Stark Insider Oscar Picks: La La Land, Lion, Moonlight, more (Plus Interviews)

The 89th Academy Awards are moments away. Here’s Stark Insider’s picks for winners in the top Oscar categories. Plus video interviews with some of the nominees. Don’t forget: Subscribe to the Stark Insider YouTube channel to get automatically notified of new episodes with Loni Stark.

It’s the biggest night in the business. In short order we’ll know who took home the film industry’s top honors. I guess we should add that we’ll also know how host Jimmy Kimmel fairs — especially given these, shall we say, interesting times.

Stark Insider has a quick recap of the nominations from the top categories for this year’s 89th edition of the Academy Awards. See below for the list, plus our collective guesses at who will win.

Recently, at the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF), Loni Stark was able to catch up with several of the nominees including Nicole Kidman from Lion, and Emma Stone, director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz from La La Land.

Amy Adams unfortunately did not receive a nom in her fine performance as a star linguistics professor to the aliens in Arrival (interview from MVFF also below). However Arrival did receive several nominations including best picture.

Here’s the Stark Insider picks for winners in the major categories at this year’s Academy Awards:

NOMINEES: The 89th Academy Awards | 2017

Updated 2.27.2017

BOLD denotes Stark Insider team pick (not actual winner!)

Best Actor

Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea” (Winner)
Andrew Garfield in “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling in “La La Land”
Viggo Mortensen in “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington in “Fences”

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali in “Moonlight” (Winner)
Jeff Bridges in “Hell or High Water”
Lucas Hedges in “Manchester by the Sea”
Dev Patel in “Lion”
Michael Shannon in “Nocturnal Animals”

Best Actress

Isabelle Huppert in “Elle”
Ruth Negga in “Loving”
Natalie Portman in “Jackie”
Emma Stone in “La La Land” (Winner)
Meryl Streep in “Florence Foster Jenkins”

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis in “Fences” (Winner)
Naomie Harris in “Moonlight”
Nicole Kidman in “Lion”
Octavia Spencer in “Hidden Figures”
Michelle Williams in “Manchester by the Sea”

Best Animated Feature

“Kubo and the Two Strings”
“Moana”
“My Life as a Zucchini”
“The Red Turtle”
“Zootopia” (Winner)

Best Cinematography

“Arrival”
“La La Land” (Winner)
“Lion”
“Moonlight”
“Silence”

Best Costume Design

“Allied”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Winner)
“Florence Foster Jenkins”
“Jackie”
“La La Land”

Best Director

“Arrival” – Denis Villeneuve
“Hacksaw Ridge” – Mel Gibson
“La La Land” – Damien Chazelle (Winner)
“Manchester by the Sea” – Kenneth Lonergan
“Moonlight” – Barry Jenkins

Best Foreign Language Film

“Land of Mine”
“A Man Called Ove”
“The Salesman” (Winner)
“Tanna”
“Toni Erdmann”

Best Original Music Score

“Jackie”
“La La Land” (Winner)
“Lion”
“Moonlight”
“Passengers”

Best Original Song

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from “La La Land”
“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from “Trolls”
“City Of Stars” from “La La Land” (Winner)
“The Empty Chair” from “Jim: The James Foley Story”
“How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”

Best Picture

“Arrival”
“Fences”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“Hidden Figures”
“La La Land”
“Lion”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight” (Winner)

WATCH: Nicole Kidman Interview @ Mill Valley Film Festival (Lion)

Nicole Kidman chats with Loni Stark from Stark Insider about the need for humans to be connected, the roles of a mother, and her new film LION. Watch her arrival as she’s greeted by Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) founder and executive director Mark Fishkin and director of programming Zoe Elton. Later Kidman mingles with fans and patrons, charming all in her path. Subscribe to the Stark Insider YouTube Channel for more.

WATCH: Amy Adams Interview @ Mill Valley Film Festival (ARRIVAL)

Amy Adams talks with Loni Stark about sci-fi thriller ARRIVAL, the meaning and power of language, and being a new mother. Plus: Amy does her impression of French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve. Shot on opening night at the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF). Subscribe to the Stark Insider YouTube Channel for more.

WATCH: Emma Stone, Damien Chazelle, Justin Hurwitz Interview @ Mill Valley Film Festival (LA LA LAND)

Actress Emma Stone talks with Loni Stark about handling rejection, working through stage fright as a child, and tap dancing with Ryan Gosling in new throwback musical LA LA LAND. Emma is joined by director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz on the red carpet for the premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF). Subscribe to the Stark Insider YouTube Channel for more.

With Loni Stark in San Francisco.