2015 Academy Award Predictions

I'm excited for Neil Patrick Harris to be hosting the Oscars. I haven't watched a Tonys award show all the way through, but he is incredibly enjoyable in a hosting gig. I look forward to the musical numbers that he will inevitably do during the broadcast. While making my picks, it felt very much like a Birdman vs Boyhood brawl with a Grand Budapest Hotel win scattered throughout. I'm hoping that I do well this year, but I'm not sure if I can beat last year's total (21 out of 24!). Although I'm saddened by the Lego Movie snub, it brings me much joy that they'll have to play "Everything is Awesome" during the show.

Update: 17 out of 24.

Best Picture

American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Robert Duvall, The Judge
Edward Norton, Birdman
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Best Animated Feature

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
the Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Best Cinematography

Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

Best Costume Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficient
Mr. Turner

Best Directing

Alejando G. Inarritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morton Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best Documentary Feature

Citizenfour
Last Days in Vietnam
Virunga
The Salt of the Earth
Finding Vivian Maier

Best Documentary Short

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
White Earth
The Reaper

Best Film Editing

American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Best Foreign Language Film

Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Wild Tales (Argentina)
Ida (Poland)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Original Score

Interstellar
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mr. Turner

Best Original Song

"Glory", Selma
"Lost Stars", Begin Again
"Everything is Awesome", The LEGO Movie
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You", Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me
"Grateful", Beyond the Lights

Best Production Design

Into the Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar
The Imitation Game
Mr. Turner

Best Animated Short Film

Feast
The Bigger Picture
A Single Life
The Dam Keeper
Me and My Moulton

Best Live Action Short Film

Boogaloo and Graham
Aya
Butterlamp
Parvenah
The Phone Call

Best Sound Editing

Interstellar
Unbroken
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
American Sniper
Birdman

Best Sound Mixing

Interstellar
Whiplash
Birdman
American Sniper
Unbroken

Best Visual Effects

Interstellar
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Original Screenplay

Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler