AFI announces Top 10 films of 2017, Best Picture race takes shape

The AFI (American Film Institute) announced their top ten films of 2017. Everything (mostly) fell into place, as the Best Picture race firms up. The AFI selections:

The Big Sick
Call me by Your Name
Dunkirk
The Florida Project 
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri 
Wonder Woman

The first and last on the list, The Big Sick and Wonder Woman, are certainly on the shakiest ground for Best Picture. Especially since the other 8 films cited have been firming up their Oscar claims, appearing just about everywhere.

The utility players this season, who so far have dominated the awards circuit are Call me by Your Name, Get Out, and Lady Bird. The Post has also come on strong despite a late entry to the race. Dunkirk remains a visual marvel and directorial feat that will remain in conversations until the end. If we were dealing with a five film Best Picture lineup, I think these might be the five. I still contend that Dunkirk will have a hard time winning since it is not an "actor movie."

So which of the other four would win instead? Hard to say. Will Lady Bird represent the strong year in women in film? Does Call me by Your Name win over voters with visual sumptuousness and a gorgeous coming of age tale? Is Get Out their way to acknowledge the lack of opportunities and equality for people of color? Or will The Post serve as the ultimate middle finger to the Trump administration, being raised high by Hollywood's holy trinity of the father (Spielberg), the son (Hanks), and the holy spirit (Streep)? They all have plausible narratives.

The Shape of Water is also rebounding after a rocky start, and could overtake Dunkirk as the below the line juggernaut (with a very competitive Best Actress entry). And though Martin McDonagh might produce too divisive work to ultimately win the top award, Three Billboards is certainly poised for a nomination thanks to a crusading performance by Frances Mcdormand. The actors are with it. The Florida Project, which I've feared may have only been a "critic's movie" has seen universal praise and rounds out this top 8 pack.

With a 10 picture lineup mathematically improbable, we are looking at maybe one more slot to fill. Most assume it belongs to Darkest Hour. But as of now, the film looks more like Iron Lady (remembered for its winning central performance and makeup) rather than a Best Picture juggernaut. It'll be up to the upcoming industry kudos to change the tide for this one. I'm sure Netflix was thinking Mudbound would be able to resonate with AFI, but they may have to settle for some major awards without an accompanying Best Picture citation. It'll probably be up to the PGA to say otherwise (and a SAG ensemble nomination would also be welcome).

Will a comedy breakthrough? The Big Sick is competitive for Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay, but will undoubtedly feel too light to many voters. Another (much darker) comedy is also in play with I, Tonya. But I have a feeling the voters will go for stories with likable people this year. As Sasha Stone says: "good people doing good things."

Wonder Woman would be one of those good people. If Gal Gadot's pic shows up at the PGA, we will have to reassess its chances. But the issue is that so many genre films were incredible this year. The Academy will probably only have space for one of them, if at all. Will voters looking outside the box be united behind Wonder Woman? Or will they be split between her, Logan, Blade Runner 2049, Beauty and the Beast, Baby Driver, and War of the Planet of the Apes? If it's the later, they all lose.

Of course, maybe I'm looking too hard to find a consensus approved ninth nominee. Maybe the strong eight is our strong eight. And that's it.

1984 is Benched! first 2018 Tony Eligibility Rulings are a Shocker

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the first time, to discuss eligibility rulings for the 2017-2018 Broadway season. The productions discussed in this first round of rulings were 1984, Marvin's Room, The Terms of My Surrender, Prince of Broadway, and Time and the Conways.
The rulings were as follows:

• 1984 has been deemed ineligible. According to a statement, "1984 has been deemed ineligible by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The show did not fulfill all of the eligibility requirements, as outlined by the Tony Rules and Regulations."

• Celia Weston will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for her performance in Marvin's Room.

• David Rockwell and Andrew Lazarow will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on The Terms of My Surrender.

• David Thompson will be considered eligible in the Best Book of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• Beowulf Boritt will be considered eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• William Ivey Long will be considered eligible in the Best Costume Design of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• Steven Boyer, Anna Camp, Gabriel Ebert, Charlotte Parry and Matthew James Thomas will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Play categories for their respective performances in Time and the Conways.

