This Sunday, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) will present its annual Golden Globe Awards, one of the oldest awards giving bodies out there, their selections will give us hints towards what Oscar might be contemplating or should be contemplating. We’ve taken a look at the precursors and the nominations for the Golden Globe awards and have made our selections for the winners and potential runners-up for the awards this weekend.

Looking over our lists, our first choice in each category matched eight out of fourteen categories, which is a sizable agreement. Our runners-up in those categories are all over the place. Overall, our results should be interesting. We each have different ways of looking at the Globes and their voters, so it will be fascinating to see which direction they go compared to our thoughts. Below are our predictions for this year.

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

Best Picture, Drama

Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Lion (Tripp)
Manchester by the Sea (Peter, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Moonlight (Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Is Moonlight too small a film for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association? Possibly. However, the strong support from critics might make it feel like the kind of film they feel they have to vote for. It’s just as likely they’ll just go with Manchester by the Sea since it is at least somewhat uccessful with critics.
Peter J. Patrick: It’s tough call between Manchester and Moonlight, but like Ordinary People before it, I think the Globes will reward the more mournful Manchester.
Tripp Burton: Moonlight is the critical darling of the year, swooping up a lot of buzz and awards on the way to a strong Oscar showing. The Globes tend to like their dramas bigger, though, in terms of scope, emotion, and location. Lion seems like a classic Globes drama to win here, even if it isn’t as strong an Oscar competitor as its co-nominees.
Thomas LaTourette: Manchester by the Sea should win. Moonlight is probably a little too edgy for this crowd to win and Fences was not even nominated, so it does not have too much competition.

Best Picture, Comedy/Musical

20th Century Women
Deadpool (RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)
Florence Foster Jenkins (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
La La Land (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Sing Street

Wesley Lovell: I would be shocked and astounded if this award didn’t go to La La Land. Only Florence Foster Jenkins really feels like an alternative from this group.
Peter J. Patrick: La La Land should win this overwhelmingly. Anything else would be a shock.
Tripp Burton: There is no runner-up here, as La La Land, the critically, commercially, and industry hailed musical, should clean up here easily. None of these other films really stand a chance at all.
Thomas LaTourette: This should be an incredibly easy win for La La Land.

Best Picture, Animated

Kubo and the Two Strings (Peter, RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Moana (Tripp)
My Life as a Zucchini
Sing
Zootopia (Wesley, Thomas, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: This group loves Disney and Pixar. In 10 years, only thre non-Pixar films have won Best Animated Feature. One of those was from Disney. I’d say it’s a fairly safe bet that without Pixar in the mix this year that one of the Disney titles will win. However, the international style of Kubo and the Two Strings might be appealing to them and, should it win, it might pick up steam towards the Oscars.
Peter J. Patrick: Kubo is the better film in my estimation, but anything is possible in this category this year.
Tripp Burton: In the battle of the Disney films, my hunch is that the recency bias of Moana will triumph over Zootopia.
Thomas LaTourette: Disney’s Zootopia should continue its winning ways, holding off competition from both Disney’s other animated film Moana and the Laika studios Kubo and the Two Strings.

Best Director

Damien Chazelle – La La Land (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Tom Ford – Nocturnal Aniamls
Mel Gibson – Hacksaw Ridge (RU:Tripp)
Barry Jenkins – Moonlight (RU:Wesley)
Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea (RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: The night’s big winner will be La La Land, so why not help it towards a mini-sweep. I hedged on this and put Barry Jenkins in second, but I honestly think Mel Gibson is a more likely runner-up because this group does love major celebrities, even former ones.
Peter J. Patrick: Another tough call, with Moonlight‘s Barry Jenkins also possible. A toss of the coin, really.
Tripp Burton: The Globes, more so than the other voting organizations, like their directors to make big spectacle cinema, so Damien Chazelle should be an easy vote for a lot of them. Don’t count out the fact that the Globes have been much more eager than a lot of Hollywood to forgive and welcome back Mel Gibson. He could pull out a surprise victory here.
Thomas LaTourette: Chazelle should easily win here with Lonergan and Jenkins left far behind.

