The upcoming class of Academy Award nominees is diverse to say the least. Could the Academy still be feeling pressure from last year’s controversy which consisted of celebrity Oscar boycotts and the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite? Well, maybe.  But maybe this year’s talent in the film industry was so large that it was a no brainer on who the chosen nominees would be.  After all, those who had the utter privilege of seeing La La Land knew by the end of the opening number that Damien Chazelle would certainly be nominated in the Best Director category. It was also no surprise when the Oscar nominations were announced the morning of January 24th that La La Land had scored 14 recognitions, tying with All About Eve and Titanic for the most Oscar nominations ever for a film. So yes, it was a good year for movies. Casey Affleck (you might recognize the name.. he’s Ben Affleck’s younger brother) surprised the world with his beautiful and raw performance in Manchester by the Sea, earning him a nod for Best Actor.  Viola Davis received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Fences, a role which she is very familiar with, having played the character in the 2010 Broadway revival of the play by the same name.  This year’s nominations highlight a more diverse group of talent, and for this, we would like to thank the Academy.  Tune in to the 89th Academy Awards ceremony on February 26th. Here are some of the most highly anticipated categories:

Best Picture

La La Land

Moonlight

Manchester by the Sea

Fences

Arrival

Lion

Hacksaw Ridge

Hidden Figures

Hell or High Water

Best Director

Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Best Actor

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Denzel Washington, Fences

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Best Actress

Emma Stone, La La Land

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Ruth Negga, Loving

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Issabelle Huppert, Elle

Best Supporting Actor

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Dav Patel, Lion

Michael Channon, Nocturnal Animals

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis, Fences

Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Nicole Kidman, Lion

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

Best Animated Feature

Moana

Zootopia

My Life as a Zucchini

Kubo and the Two Strings

The Red Turtle

Best Cinematography

La La Land

Arrival

Lion

Moonlight

Best Original Screenplay

La La Land

Hell or High Water

The Lobster

Manchester by the Sea

20th Century Women