Oscars 2016: Snubs, Surprises and Who'll End Up Winning

And they're out! Yes, the 2016 Academy Award nominees have been unleashed to the public to the standard "why are the Academy so racist?" comments and "that should have won!" tweets. This year's bunch have surprises and happy decisions, so let's get on with it!

Best Visual Effects
Oscar Nominees:

• Ex Machina
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Snubs: Despite all the discussions that have been occurring over the past few weeks of speculation, it's interesting to see the likes of Ant-Man, Jurassic World and The Walk all out of the running in favour for smaller fare like Ex Machina or The Revenant. Not that those choices aren't acceptable - they're just all the more surprising.
Surprises: As mentioned, the appearance of the small-scale Ex Machina in this category (a great choice, I might add) is one that did kinda come out of nowhere. Great work was done on it, but one was hardly expecting the January release to be here against all the blockbusters.
Who Should Win? Mad Max: Fury Road
Who Will Win? Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Original Song
Oscar Nominees:

• Earned It - Fifty Shades of Grey
• Manta Ray - Racing Extinction
• Simple Song #3 - Youth
• Til It Happens To You - The Hunting Ground
• Writing's On The Wall - Spectre

Snubs: The biggest surprise to be had for most would be the notable absence of the main track from Furious 7 - a song which while hasn't particularly interested me has made an impact with others, judging by its high viewing figures on YouTube.
Surprises: Fifty Shades legitimately got a nomination in the one category it could be considered eligible in. That's all to say really, as they were all strong contenders here.
Who Should Win? Spectre 
Who Will Win? Anyone but Fifty Shades of Grey. Don't do it, Academy.

Best Editing
Oscar Nominees:

• The Big Short
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Revenant
• Spotlight
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Snubs: In honesty, this is a pretty strong list. Maybe The Martian could have taken Star Wars' spot, but this is pretty much spot-on I reckon.
Surprises: Star Wars. That is all.
Who Should Win? Mad Max/The Revenant
Who Will Win? The Revenant

Best Sound Editing
Oscar Nominees:

• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant
• Sicario
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Snubs: Again, we have a strong selection on hand here, with the only disappointing element being that a lot of strong competition could have been on hand for a chance, such as In the Heart of the Sea and Jurassic World.
Surprises: Welcome Sicario to the Oscar race! Despite its huge popularity when it was released, it appears the film has been largely forgotten save for a few nominations here and there, so a placement here is a welcome addition.
Who Should Win? Mad Max: Fury Road
Who Will Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing
Oscar Nominees:

• Bridge of Spies
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Snubs: Oddly enough, I feel like Sicario was better suited to be in this category instead, with maybe some blockbusters taking a place too.
Surprises: None. All were reportedly expected to be in at least the top ten for the sound category, so it is plain sailing here.
Who Should Win? Mad Max: Fury Road
Who Will Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Best Animated Feature
Oscar Nominees:

• Anomalisa
• Boy and the World
• Inside Out
• Shaun the Sheep Movie
• When Marnie Was There

Snubs: Animation had a superb year in the movies, with this list being a clear example of that. That being said, whilst it's nice to see foreign features given a shot at the gong, it would have been nice seeing some form of recognition towards the beautiful landscapes of The Good Dinosaur or the pure dedication put into The Peanuts Movie. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
Surprises: I had not heard of either Boy and the World nor When Marnie Was There, so a complete shock in that regard. Also, while there had been discussions, it's still surprising to see the small Aardman film that could earn a nomination here. Competition is tough, but we'll see.
Who Should Win? Inside Out (haven't seen Anomalisa, but I think it warrants potential here)
Who Will Win? Inside Out/Anomalisa

Best Supporting Actor
Oscar Nominees:

• Christian Bale - The Big Short
• Tom Hardy - The Revenant
• Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
• Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
• Sylvester Stallone - Creed

Snubs: Uh hello? Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation?! A superb performance on that front only to be cast aside for whatever reason best pleases you (racism/Netflix/unaware what the internet is). There's also the notable absence of Benicio del Toro, whose performance was so strong that a sequel is in the works based on his character; Michael Keaton could have earned a nom for Spotlight to match his Birdman one last year, and whilst he's more of a leading man Jacob Tremblay could have been a good one for Room.
Surprises: While he may have won the Golden Globe earlier this week, seeing Stallone here is still a surprise (wasn't he in the Warburton's ads just a few months ago?), whilst Tom Hardy was a big shock as he's been largely absent during the awards season.
Who Should Win? Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Who Will Win? Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)/Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

Best Supporting Actress
Oscar Nominees:

• Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
• Rooney Mara - Carol
• Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
• Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
• Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs

Snubs: Honestly, I think this is spot on. Granted, Vikander could have easily been upgraded to Lead Actress solely for how much coverage she gets in the film, but with a trickier selection there it could have been harder.
Surprises: Again, nothing really.
Who Should Win? Rooney Mara (Carol)
Who Will Win? Rooney Mara (Carol)

Best Make Up and Hairstyling
Oscar Nominees:

• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared
• The Revenant

Snubs: It's a great pity that this category is stuck on three nominees only, as the likes of Mr Holmes and Black Mass could have both joined in here in a nomination. Plus Macbeth and Star Wars could have had easy sights on the gong here.
Surprises: The 100-Year-Old Man! A film I had completely forgotten had existed. SURPRISE!
Who Should Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/The Revenant
Who Will Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/The Revenant

