This past Thursday, the nominees for the 2016 Academy Awards were revealed to much discussion and debate. The main source of conversation was, of course, the second year in a row where no performers of color were nominated for awards, going so far as to people like Spike Lee saying he is boycotting the Oscars. Now, I think diversity is an industry problem and not just an Academy problem, so I think people are targeting their anger slightly off course. But that is a discussion for another day.

This is an article of celebration. When it comes down to it, a person can get all the gold statues in the world, but none of those hunks of metal are ever going to be as important as my opinion. Okay, that did not mean to sound as egotistical as it sounded, but in reality, I could not care less about who is nominated for and wins awards. I have my favorites, and that is what I hold close. I care about the Oscars insomuch as getting predictions right (who doesn’t like to be right?). It’s just a game. My opinion is what matters to me.

So, this is sort of a “what if” scenario. What if I was the one nominating people for the Oscars? What if the film business as a whole held the same thoughts that I did? I have run down the categories at the Academy Awards (minus the shorts) and given you who I think should have been the people nominated for those awards.

Best Picture

• Anomalisa
• Carol
• Ex Machina
• The Hateful Eight
• The Last Five Years
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Room
• Son of Saul
• Spotlight
• Steve Jobs

Best Director

• Lenny Abrahamson – Room
• Todd Haynes – Carol
• George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
• László Nemes – Son of Saul
• Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight

Best Actress

• Anna Kendrick – The Last Five Years
• Brie Larson – Room
• Rooney Mara – Carol
• Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years
• Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn

Best Actor

• Michael Caine – Youth
• Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
• Samuel L. Jackson – The Hateful Eight
• Géza Röhrig – Son of Saul
• Jacob Tremblay – Room

Best Supporting Actress

• Cate Blanchett – Carol
• Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
• Kristen Stewart – Clouds of Sils Maria
• Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
• Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs

Best Supporting Actor

• Walton Goggins – The Hateful Eight
• Oscar Isaac – Ex Machina
• Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
• Liev Schreiber – Spotlight
• Jason Segel – The End of the Tour

Best Original Screenplay

• Ex Machina
• The Hateful Eight
• Inside Out
• Mistress America
• Spotlight

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Anomalisa
• The Big Short
• Carol
• Room
• Steve Jobs

Best Animated Feature

• Anomalisa
• The Good Dinosaur
• Inside Out
• Shaun the Sheep Movie
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Best Foreign Language Film

• The Connection
• Liza the Fox-Fairy
• The Look of Silence
• Son of Saul
• The Tribe

Best Documentary Feature

• Best of Enemies
• The Hunting Ground
• The Look of Silence
• Where to Invade Next

Categories: AwardsTags: Academy Awards, Anomalisa, Carol, Ex Machina, featured, Mad Max: Fury Road, Oscars, Reel Projection Awards, Room, Son of Saul, Spotlight, Steve Jobs, The Hateful Eight, The Last Five Years