not dropped down.
Did you know? Davis would become the 23rd actor to achieve the Triple Crown (Oscar, Emmy and Tony). Yes, that means she just needs a Grammy to EGOT.
The 89th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs Sunday, Feb. 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC.