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Oscars 2017: Predictions on who will win, who should win

Brian Truitt
USA TODAY

The Oscars are always an exciting night, with some nominees dancing in the clouds a la La La Land and others left a teary mess like they just watched Manchester by the Sea. So who's going to win Sunday at the 89th Academy Awards (ABC, 7 p.m. ET/4 ET)? Here are our predictions:

Denzel Washington is up for a best actor Oscar for his role in 'Fences.'

BEST ACTOR

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Will win/should win: Washington

Affleck was the early favorite for his portrayal of a tragic handyman, but Washington has steadily gained momentum, enough to overtake him. Washington's role is one of the most iconic in a legendary career, the study of a 1950s garbage man whose boisterous and self-centered personality upends the relationship with his family.

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Emma Stone is an Oscar favorite for her role as an aspiring actress in 'La La Land.'

ACTRESS

Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Will win/should win: Stone

Had Portman not won her Oscar six years ago for Black Swan, there might be a better argument for her knockout performance as grieving first lady Jackie Kennedy. More deserving of adulation this time is Stone, who similarly fuels La La Land's narrative as its struggling thespian and is the primary reason the musical is such a joy to watch. Her character's Audition (The Fools Who Dream) song — an ode to the dreamer in us all — might as well have been a call to the Oscar engraver to start practicing her name.

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Mahershala Ali stars as a drug-dealing father figure in 'Moonlight.'

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Will win: Ali

Should win: Hedges

This is the awards season where everybody figured out how talented Ali is, and he's certainly worthy of his front-runner status as a drug dealer with a big heart. That said, it's hard to overlook the contribution of Hedges: He plays a consistently strong role throughout his movie — whereas Ali and Patel only factor into a fraction of theirs — and his complicated teenager balances out Manchester's relentless grief with needed humor and youthful energy.

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'Fences' star Viola Davis (right, with Denzel Washington) looks primed for her first Oscar win.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Will win/should win: Davis

The Oscar gods bestowed Leonardo DiCaprio with his first Oscar last year, and that time is now for Davis as Fences' put-upon housewife who's had it with playing second fiddle to her husband. She could have won for Doubt, she should have won for The Help, but — barring the biggest upset in years — she'll win for Fences.

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Director Barry Jenkins on the set of 'Moonlight.'

DIRECTOR

Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Will win: Chazelle

Should win: Jenkins

Chazelle deserves much of the credit for why La La Land has become the cat's meow with its relatable love story and showstopping numbers. Yet Jenkins pulls off an even greater feat by creating a timely, unconventional and extraordinary character piece that follows an African-American man from bullied kid to distressed teen to tough drug dealer.

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Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) leads the fight against racial and gender inequality in 'Hidden Figures.'

PICTURE

Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water 
Hidden Figures
La La Land

Lion 
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Will win: La La Land

Should win: Hidden Figures

With 14 nominations, La La Land looks to have a record-setting night and has been the front-runner since festival season. La La's effervescent story and love letter to old-school Hollywood will appeal to Oscar voters, but Hidden Figures has more going for it: It's about unsung heroines in a period drama, it's just as crowd-pleasing as its song-and-dance foe, and the history lesson feels more relevant in a divided political climate than a breezy musical. And who knows if we'll ever get another movie about math that's this entertaining?

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