So...if you are scratching your head at that first ruling, you aren't alone. In a bizarre turn, the entire production of 1984 won't be competing for any awards this spring. Huh? To qualify for the Tonys a show must: play in an eligible Broadway house, open during the current Broadway season, provide free admission to the Tony Administration and Nominating Committees. It seemed like the disturbing George Orwell adaptation checked all those boxes.

No further clarification has been given by the Administration Committee, but Jeremy Gerard at Deadline is reporting via anonymous source, that the issue may have arisen because one member of the 51 member Nominating Committee was not able to see the performance. This would be most odd, since attending every show in the season is a requirement for serving as a nominator. In previous years, nominators have had to recuse themselves if they could not attend every show (usually because they found themselves involved in a Broadway project of their own).

It's possible that given the early start date of 1984 (it was the first production of the season, beginning previews on May 18, 2017) that individuals who did not officially become nominators until several weeks into the 2017-2018 season were somehow overlooked in terms of invites. The only other possibility that comes to mind: the failure to submit the show's Tony Compliance Certificate within 16 weeks of opening. Both options for exclusion appear to be silly oversights, but without any official clarification from the Tony Awards, we only have speculation at this time.

As for clarification on what the other rulings mean for Tony eligibility:

• Both Lili Taylor and Janeane Garofalo will be considered under Lead Actress in a Play for Marvin's Room, with the rest of the cast considered under Featured Actor/Actress

• The entire cast of Prince of Broadway will compete in Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical

• Elizabeth McGovern will be considered under Lead Actress in a Play for Time and the Conways, with the rest of the cast competing under Featured Actor/Actress in a Play

RIP to 1984's Tony chances. And my condolences to whomever Scott Rudin is currently screaming at.

Hello, Sammys! (Or: If I as a Tony Voter 2017)

The Tonys reward the right people more often than not. Certainly more than any other major awards show. But I still find myself rooting for overlooked underdogs every year. And that's why I have The Sammys to imagine the Tonys done my way!

This year was filled to the brim with incredible new works and reimagined classics. Broadway has relinquished its hold on strong new plays in recent years. But that all changed this season when a group of audacious and finely crafted plays made their way to the rialto. "The Encounter" was the most unique offering in a Broadway house in years. "Indecent" dared to delve into an avant-garde ensemble structure usually reserved for only the most experimental Off-Broadway houses. And "A Doll's House, Part 2" cemented Lucas Hnath as one of our top American playwrights with a script that was moving and hysterical. All three instantly joined the ranks of my favorite plays and choosing which was my favorite was incredible difficult.

I was brought to tears by the music in "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Come From Away," had stomach pains from laughing at Bette Midler in "Hello, Dolly!" and Stephanie J. Block in "Falsettos," and was blown away by revamped revivals like Sam Gold's deconstructed "Glass Menagerie."

You can view my actually predictions for tonight's Tony Awards in the Contenders section, but here's how I wish the nominees and winners had shaken out:

Musical
Bandstand
Dear Evan Hansen (winner)
The Great Comet
Come From Away (runner-up)
Groundhog Day

Play
The Encounter
A Doll's House, Part 2 (winner)
Indecent (runner-up)
Oslo
Sweat

Musical Revival
Hello, Dolly! (winner)
Falsettos
Sunset Boulevard (runner-up)

Play Revival
Six Degrees of Separation
The Glass Menagerie (runner-up)
Jitney
The Little Foxes (winner)

Actor - Play
Corey Hawkins, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Kevin Kline, "Present Laughter"
Simon McBurney, "The Encounter" (winner)
Gideon Glick, "Significant Other" (runner-up)
Joe Mantello, "The Glass Menagerie"

Actress - Play
Laurie Metcalf, "A Dolls House, Part 2" (winner)
Cate Blanchett, "The Present"
Sally Field, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Allison Janney, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Laura Linney, "The Little Foxes"

Actor - Musical
Corey Cott, "Bandstand" (runner-up)
Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen" (winner)
Josh Groban, "The Great Comet"
Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
Jon Jon Briones, "Miss Saigon"

Actress - Musical
Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Christine Ebersole, "War Paint"
Patti LuPone, "War Paint" (runner-up)
Eva Noblezada, "Miss Saigon"
Denee Benton, "The Great Comet"

Featured Actor - Play
Michael Aronov, "Oslo" (winner)
Anthony Azizi, "Oslo"
Danny DeVito, "The Price"
Nathan Lane, "The Front Page"
Richard Topol, "Indecent" (runner-up)

Featured Actress - Play
Jayne Houdyshell, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (runner-up)
Lindsay Mendez, "Significant Other"
Cynthia Nixon, "The Little Foxes" (winner)
Condola Rashad, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Alison Wright, "Sweat"

Featured Actor - Musical
Gavin Creel, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Andrew Rannells, "Falsettos"
Will Roland, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Brandon Uranowitz, "Falsettos" (runner-up)
Michael Xavier, "Sunset Boulevard"

Featured Actress - Musical
Kate Baldwin, "Hello, Dolly!"
Stephanie J. Block, "Falsettos" (winner)
Jenn Collela, "Come From Away"
Amber Gray, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
Rachel Bay Jones, "Dear Evan Hansen" (runner-up)

Director - Musical
Christopher Ashley, "Come From Away" (runner-up)
Rachel Chavkin, "The Great Comet" (winner)
Michael Grief, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Matthew Warchus, "Groundhog Day"
Jerry Zaks, "Hello, Dolly!"

Director - Play
Sam Gold, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Sam Gold, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Jitney"
Daniel Sullivan, "The Little Foxes"
Rebecca Taichman, "Indecent" (winner)

Score
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) (winner)
"Groundhog Day" (Tim Minchin)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy) (runner-up)

Book of a Musical
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein) (winner)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Steven Levenson)
"Groundhog Day" (Danny Rubin) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy)

Script of a Play
Joshua Harmon, "Significant Other"
Lucas Hnath, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (winner)
Lynn Nottage, "Sweat" (runner-up)
Simon Stephens, "Heisenberg"
Paula Vogel, "Indecent"

Choreography
"Bandstand" (Andy Blankenbuehler) (winner)
"Come From Away" (Kelly Devine)
"Groundhog Day" (Peter Darling)
"Holiday Inn" (Denis Jones) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Sam Pinkleton)

Orchestrations
"Bandstand" (Bill Elliott & Greg Anthony Rasen)
"Hello, Dolly!" (Larry Hochman) (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (Dave Malloy)
"Sunset Boulevard" (David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber) (runner-up)

Scenic Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day"
"Hello, Dolly!" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812" (winner)

Scenic Design - Play
"Jitney"
"The Little Foxes"
"The Play That Goes Wrong" (winner)
"Six Degrees of Separation" (runner-up)

Costume Design - Musical
"Anastasia"
"Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
"War Paint" (runner-up)

Costumes Design - Play
"A Doll's House, Part 2"
"Les Liaisons Dangerueses"
"The Little Foxes" (winner)
"Present Laughter" (runner-up)

Lighting Design - Musical
"Bandstand"
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (runner-up)

Lighting Design - Play
"The Encounter"
"Indecent" (winner)
"The Little Foxes"
"Oslo" (runner-up)

Sound Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Come From Away"
"Miss Saigon" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (winner)

Sound Design - Play
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Jitney"
"Significant Other"

Projection Design - Play or Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Oslo"

WINS
5 - "Hello, Dolly!"
3 - "Dear Evan Hansen," "A Dolls House Part 2," "The Encounter," "The Great Comet,"
     "The Little Foxes"
2 - "Indecent"
1 - "Bandstand," "Come From Away," "Falsettos," "Groundhog Day," "Oslo,"
     "The Play That Goes Wrong"

Close Your Eyes and Say a Prayer: Final 2017 Tony Nominations Predictions

Pain is setting in as I frantically second guess every prediction I've made thus far. If you're having last minute changes of heart like me, here is some analysis of the top categories and final predictions. We will find out how smart or silly I am in the morning!