Best Actor, Drama

Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Joel Edgerton – Loving
Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen – Captain Fantastic (RU:Peter)
Denzel Washington – Fences (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Affleck has swept the competition to date. I see no reason to bet against him now. Washington could be a spoiler.
Peter J. Patrick: Affleck is such a sure-fire winner that anyone else is pure speculation.
Tripp Burton: At this point it is hard to vote against Casey Affleck for anything, as he has already seemed to win every prize possible. There are some bigger stars in the mix, though, and the star-loving Globes voters could go for one of them instead.
Thomas LaTourette: I would expect Casey Affleck to triumph here unless the HFPA is just too taken with Denzel’s star power.

Best Actress, Drama

Amy Adams – Arrival (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Jessica Chastain – Miss Sloane
Isabelle Huppert – Elle (RU:Peter)
Ruth Negga – Loving
Natalie Portman – Jackie (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: The competition here likely comes down to Huppert and Portman. While this is a group of foreign journalists covering Hollywood, they don’t tend to recognize foreign actors, so I give the edge to Portman. I would be shocked if Huppert won, though.
Peter J. Patrick: This is a wide-open race, but Portman’s grieving Jackie Kennedy goes hand in hand with Affleck’s equally grieving lead character.
Tripp Burton: This should be one of the most competitive categories of the night. You have Amy Adams (who the Globes love and have already awarded twice this decade), Isabelle Huppert (the Globes have a habit of loving classic foreign movie stars), and Natalie Portman (who the Globes has given two awards to too). Any of them could win, but I’m leaning towards Portman for a biopic role that the Globes voters could swoon over.
Thomas LaTourette: Natalie Portman will win in a walk.

Best Actor, Comedy/Musical

Colin Farrell – The Lobster
Ryan Gosling – La La Land (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Hugh Grant – Florence Foster Jenkins (RU:Tripp)
Jonah Hill – War Dogs
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: This might be the category with the most competition outside of Best Picture, Drama. I think Ryan Gosling, being the star of the year’s big winner may help, but Ryan Reynolds made a major comeback and could come in second. They could also give Hugh Grant a career recognition.
Peter J. Patrick: Gosling should take this, but Reynolds’ personal popularity could trump him – in any event, the winner here should be a “Ryan.”
Tripp Burton: La La Land is such an overpowering favorite in all of these musical/comedy categories that it is hard to not see Gosling up on the stage.
Thomas LaTourette: Gosling should win handily over the other nominated Ryan.

Best Actress, Comedy/Musical

Annette Bening – 20th Century Women (RU:Tripp)
Lily Collins – Rules Don’t Apply
Hailee Steinfeld – The Edge of Seventeen
Emma Stone – La La Land (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: I’d be surprised if Emma Stone, the only certain Oscar nominee in this list, didn’t win this award. Streep could be a spoiler, as could Bening. The rest are out of luck.
Peter J. Patrick: Stone should be swept along with her film, but we can never count Streep out until the envelope is opened and read.
Tripp Burton: Emma Stone, who many see as a front-runner for most awards this season, should win here easily without the competition from her dramatic counterparts. If she doesn’t, it could be the push that Annette Bening or Meryl Streep need to get into a crowded Best Actress field come Oscar time.
Thomas LaTourette: It is hard to imagine anyone but Emma Stone winning this.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight (Peter, Tripp, Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water (Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Simon Helberg – Florence Foster Jenkins
Dev Patel – Lion (RU:Thomas)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Nocturnal Animals

Wesley Lovell: The Globes will likely be Ali’s speed bump in the road towards Oscar. Jeff Bridges is the only legend in this line up and he’s won enough awards so far to make his selection palatable. Of course, Ali still has a shot at second.
Peter J. Patrick: Critical favorite Ali leads here, but I see both Bridges and Patel as possible upset winners.
Tripp Burton: It can be difficult to decide which Globes mindset will triumph in some categories: crowning the Oscar favorites or getting big stars on the stage. I feel like giving an award to favorite Mahershala Ali is their way to throw a bone to Moonlight, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jeff Bridges up on the stage instead.
Thomas LaTourette: Ali should win, though this award is not a slam dunk like the previous ones.

