As I often say, it's never too early to make predictions for the upcoming Oscar nominees -- whether it's two weeks away, four months away, or half a year away. February 28th, 2016, is fewer than four months away, so now seems like a good time to start predicting the nominees (by category, alphabetically). Maybe second-time host Chris Rock is already preparing some brilliantly controversial jokes.
* = front runners (in my current, fearless opinion)
Best Picture
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
By the Sea
Carol
Concussion
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Joy
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
*Spotlight
Steve Jobs
Suffragette
Youth
Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson -- Room
Danny Boyle -- Steve Jobs
John Crowley -- Brooklyn
Carey Fukunaga -- Beasts of No Nation
Sarah Gavron -- Suffragette
Todd Haynes -- Carol
Tom Hooper -- The Danish Girl
Alejandro G. Inarritu -- The Revenant
Angelina Jolie Pitt -- By the Sea
*Tom McCarthy -- Spotlight
David O'Russell -- Joy
Ridley Scott -- The Martian
Steven Spielberg -- Bridge of Spies
Quentin Tarantino -- The Hateful Eight
Denis Villeneuve -- Sicario
Best Actress
Juliette Binoche -- Clouds of Sils Maria
Cate Blanchett -- Carol
Emily Blunt -- Sicario
Blythe Danner -- I'll See You In My Dreams
Angelina Jolie Pitt -- By the Sea
*Brie Larson -- Room
Jennifer Lawrence -- Joy
Melissa McCarthy -- Spy
Julianne Moore -- Freeheld
Carey Mulligan -- Suffragette
Saoirse Ronan -- Brooklyn
Amy Schumer -- Trainwreck
Maggie Smith -- The Lady in the Van
Lily Tomlin -- Grandma
Best Actor
Abraham Attah -- Beasts of No Nation
Michael Caine -- Youth
Bryan Cranston -- Trumbo
Matt Damon -- The Martian
Johnny Depp -- Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio -- The Revenant
Jesse Eisenberg -- The End of the Tour
Michael Fassbender -- Macbeth; Steve Jobs
Tom Hanks -- Bridge of Spies
Tom Hardy -- Legends
Michael Keaton -- Spotlight
Ian McKellan -- Mr. Holmes
*Eddie Redmayne -- The Danish Girl
Will Smith -- Concussion
Jacob Tremblay -- Room
Best Supporting Actress
Joan Allen -- Room
Marion Cotillard -- Macbeth
Jane Fonda -- Youth
Jennifer Jason Leigh -- The Hateful Eight
Laura Linney -- Mr. Holmes
*Rooney Mara -- Carol
Rachel McAdams -- Spotlight
Helen Mirren -- Trumbo
Ellen Page -- Freeheld
Kristen Stewart -- Clouds of Sils Maria
Charlize Theron -- Mad Max: Fury Road
Alicia Vikander -- The Danish Girl; Ex Machina
Kate Winslet -- Steve Jobs
Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dano -- Love & Mercy
Benicio Del Toro -- Sicario
Robert DeNiro -- Joy
Joel Edgerton -- Black Mass
*Idris Elba -- Beasts of No Nation
Harrison Ford -- The Age of Adaline
Tom Hardy -- The Revenant
Harvey Keitel -- Youth
Seth Rogen -- Steve Jobs
Mark Ruffalo -- Spotlight
Kurt Russell -- The Hateful Eight
Mark Rylance -- Bridge of Spies
Liev Schreiber -- Spotlight
Jason Segel -- The End of the Tour
Michael Shannon -- 99 Homes
Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
By the Sea
Ex Machina
Grandma
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Joy
Sicario
*Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Suffragette
Trainwreck
Youth
Best Adapted Screenplay
Beasts of No Nation
Brooklyn
Carol
The Danish Girl
Macbeth
The Martian
The Revenant
*Room
Steve Jobs
Trumbo
Best Animated Film
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Home
*Inside Out
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep
When Marnie Was There
Best Documentary Feature
*Amy
Cartel Land
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
He Named Me Malala
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
I Am Chris Farley
Iris
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Red Army
The Wolfpack
Best Foreign Language Film
The Assassins
The Club
Goodnight Mommy
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Labyrinth of Lies
Mustang
The Second Mother
*Son of Saul
Best Cinematography
Beasts of No Nation
Crimson Peak
Everest
The Hateful Eight
In the Heart of the Sea
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
*The Revenant
Sicario
The Walk
Best Film Editing
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Joy
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
*Spotlight
Steve Jobs
Best Costume Design
The Age of Adaline
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
*Cinderella
Crimson Peak
Far From the Madding Crowd
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Macbeth
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mr. Holmes
Pan
The Revenant
Suffragette
Testament of Youth
Trumbo
Best Production Design
Brooklyn
Carol
*Cinderella
Crimson Peak
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Macbeth
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mr. Holmes
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Make-Up/Hairstyling
Black Mass
Carol
Cinderella
Crimson Peak
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Macbeth
Mr. Holmes
Pan
The Revenant
*Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Trumbo
Best Visual Effects
Ant-Man
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Everest
Ex Machina
In the Heart of the Sea
Jurassic World
Ma Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
San Andreas
Spectre
*Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Terminator Genisys
Tomorrowland
The Walk
Best Original Score
Beasts of No Nation
*Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Steve Jobs
Best Original Song
Freeheld -- "Hands of Love"
Furious 7 -- "See You Again"
