It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas- The Oscars season! In the beginning of the Fall, many film festivals are held featuring movies that are being considered for an Oscar nomination. For any of those who aren't familiar, the Academy Awards is Hollywood's biggest night, honoring the highest achievement in film. The season begins in the Fall when these movies are shown at festivals, and then released in theaters. There is a week long voting process in January of 2017 where the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) chooses the nominees for each category. The nominees will be announced January 24th, and the ceremony- where winners are revealed- will be held on Sunday, February 26th.

With January being only two months away, now is the time for Oscar worthy films to be shown. It is so exciting to see the new films being released, and the buzz around them. I'm a big follower of the Oscars, and this year's early contenders are all unique and outstanding. Here are some of my predictions for possible nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards.

"Moonlight"

"Moonlight" was released on October 21st, and is already receiving claims that it is the best movie of the year. It's being considered a masterpiece. I definitely see this film being nominated - and very possibly winning- the biggest award of the night, Best Picture. And rightfully so, this film takes on themes of race and homosexuality, with the actors put so much passion into their roles. I can see "Moonlight" receiving multiple nominations. Best Directing for Barry Jenkins, Best Adapted Screenplay (this is based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney), Best Cinematography, and Best Lead Actor for Trevante Rhodes as the lead role as Chiron. Also look out, the role of Chiron is told by three different actors portraying different ages of Chiron, they might receive a nomination as well. I cannot wait to see how successful this movie will be at the ceremony.

"La La Land"

"La La Land" has not been released yet, but it has already been receiving enormous amounts of Oscar buzz (notably from Tom Hanks). This is a musical romantic-comedy starring Hollywood royalty Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who have worked together is past movies. I personally would love to see Gosling and Stone get nominated for Best Lead Actor and Actress. They have such a good chemistry and work well together. I can also see this receiving Best Cinematography, since it is visually stunning. This will definitely get recognized in the musical categories for its original soundtrack and score.

"Fences"

The remake of "Fences" features an all-star cast, which will most likely receive a nomination. Viola Davis for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Denzel Washington for Best Actor for a Leading Role, both of these talented actors are no strangers to the Oscars either. Fun fact: Washington and Davis actually starred in the Broadway revival of "Fences," both winning Tony awards for their acting in 2010. There is a lot of buzz that Washington will most likely win Best Directing. In past ceremonies, whoever wins Best Directing, the film usually wins Best Picture. This has not been the case in recent ceremonies, but can it happen this year?

Best Animated Feature

I think the tightest race will be for Best Animated Feature. We have had so many amazing animations come out this year, it's going to be hard to decide five nominees. Disney has dominated this category since 2011. They have won this award every year since, and I personally think it is likely they'll win again this year. They had two major successes with "Finding Dory" and "Zootopia." On Thanksgiving, the highly-anticipated "Moana" will be released. It is very likely that one of these, if not all three, will be nominated and one will win the Oscar. However, DreamWorks showed success with "The Secret Life Of Pets," "Kung Fu Panda 3," and "Trolls." "Storks" and "Sing" may also have a shot at being nominated. I also have a feeling "Sausage Party" may receive a nomination, just for the time and effort put into creating it.