BEST MUSICAL
1.) Dear Evan Hansen
2.) Come From Away
3.) Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
4.) Groundhog Day

The top three are locks. "Groundhog Day" has developed a rooting factor and sense of goodwill after pushing through despite Andy Karl's injury. It's also a ton of fun. In case of a tie, expect last minute surprise "Bandstand," or technical marvel "Anastasia" to slip in a fifth slot.

BEST PLAY
1.) A Doll's House, Part 2

2.) Sweat

3.) Oslo
4.) Indecent

These seem pretty solid and truly any of them could win. If being an orange (audacious but poignant comedy) in a bag of apples ("important" dramas) helps you stand out, "A Dolls House Part 2" could have the edge. "Significant Other" "The Encounter" and "Heisenberg" would make worthy nominees, but probably only possible in a tie. Its been a phenomenal season for new plays.

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
1.) Hello, Dolly!
2.) Falsettos
3.) Sunset Boulevard

The only question: "Sunset Boulevard" or "Miss Saigon" in the third slot. Last year had a similar situation and yielded four nominees. It could happen again.

BEST PLAY REVIVAL
1.) The Little Foxes
2.) Jitney
3.) Six Degrees of Separation
4.) Present Laughter

"The Price" could muscle it's way in, but its only other guaranteed nomination is Featured Actor. Ditto "The Front Page" which will probably find its only nomination with Nathan Lane. It'll be "The Little Foxes" vs. "Jitney" for the win. Kudos to MTC.

DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
1.) Rachel Chavkin, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
2.) Michael Greif, "Dear Evan Hansen"
3.) Christopher Ashley, "Come From Away"
4.) Jerry Zaks, "Hello, Dolly!"
5.) Matthew Warchus, "Groundhog Day"

I feel fairly confident here. James Lapine could be a spoiler for his high concept "Falsettos" or Andy Blankenbuehler might be welcomed into the directors club for "Bandstand." But, outside of voters claiming Jerry Zaks "recreated" instead of directed, the top 5 are solid.

DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
1.) Bartlett Sher, "Oslo"
2.) Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Jitney"
3.) Daniel Sullivan, "The Little Foxes"
4.) Rebecca Taichman, "Indecent"
5.) Sam Gold, "A Doll's House, Part 2"

Holy hell, this is hard. There are seven would-be sure things, but only five slots. So some huge omissions are going to happen. Controversially, I think Kate Whoriskey ("Sweat") and Trip Cullmann ("Six Degrees of Separation") get snubbed. At least that's how I'm thinking for the next five minutes before I change my mind again. Sam Gold is vulnerable since his play is not a "big" production, but will they snub the most in demand theater director of the moment in a well liked play?

LEAD ACTRESS - MUSICAL
1.) Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!"
2.) Patti LuPone, "War Paint"
3.) Christine Ebersole, "War Paint"
4.) Denee Benton, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
5.) Laura Osnes, "Bandstand"

The fourth and fifth slots are completely up for grabs. Anyone who tells you otherwise is nuts. I think this may be the only lead category with a tie. My gut tells me Eva Noblezada makes the cut for her on and off stage narrative with "Miss Saigon." But would she take Benton or Osnes? And Christy Altomare has her fans. I'll stick with the above five for now and probably be wrong when I wake up.

LEAD ACTOR - MUSICAL
1.) Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen"
2.) Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
3.) David Hyde Pierce, "Hello, Dolly!"
4.) Josh Groban, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
5.) Christian Borle, "Falsettos"

Borle could split votes with himself, but "Falsettos" is well loved. Groban isn't as true a lead as his competitors, which could hurt him. If either fall through the cracks, expect Jon Jon Briones to right the messy Tony history of The Engineer with a nomination for "Miss Saigon."