Best Costume Design
Oscar Nominees:

• Carol
• Cinderella
• The Danish Girl
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Revenant

Snubs: Period pieces are always a shoo-in for this kind, so it's interesting that Brooklyn, Suffragette, et al have all been left abscent here, replaced by...
Surprises: Mad Max! Sure, there were some great ones, but Oscar-worthy? That's a shocker.
Who Should Win? Carol/Cinderella
Who Will Win? Cinderella/The Danish Girl

Best Production Design
Oscar Nominees:

• Bridge of Spies
• The Danish Girl
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant

Snubs: In all honesty, Cinderella could have materialised here as well, as for however flawed the film was it remained gorgeous in set design. And it's a great pity animation never turns up here, as the likes of Inside Out and Peanuts would be good too.
Surprises: None. All were expected, with only Bridge of Spies being the most surprising.
Who Should Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/The Revenant
Who Will Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/The Revenant

Best Cinematography
Oscar Nominees:

• Carol
• The Hateful Eight
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Revenant
• Sicario

Snubs: While it was never going to happen, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl would have been a great placement here thanks to just how beautiful it was made.
Surprises: Carol made it! A very-well made film, it's satsifying to see that it made the cut here.
Who Should Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/The Revenant
Who Will Win? Mad Max: Fury Road/The Revenant

Best Adapted Screenplay
Oscar Nominees:

• The Big Short
• Brooklyn
• Carol
• The Martian
• Room

Snubs: Woah, hold the phone! The Revenant/Mad Max: Fury Road doesn't have a nomination here?! Didn't think that was legal. Also disappointing is the lack of recognition to both Aaron Sorkin's screenplay for Steve Jobs and Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Surprises: None. These are standard choices.
Who Should Win? The Martian/Room
Who Will Win? The Martian

Best Original Screenplay
Oscar Nominees:

• Bridge of Spies
• Ex Machina
• Inside Out
• Spotlight
• Straight Outta Compton

Snubs: The Hateful Eight is one of the biggest surprises because Tarantino practically owns this department, but with some complaints on the film it is understandable why it's been left out.
Surprises: Straight Outta Compton and Ex Machina feel iffy here, as both - while good films - weren't exactly renowned for their screenplays. They are good, but not Oscar worthy.
Who Should Win? Inside Out
Who Will Win? Inside Out/Spotlight

Best Original Score
Oscar Nominees:

• Bridge of Spies
• Carol
• The Hateful Eight
• Sicario
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Snubs: Oh boy, let's see now...Inside Out definitely, what with its superb and endlessly listenable soundtrack; Steve Jobs had a strong one on hand; The Martian's tunes were excellently made; and even Mad Max could have been involved here.
Surprises: Practically all of them bar The Hateful Eight (which just won the Golden Globe) and Star Wars, which has gained huge recognition for only one noteworthy track.
Who Should Win? The Hateful Eight
Who Will Win? The Hateful Eight

Best Directing
Oscar Nominees:

• Adam McKay - The Big Short
• George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
• Alejandro G. Innaritu - The Revenant
• Lenny Abrahamson - Room
• Tom McCarthy - Spotlight

Snubs: Ridley Scott was seemingly destined for a nod here for The Martian, and the notable absence of directing great Steven Spielberg for Bridge of Spies or Todd Haynes for Carol are disappointing removals from potential gold. Also, for personal reasons, Me and Earl's Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.
Surprises: In 2014, Lenny Abrahamson was a nobody creating a film in which Michael Fassbender wears a fake head and sings bizarre songs. Now he's an Oscar nominee. Superb stuff.
Who Should Win? George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)/Alejandro G. Innaritu (The Revenant)/Lenny Abrahamson (Room)
Who Will Win? Alejandro G. Innaritu (The Revenant)

Best Actress
Oscar Nominees:

• Cate Blanchett - Carol
• Brie Larson - Room
• Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
• Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
• Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn

Snubs: None! As much as I'd want Lawrence off the list, the list is practically perfect. Although fans will likely be clamouring for a nomination for Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road.
Surprises: None!
Who Should Win? Brie Larson (Room)/Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Who Will Win? Cate Blanchett (Carol)/Brie Larson (Room)/Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Best Actor
Oscar Nominees:

• Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
• Matt Damon - The Martian
• Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
• Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
• Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl

Snubs: Again, a suitable selection of actors on hand here.
Surprises: Matt Damon made the list! Bryan Cranston did with a film that has little recognition! What a day (what a lovely day!).
Who Should Win? Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Who Will Win? Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Best Picture
Oscar Nominees:

• The Big Short
• Bridge of Spies
• Brooklyn
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant
• Room
• Spotlight

Snubs: It was on a lot of people's top ten lists, but Inside Out failed to make the final eight of a possible ten nominees (goddamn it). It's interesting to see Carol fade out here after numerous nominations across the board while there was last minute buzz for Sicario and Straight Outta Compton.
Surprises: Room made it to the top accolades, and it's so weird to see Mad Max mingling with the likes of Brooklyn and Spotlight. No surprise after the film came out, but this time last year would you expect it here?
Who Should Win? Brooklyn/Mad Max: Fury Road/The Martian/The Revenant/Room
Who Will Win? The Revenant/Spotlight