The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is a highly anticipated awards show for excellence in cinematics that averages about 37.3 million viewers per year. It often called the Oscars because that is the name of the small golden figures that are given to the award winners. 

On Sunday, February 26, people can tune into ABC at 6:00 CST to watch this year’s Oscars. The awards are held at the famous Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Each year a special celebrity host gets the honor of hosting this event. This year’s host is well renowned TV host, Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel has some big shoes to fill following previous hosts such as Chris Rock and Neil Patrick Harris. With previous experience hosting the Emmys, there is no reason why he will not do a great job.

The front running movies coming into the awards include: La La Land, Manchester By The Sea, Moonlight, Jackie, and Hell or High Water. La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, comes into the awards with a record breaking 14 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress, Best Soundtrack, and many more.

Manchester By The Sea, starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, also brought a hefty number of 9 nominations such as, Best Picture, Best actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Moonlight, Jackie, and Hell or High Water all three racked up a few nominations each as well.

There are many early predictions for the well known awards such as Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress and Actor. Many believe that Casey Affleck will win best Actor for his role in Manchester By The Sea and Emma Stone will get best actress for her role in La La Land. As for Best picture, Moonlight and La La Land will be going head to head, and could go either way.

For Best Supporting Actress and Actor, Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali and Fence’s Viola Davis seem to be front runners. For best director, as shocking as it may be, Damien Chazelle of La La Land seems to be the shoo-in.

Many students around Prep have a prediction of their own on who might win what. 11th grader Emme Aldridge said, “There is no doubt that Ryan Gosling will win Best Actor.”

Sophomore Chandler Ursy said, “I predict The Jungle Book will upset Rogue One in the Best Visual Effects. It was one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen.”

The award show is coming up and looks to be exciting as ever. For anyone who is into movies, be sure to tune in and watch.