LEAD ACTRESS - PLAY
1.) Laurie Metcalf, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
2.) Laura Linney, "The Little Foxes"
3.) Cate Blanchett, "The Present"
4.) Allison Janney, "Six Degrees of Separation"
5.) Sally Field, "The Glass Menagerie"

The top four are set. Many pundits have Jennifer Ehle rounding out the category, but the character doesn't offer the actress much to work with. I think it comes down to Sally Field vs. Mary-Louise Parker. It'll be a coin toss, but Field has earned respect despite a divisive production.

LEAD ACTOR - PLAY
1.) Kevin Kline, "Present Laughter"
2.) Gideon Glick, "Significant Other"
3.) Corey Hawkins, "Six Degrees of Separation"
4.) Simon McBurney, "The Encounter"
5.) Mark Ruffalo, "The Price"

I'm going against the grain by omitting Jefferson Mays, but his character is burdened with the same narration issues as Ehle's. Chris Cooper or Denis Arndt could swoop in and grab someone's slot. Likely Ruffalo whose play is flying a bit under the radar. I'll probably kick myself for not bumping Ruffalo for Cooper but, one can never know.

For my rankings on these and all categories (including those pesky Featured acting races and design categories) head over to the contenders page.

"Sweat" claims 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony next?

The winners for the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes were announced, and Lynn Nottage has claimed the Drama prize for her new play “Sweat.” With Tony nominations just a few weeks away, will this kudos give the play’s odds a bump?

“Sweat” began its New York life at the Public Theater Off-Broadway. After a sold out and critically acclaimed limited run, it transferred to Studio 54 on Broadway. It has continued to wow critics in its new home. The culturally relevant play focuses on a group of factory workers in a rural Philadelphia town during 2000 and 2008. Nottage explores the rising economic fears and racial tensions as factories close their doors.

This marks the second Pulitzer Prize win for Nottage, who also won this award for “Ruined” in 2009. That dramatic work examined the lives of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during a civil war. Nottage is now just the 8th playwright with multiple Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. To find the most recent example you will have go all the way back to 1990, when August Wilson claimed his Pulitzer for “The Piano Lesson.” He had previously won for “Fences.”

Producers for “Sweat” are surely celebrating and making up some new marquee signage to tout the surprise win. The show is about to enter a heated Tony race for Best Play, where it faces off against  “Oslo,” “Indecent,” “Significant Other,” “The Play That Goes Wrong,” The Encounter,” “Heisenberg,” “Oh, Hello” and “The Present.” Any bump in prestige and/or press will be welcome.

The other two finalists for the Drama prize were: “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe and “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music” by Taylor Mac. Both productions played to much acclaim Off-Broadway earlier this season. Though they didn’t win, their citations are still just as impressive: “The Wolves” is DeLappe’s first play, and by my count Taylor Mac is the first genderqueer playwright to be recognized by the Pulitzers. Not too shabby.

The Sammys: If I was an Oscar Voter 2017

I'm worried that nothing I like will win any major awards at this year's Oscars. Which is why I voice my own opinion with the Sammys!

Let's get one thing out of the way: "La La Land" is definitely no where near my top ten films of the year. I think its charming with some great music, but has considerable flaws and doesn't belong in a Best Picture conversation. Hollywood loves itself, hence its Oscar tally. I also partly blame awards pundits for hyping the film to no end, and maybe I'll watch the musical years removed from the buzz and appreciate it more. As it stands, it isn't winning anything in my awards.

It was a striking year for film however. I've watched "The Witch" several times and remained terrified. It's score and striking visuals still give me nightmares. "Arrival" was one of the best surprises of the year, with a smart script and Amy Adams' best performance to date. "Deadpool" surpassed expectations to show that the superhero genre still has a few tricks up its sleeve. I wanted to hate the milking of Star Wars, fearing the standalone films would water down the series. But Gareth Edwards clearly felt freed by the lack of an episode number, and turned in a heart wrenching war film with some of the best sequences in the saga. "Moana" is by far the best musical film of the year and solidify that Lin-Manuel Miranda can do no wrong. Two queer films, "Other People" and French indie "Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo" delivered powerful depictions of gay life through naturalistic dialogue and clever camerawork.