I'll See You In My Dreams -- "I'll See You In My Dreams"
Love & Mercy -- "One Kind of Love"
Ricki & the Flash -- "Cold One"
Southpaw -- "Phenomenal"
Spectre -- "Writing's On the Wall"
Youth -- "Simple Song #3"
* = front runners (in my current, fearless opinion)
Best Picture
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
By the Sea
Carol
Concussion
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Joy
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
*Spotlight
Steve Jobs
Suffragette
Youth
Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson -- Room
Danny Boyle -- Steve Jobs
John Crowley -- Brooklyn
Carey Fukunaga -- Beasts of No Nation
Sarah Gavron -- Suffragette
Todd Haynes -- Carol
Tom Hooper -- The Danish Girl
Alejandro G. Inarritu -- The Revenant
Angelina Jolie Pitt -- By the Sea
*Tom McCarthy -- Spotlight
David O'Russell -- Joy
Ridley Scott -- The Martian
Steven Spielberg -- Bridge of Spies
Quentin Tarantino -- The Hateful Eight
Denis Villeneuve -- Sicario
Best Actress
Juliette Binoche -- Clouds of Sils Maria
Cate Blanchett -- Carol
Emily Blunt -- Sicario
Blythe Danner -- I'll See You In My Dreams
Angelina Jolie Pitt -- By the Sea
*Brie Larson -- Room
Jennifer Lawrence -- Joy
Melissa McCarthy -- Spy
Julianne Moore -- Freeheld
Carey Mulligan -- Suffragette
Saoirse Ronan -- Brooklyn
Amy Schumer -- Trainwreck
Maggie Smith -- The Lady in the Van
Lily Tomlin -- Grandma
Best Actor
Abraham Attah -- Beasts of No Nation
Michael Caine -- Youth
Bryan Cranston -- Trumbo
Matt Damon -- The Martian
Johnny Depp -- Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio -- The Revenant
Jesse Eisenberg -- The End of the Tour
Michael Fassbender -- Macbeth; Steve Jobs
Tom Hanks -- Bridge of Spies
Tom Hardy -- Legends
Michael Keaton -- Spotlight
Ian McKellan -- Mr. Holmes
*Eddie Redmayne -- The Danish Girl
Will Smith -- Concussion
Jacob Tremblay -- Room
Best Supporting Actress
Joan Allen -- Room
Marion Cotillard -- Macbeth
Jane Fonda -- Youth
Jennifer Jason Leigh -- The Hateful Eight
Laura Linney -- Mr. Holmes
*Rooney Mara -- Carol
Rachel McAdams -- Spotlight
Helen Mirren -- Trumbo
Ellen Page -- Freeheld
Kristen Stewart -- Clouds of Sils Maria
Charlize Theron -- Mad Max: Fury Road
Alicia Vikander -- The Danish Girl; Ex Machina
Kate Winslet -- Steve Jobs
Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dano -- Love & Mercy
Benicio Del Toro -- Sicario
Robert DeNiro -- Joy
Joel Edgerton -- Black Mass
*Idris Elba -- Beasts of No Nation
Harrison Ford -- The Age of Adaline
Tom Hardy -- The Revenant
Harvey Keitel -- Youth
Seth Rogen -- Steve Jobs
Mark Ruffalo -- Spotlight
Kurt Russell -- The Hateful Eight
Mark Rylance -- Bridge of Spies
Liev Schreiber -- Spotlight
Jason Segel -- The End of the Tour
Michael Shannon -- 99 Homes
Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
By the Sea
Ex Machina
Grandma
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Joy
Sicario
*Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Suffragette
Trainwreck
Youth
Best Adapted Screenplay
Beasts of No Nation
Brooklyn
Carol
The Danish Girl
Macbeth
The Martian
The Revenant
*Room
Steve Jobs
Trumbo
Best Animated Film
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Home
*Inside Out
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep
When Marnie Was There
Best Documentary Feature
*Amy
Cartel Land
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
He Named Me Malala
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
I Am Chris Farley
Iris
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Red Army
The Wolfpack
Best Foreign Language Film
The Assassins
The Club
Goodnight Mommy
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Labyrinth of Lies
Mustang
The Second Mother
*Son of Saul
Best Cinematography
Beasts of No Nation
Crimson Peak
Everest
The Hateful Eight
In the Heart of the Sea
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
*The Revenant
Sicario
The Walk
Best Film Editing
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Joy
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
*Spotlight
Steve Jobs
Best Costume Design
The Age of Adaline
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
*Cinderella
Crimson Peak
Far From the Madding Crowd
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Macbeth
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mr. Holmes
Pan
The Revenant
Suffragette
Testament of Youth
Trumbo
Best Production Design
Brooklyn
Carol
*Cinderella
Crimson Peak
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Macbeth
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mr. Holmes
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Make-Up/Hairstyling
Black Mass
Carol
Cinderella
Crimson Peak
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Macbeth
Mr. Holmes
Pan
The Revenant
*Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Trumbo
Best Visual Effects
Ant-Man
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Everest
Ex Machina
In the Heart of the Sea
Jurassic World
Ma Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
San Andreas
Spectre
*Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Terminator Genisys
Tomorrowland
The Walk
Best Original Score
Beasts of No Nation
*Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Steve Jobs
Best Original Song
Freeheld -- "Hands of Love"
Furious 7 -- "See You Again"
I'll See You In My Dreams -- "I'll See You In My Dreams"
Love & Mercy -- "One Kind of Love"
Ricki & the Flash -- "Cold One"
Southpaw -- "Phenomenal"
Spectre -- "Writing's On the Wall"
Youth -- "Simple Song #3"
