2017 Golden Globes Predictions

The awards season frenzy will take a back seat as this year's most recognized performers plan to let loose for one of Hollywood's biggest parties at tomorrow night's Golden Globes ceremony. Host Jimmy Fallon will kick off the 74th annual awards show celebration and here's your opportunity to get the inside scoop a little early as guest-writer, Greg Rouleau, and I each offer our predicted winners. Here's how we envision the night going (click here for a full list of nominees):

Best Animated Feature: Zootopia - Dave & Greg

Best Foreign Language Film: Toni Erdmann (Germany) - Dave & Greg

Best Original Score: La La Land - Dave & Greg

Best Original Song:

"Can's Stop the Feeling" (Trolls) - Greg & "How Far I'll Go" (Moana) - Dave

Best Screenplay

Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) - Greg

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) - Dave

Greg and I differ on quite selections this year. One constant, though, is Greg's belief that there will be a few upsets, while I'm sensing a night filled with predictable winners. One pretty big upset could come in the Best Screenplay race where Manchester by the Sea writer/director, Kenneth Lonergan, feels like the safest choice, but there are many exceptionally scripts up for consideration this year.

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis (Fences) - Dave & Greg

There isn't much to say here. Viola Davis feels like a distant frontrunner thanks to her quality performance and unusually large role for a Supporting Actress contender. Manchester by the Sea nominee, Michelle Williams, feels like a distant second simply because she doesn't have nearly the amount of screen time of as competitor.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) - Dave & Greg

We're both in agreeance over this "chalk" pick. Ali has dominated the precursors and seems primed for a march to the Oscar stage. This was a particularly weak year for a typically flooded Supporting Actor field, but Ali looks like the consensus pick.

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical

Emma Stone (La La Land) - Dave & Greg

I tend to believe it's going to be a very big night for La La Land, the most-nominated film (seven) of the event and, since Emma Stone serves as the heart and soul of the film, it seems fairly certain that she'll walk away victorious.

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical

Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - Dave

Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) - Greg

Piggy-backing off my last statement, La La Land will win and win often. That includes a speech and statue for the film's leading man, Ryan Gosling. Greg, however, predicts the awards show going in a different route. Billed as Ryan vs. Ryan, a more fun and unpredictable event would send Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds to the stage. We'll have to wait and see how the Hollywood Foreign Press decides to go with this, but things could get VERY interesting.

Best Actress - Drama

Natalie Portman (Jackie) - Dave

Amy Adams (Arrival) - Greg

As I mentioned in my most recent Oscar Talk segment, the Best Actress race is the most wide-open and excited of the major categories. With Natalie Portman, Amy Adams and Emma Stone all reasonable contenders, albeit some more likely than others, it appears like the Golden Globes could narrow the competition and set up a head-to-head battle with its Drama and Comedy/Musical selections. Personally, I believe that Portman's uncanny portrayal of former First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, will be extremely difficult for Amy Adams to overcome. Yet, an upset would be very exciting here!

Best Actor - Drama

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) - Dave & Greg

Casey Affleck continues to build momentum in parallel to his film's ascending climb up the ranks. Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight will be a fabulous showdown in the Best Picture - Drama race, but Affleck should safely have this win in the bag.

Best Director

Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - Dave & Greg

As I continue to reiterate, expect to hear La La Land called time and time again during this Sunday's Globes celebration. My heart is almost rooting for Moonlight helmer, Barry Jenkins, especially considering the film's unfortunate slide down the rankings. However, Chazelle's whimsical musical has it all and, because of that, we should expect La La Land to pull out a win in the Best Director category as well.

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical

La La Land - Dave & Greg

I promise, this is the last all make mention of 2016's finest film, La La Land. Much like the combating Best Actress races, the pair of Best Picture categories could very well set up a head-to-head battle. On the Comedy/Musical end it seems inevitable that La La Land will walk away victorious. What's more interesting, is who will take home the win in Drama. See what we thing below.

Best Picture - Drama

Manchester by the Sea - Dave & Greg

Kenneth Lonergan's heartbreaking and emotionally taxing drama, Manchester by the Sea, is an escalating force to be reckoned with and, sadly, will most likely distance itself and La La Land from the deserving third contender, Moonlight. While there's never a guarantee that the Globes and Oscars will align due to their completely different voting bodies (a reason to maintain hope for all Moonlight fans, like myself), but all signs appear to be signaling a Manchester by the Sea and La La Land showdown that could end up as anyone's guess. On the bright side, it should make for an exciting run to the Oscars this February.