But the year will come down to three films for me. "20th Century Women", a beautiful portrait and tribute to three women in writer/director Mike Mills' life. Annette Bening will break your heart over and over again, and it should be considered criminal that the Oscars ignored her. No actress plays such complex emotions with her ease. "Hell or High Water" is a modern western packed with enough layers to warrant multiple viewings. It has a sort of apocalyptic feel, as if its characters are some of the last inhabitants on earth, and reminds us why Jeff Bridges is one of our greatest living actors. But it is "Moonlight", Barry Jenkins' stunning story of a black gay man's evolution in Miami that struck me the most. The three actors playing Chiron are intrinsically linked in emotion and physicality, and Jenkins chooses an artful way to depict his point of view without appearing stuffy or snobby. It will go down as a classic and is a movie I can't wait to watch over and over again.

The Sammy nominees and winners below:


Best Picture
10. Deadpool
9. Other People
8. Arrival
7. Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo
6. Moana
5. The Witch
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3. 20th Century Women
2. Hell or High Water (runner-up)
1. Moonlight (winner)

Best Director
Gareth Edwards, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Robert Eggers, The Witch
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (winner)
David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water (runner up)
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women

Lead Actor
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Jesse Plemons, Other People (runner up)
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool
Denzel Washington, Fences (winner)

Lead Actress
Amy Adams, Arrival
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women (winner)
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (runner up)
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land

Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water (winner)
Ben Foster, Hell or High Water
Trevante Rhodes, Moonlight (runner up)
Ashton Sanders, Moonlight

Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, Fences (winner)
Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women
Kathryn Hahn, Bad Moms (runner up)
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Molly Shannon, Other People

Original Screenplay
Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo
Guy Hibbert, Eye in the Sky
Chris Kelly, Other People (runner up)
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women (winner)
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

Adapted Screenplay
Eric Heisserer, Arrival (runner up)
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (winner)
Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Deadpool
August Wilson, Fences

Animated Feature
Finding Dory
Kubo and the Two Strings (runner up)
Moana (winner)
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Film Editing
Arrival
Hell or High Water
Moonlight
Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo (runner up)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (winner)

Cinematography
Arrival
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight (winner)
The Witch (runner up)

Production Design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Kubo and the Two Strings (winner)
La La Land (runner up)
The Witch

Costume Design
Florence Foster Jenkins
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (runner up)
Hidden Figures
Jackie (winner)
The Witch

Makeup/Hair
Deadpool (winner)
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hidden Figures
Jackie
Star Trek: Beyond (runner up)

Score
Hell or High Water (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis) (runner up)
Jackie (Mica Levi)
La La Land (Justin Hurwitz)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Michael Giacchino)
The Witch (Mark Korven) (winner)

Song
'No Dames' from Hail, Caesar!
'Runnin' from Hidden Figures
'Audition (Fools Who Dream)' from La La Land (runner up)
'How Far I'll Go' from Moana (winner)
'We Know the Way' from Moana

Sound Editing
Deadpool
Hacksaw Ridge (runner up)
Hell or High Water (winner)
Jason Bourne
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Sound Mixing
Arrival (winner)
Hacksaw Ridge (runner up)
The Jungle Book
Moana
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Visual Effects
Captain America: Civil War
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book (runner up)
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (winner)

Ensemble
Fences
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
Moonlight (winner)
20th Century Women (runner up)


Winners
5 - Moonlight (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Ensemble)
2 - 20th Century Women (Lead Actress, Original Screenplay)
2 - Fences (Lead Actor, Supporting Actress)
2 - Hell or High Water (Supporting Actor, Sound Editing)
2 - Moana (Animated Feature, Song)
2 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film Editing, Visual Effects)
1 - Arrival (Sound Mixing)
1 - Deadpool (Hair/Makeup)
1 - Jackie (Costume Design)
1 - Kubo and the Two Strings (Production Design)
1 - The Witch (Score)