Oscars 2016 Predictions — Will Leonardo DiCaprio Finally Take Home An Academy Award? Can Anyone Beat Brie?

With the 88th annual Academy Awards just hours away, the voting polls are now officially closed, and the answers will soon be neatly sealed, waiting to be opened on the Dolby Theatre stage on Sunday night. So, who will win in each category? Let’s break down the biggest awards of the 2016 Oscars.

Perhaps the most coveted award is Best Picture, and this year the highly sought after title is a toss up. This year’s nominations for Best Picture include The Big Short, 4 Oscar nominations, Bridge of Spies, 5 Oscar nominations, Brooklyn, 2 Oscar nominations, The Martian, 6 Oscar nominations, Mad Max: Fury Road, 9 Oscar nominations, The Revenant, 12 Oscar nominations, Room, 3 Oscar nominations, and Spotlight, 5 Oscar nominations. But within that list of great movies, one managed to stand out more than the others, with many believing that The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu, is the frontrunner.

According to Us Magazine, the epic, grisly adventure film has the type of drama that is favored at the awards show. The film is also a box office hit and fans loved it. It also was a BAFTA and Golden Globe award winner that earned a leading 12 nominations including best actor and best director. And if Alejandro G. Inarritu wins Best Director, it will be back-to-back victories for him.

However, despite many people’s claims that The Revenant is the clear front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar, the Hollywood Reporter isn’t so sure. Yes, according to math, The Revenant is the favorite, but the film failed to earn a screenplay nomination, and also failed to get a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. It also lost the Producers Guild of America’s award. And since no film has ever walked away with the Best Picture award without gaining either a screenplay nomination or a WGA nomination, the door for another film to sneak in and win has been left opened.

As for Best Actor at the 2016 Oscars? Easily fighting off the likes Bryon Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl) without breaking a sweat is none other than five-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio for his work in The Revenant.

After several near-misses, DiCaprio is the heavy favorite, and is finally going to have his name read when the envelope is opened on Sunday, according to Vulture. Winning nearly every major award for his fur trapping portrayal, it makes sense that he will also walk away with an Oscar to add to his shelf. But many believe that he shouldn’t be aiming for his first Academy Award, but more like his second or third. Vanity Fair reminds readers that before DiCaprio was 21, he earned a nomination for best supporting actor in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, then he was a part of Titanic which received a total of 14 nominations, but DiCaprio was left out. Following that was Gangs of New York, which earned the third highest amount of nominations without winning a single award. Not a record you want to be a part of.

In Aviator, he got a second Oscar nomination, but eventually lost to Jamie Foxx in Ray. Following that was his nomination for Blood Diamond, which he also lost, this time to Forest Whitaker in The Last King Of Scotland. Finally, there was The Great Gatsby and The Wolf of Wall Street, films DiCaprio tackled in one year. But in the end, although he was nominated for one, he lost to Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club.

Next on the list is Best Actress, and much like DiCaprio, the front-runner this year is Brie Larson for her performance in Room. Hollywood Reporter reminds any doubters that she won the Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA, along with many others for her work in Room, and is up against a weaker completion. Neither Jennifer Lawrence (Joy) nor Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) gained SAG or BAFTA nominations. The other actresses gunning for the award are Cate Blanchett (Carol), and Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn).

Sylvester Stallone (Creed) is back to being to the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor after losing Best Actor 39 years ago for his similar role in Rocky. Up against the 69-year-old veteran in the closest race amongst this year’s categories is Christian Bale (The Big Short), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), and Marky Rylance (Bridge of Spies).

Similar to Stallone, though sitting at a higher probability to win Best Supporting Actress, is Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl). While Vikander earned the SAG and Critics Choice Awards, fellow competitor Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) took the Golden Globe and BAFTA. The other woman gunning for an award are Jennifer Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Rooney Mara (Carol), and Rachel McAdams (Spotlight).

To find out who wins at the 2016 Academy Awards tune in Sunday, February 28, at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

Tell us! Do you think Leonardo DiCaprio will finally win? Will you be tuning in to the 2016 Oscars to find out? Let us know in the comments.

[Image via 20th Century Fox]