The Academy Awards take place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Sunday, February 28 (find out how you can watch it here) and we'll be covering it every step of the way.
But before the ceremony, we've run our eye over the nominees to see if we can predict a winner. Have a read, and then cast your own vote.
BEST PICTURE
We predict: Spotlight
While The Revenant got a big boost from its BAFTA win, this category is not really a lock. The Producers Guild opted for The Big Short, the Screen Actors gave their Ensemble award to Spotlight and the Directors Guild went for The Revenant, so that's really a three-way tie between the most reliable predictors of the Best Picture winner. We've plumped for Spotlight because actors are the biggest voting block, so their winner would seem to have an edge.
BEST DIRECTOR
What to Read Next
We predict: Alejandro G Iñárritu, The Revenant
We were really hoping for a George Miller upset here, but despite every Hollywood director raving about his work, Iñárritu definitely has the edge. He won the Director's Guild award, which is generally a good sign. The funny thing is, of course, that both films were hellishly difficult to make (Miller shot in the desert, and took years to get it right), but The Revenant-was-worse narrative seems to reign supreme.
BEST ACTOR
We predict: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
If DiCaprio doesn't win, it will be one of the biggest upsets in recent Oscars history. He has won every significant award in the run-up to the ceremony, including the Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTA, and he's now in his 40s - the prime decade for a male acting nominee. This vegetarian ate raw liver for the role! He froze and buried himself in bear skins! What more do you need?!
BEST ACTRESS
We predict: Brie Larson, Room
The strongest categories at the Academy Awards this year are Cinematography (trust us) and Best Actress. If we tell you that Cate Blanchett is not the front-runner, you'll have some idea how high the standard is. So far, it looks like it will be Brie Larson, who's incredible in Room and who already owns the SAG and BAFTA. She's in her 20s, which is as good for an actress as it is bad for actors if you're crunching the Oscars numbers, and it would give the Oscars the chance to crown a major up-and-comer.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
We predict: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Despite the fame and the wealth and the chain of restaurants, Sylvester Stallone is an underdog at the Academy, and he's wise enough to know that. But then everyone loves an underdog story, and a comeback. Stallone hasn't been an Oscar contender since the original Rocky in 1977, so there's a poetry in seeing him back there again that the voters will not overlook. Also, it's a really good performance, and Hollywood loves the guy.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
We predict: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
This is a tough one to call. The two best performances in the category come from Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl and Rooney Mara for Carol, both of whom should really be nominated for Best Actress because they're leading roles. Rachel McAdams's role is probably too self-effacing, which will hold her back (even though that's also the point of her part in Spotlight), and no-one seems to like The Hateful Eight, which will hurt Jennifer Jason Leigh. That means Kate Winslet wins by default, despite the wobbly bits of her accent. But we're still hoping that Vikander or Mara will win through.
BEST ANIMATED FILM
We predict: Inside Out
Anomalisa has been widely praised, Shaun The Sheep is delightful and the little seen Boy & the World and When Marnie Was There are both great. But let's be real: it's Inside Out. It's the smartest film in any category this year, and if there was any justice in the world it would win Best Picture as well as this one.