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis – Fences (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)
Naomie Harris – Moonlight (RU:Peter)
Nicole Kidman – Lion (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
Octavia Spencer – Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea (RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Viola Davis is probably the surest bet of the night. Kidman has star power and, if Lion is a bigger player than expected, she could win. Williams and Harris are also possibilities.
Peter J. Patrick: Davis is the clear favorite, but both Harris and Williams are possible.
Tripp Burton: Viola Davis should easily start her steamroll towards the Oscar with a Golden Globe win. If voters really love Lion, though, don’t doubt that they will go for the biggest star on this list, Nicole Kidman.
Thomas LaTourette: Viola is assured of a victory here.

Best Screenplay

Hell or High Water
La La Land (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Manchester by the Sea (Wesley, Peter, Thomas)
Moonlight (RU:Peter, RU:Tripp)
Nocturnal Animals (Tripp)

Wesley Lovell: Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay for Manchester by the Sea might be one of only two awards it wins tonight. La La Land will definitely try and play the spoiler role.
Peter J. Patrick: I don’t see how Manchester can lose this one, but Moonlight is also a strong contender.
Tripp Burton: This is a category where it wouldn’t surprise me to see anyone on the stage with a Globe in their hands, but I’m going to go on a limb. The Globes like to award original visions with this award, and they obviously love Nocturnal Animals more than anyone expected before the nominations came out. I think they will take the opportunity to get Tom Ford one award and this will be it.
Thomas LaTourette: The more serious Manchester will win over La La Land, though it will probably be close.

Best Original Score

Arrival (RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Hidden Figures (Tripp)
La La Land (Wesley, Peter, Thomas)
Lion (RU:Peter)
Moonlight

Wesley Lovell: La La Land doesn’t really have much competition here, so I expect it to win over Oscar-ineligible Arrival fairly easily.
Peter J. Patrick: La La Land should take this one in a walk.
Tripp Burton: The Globes have become a little more mainstream with this award in the past few years, compared to a time when they would nominate/award films that no one else was noticing. This year, I expect they will go with a chance to get Pharrell Williams and an awesome hat up on the stage, but awards favorites Johann Johannsson or Justin Hurwitz wouldn’t be surprising either.
Thomas LaTourette: People will remember the songs of La La Land and vote for it, even though this is about the score.

Best Song

Can’t Stop the Feeling – Trolls (RU:Wesley)
City of Stars – La La Land (Wesley, Peter, Thomas)
Faith – Sing (Tripp, RU:Peter)
Gold – Gold
How Far I’ll Go – Moana (RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: Who would want to recognize the year’s big musical extravaganza without honoring part of what makes it a success. “City of Stars” has some strong competition, but I suspect it’s megastar Justin Timberlake with the best shot of toppling it, though Lin Manuel Miranda’s tune from Moana is also a possibility.
Peter J. Patrick: Again, La La Land should land this one.
Tripp Burton: It has been five years since a major music star hasn’t won this award, and this year the Globes have the chance to get Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, or Iggy Pop on stage. My guess is that they will go with Stevie Wonder and “Faith,” or they will join the Lin-Manuel Miranda train and give him another award for his mantle.
Thomas LaTourette: “City of Stars” from La La Land will easily win, though Broadway phenom Lin-Manuel Miranda will definitely get some votes for his song from Moana.

Best Foreign Language Film

Divines – France
Elle – France (RU:Wesley, RU:Peter, RU:Tripp, RU:Thomas)
Neruda – Chile
The Salesman – Iran/France
Toni Erdmann – Germany (Wesley, Peter, Tripp, Thomas)

Wesley Lovell: With this group, there’s no telling what will pique their interests most. I suspect Toni Erdmann might be their choice, though Elle, by benefit of also being nominated for Best Actress, could also win. Then again, any of the other titles could win. That’s how odd the Globe selections of the past have been.
Peter J. Patrick: Germany’s Toni Erdmann is the critical favorite, but France’s Elle could win as a consolation prize for Huppert losing.
Tripp Burton: Toni Erdmann is the darling of the awards season, and seems like a front-runner for every foreign film award, but don’t count out one-time Hollywood wunderkind Paul Verhoeven making his way back into good graces.
Thomas LaTourette: Toni Erdmann has been a critical darling and the comedy should win over the violent Elle. This is the one place where I can imagine an upset.