The Golden Globe Awards will be here before you know it, so let's try to predict which films will be taking home the gold Sunday night.

The Golden Globes, voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are generally considered the start of major award season. As such, many eventual Oscar winners have begun their awards runs here. Therefore, it's usually crucial for prospective Academy Award contenders to nab wins here, helping build momentum to win Hollywood's top prize.

We already made our television picks, so now it's time to predict which films, actors, actresses, directors, screenwriters, composers and songwriters will take home Golden Globes on Sunday.

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight have the advantage of taking home the most critics prizes so far, so the narrative is on their respective sides. The Globes gave Moonlight six nominations to Manchester's five, so we think the former might have the advantage, especially because it has also nabbed the majority of Best Picture prizes before the Globes.

We predict: Moonlight
But watch out for: Manchester by the Sea

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
20th Century Women
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
La La Land
Sing Street

This is an easy win for La La Land. The film leads the Globes with seven nominations and considering the HFPA still calls the comedy categories "Comedy or Musical", there's just no way they're going with any other movie but La La Land.

We predict: La La Land
But watch out for: Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea
Joel Edgerton - Loving
Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington - Fences

Affleck has the narrative on his side, with dozens of critics prizes for his subtle work in Manchester by the Sea. Washington has more of a "movie star" presence and his performance is more over the top, which the Globes usually fall for, but Affleck's performance might just be too good for them to ignore.

We predict: Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea
But watch out for: Denzel Washington - Fences

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Amy Adams - Arrival
Jessica Chastain - Miss Sloane
Isabelle Huppert - Elle
Ruth Negga - Loving
Natalie Portman - Jackie

This is a relatively tough category with five acclaimed performances, and while Huppert has won quite a few critics awards, Portman has won a lot herself. Portman's baity role as Jackie Kennedy towers over her competitors, and they've awarded her twice before, so we think it's hers to lose.

We predict: Natalie Portman - Jackie
But watch out for: Isabelle Huppert - Elle

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Colin Farrell - The Lobster
Ryan Gosling - La La Land
Hugh Grant - Florence Foster Jenkins
Jonah Hill - War Dogs
Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

This is a toughie. Gosling, Grant and Reynolds all have compelling points for why they could win. Grant probably doesn't have the same amount of buzz despite his role in FFJ being a nice comeback, so it's likely between the two Ryans. Gosling is in a juggernaut, but Reynolds had a big, memorable year with Deadpool. However, considering the more Oscar friendly Jennifer Lawrence in Joy won last year over the buzzy Amy Schumer in Trainwreck, we think they'll default to the bigger Oscar contender.

We predict: Ryan Gosling - La La Land
But watch out for: Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Annette Bening - 20th Century Women
Lily Collins - Rules Don't Apply
Hailee Steinfeld - The Edge of Seventeen
Emma Stone - La La Land
Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

It's never wise to underestimate Streep at the Globes (she has now received 30 nominations), but Stone is the type of likable young ingenue the HFPA adores, in a movie they obviously love. Her movie star cred plus her great performance in La La Land will carry her to victory here.

We predict: Emma Stone - La La Land
But watch out for: Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
Jeff Bridges - Hell or High Water
Simon Helberg - Florence Foster Jenkins
Dev Patel - Lion
Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Nocturnal Animals

Ali has swept most of the critics awards for his complex performance in Moonlight, and yet he's not exactly a star compared to someone like Bridges. But this is the perfect place to reward Moonlight, a movie they love, even if they don't reward it anywhere else.

We predict: Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
But watch out for: Jeff Bridges - Hell or High Water

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis - Fences
Naomie Harris - Moonlight
Nicole Kidman - Lion
Octavia Spencer - Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea

Davis' gut-wrenching performance in Fences should easily net her the win here, even if screentime and star power weren't already on her side already. They've awarded Kidman, Spencer and Williams before, but Davis' work is too strong to overcome.

We predict: Viola Davis - Fences
But watch out for: Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea

Best Director - Motion Picture
Damien Chazelle - La La Land
Tom Ford - Nocturnal Animals
Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins - Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea

Chazelle will likely win this won considering La La Land is considered the Best Picture frontrunner and it's dazzling work, but one troubling statistic works against him. Since 1985, only two directors whose movies were nominated in the Comedy or Musical categories have ever won. That could benefit the charismatic Jenkins or movie star Gibson, but we think they love Chazelle's film enough to give him this prize.

We predict: Damien Chazelle - La La Land
But watch out for: Barry Jenkins - Moonlight

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Taylor Sheridan - Hell or High Water
Damien Chazelle - La La Land
Barry Jenkins - Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea
Tom Ford - Nocturnal Animals

This is another tricky category to nail down, with all five screenwriters having a valid shot of winning. Hell or High Water and Manchester by the Sea have the most traditionally impressive scripts, so it's probably between them, but Ford is the most well known in this category, so he has a shot, too. Ultimately, we think this is a great spot to reward Manchester by the Sea if it doesn't receive Best Motion Picture - Drama.

Best Motion Picture - Animated
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
Sing
Zootopia

Zootopia is the biggest box office smash here, and the best reviewed as well. It has a great shot of winning here, but the international flavor of Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana and even My Life as a Zucchini could provide an upset.

We predict: Zootopia
But watch out for: Kubo and the Two Strings

Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language
Divines (France)
Elle (France)
Neruda (Chile)
The Salesman (Iran)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Elle's Huppert is nominated for Best Drama Actress, but Toni Erdmann has by far the best reviews of all these films, so we think it's got this one locked up.

We predict: Toni Erdmann
But watch out for: Elle

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Jóhann Jóhannsson - Arrival
Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams and Benjamin Wallfisch - Hidden Figures
Justin Hurwitz - La La Land
Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka - Lion
Nicholas Britell - Moonlight

It's hard to imagine the Globes will deny the score of an original musical, so La La Land is in a great position to win this. However, Williams is a star they'd like to see on stage, and the scores of Moonlight, Arrival and Lion are all strong as well.

We predict: Justin Hurwitz - La La Land
But watch out for: Jóhann Jóhannsson - Arrival

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
"Can't Stop the Feeling!" (Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake) - Trolls
"City of Stars" (Justin Hurwitz, Pasek & Paul) - La La Land
"Faith" (Ryan Tedder, Stevie Wonder & Francis Farewell Starlite) - Sing
"Gold" (Stephen Gaghan, Danger Mouse, Daniel Pemberton & Iggy Pop) - Gold
"How Far I'll Go" (Lin-Manuel Miranda) - Moana

There are a whole bunch of music stars here, from Timberlake to Wonder to Iggy Pop to Miranda, so this could conceivably go in any direction. "City of Stars" is in a movie they love, but might be too low key for them. We think they'll want to see Hamilton's Miranda up on that stage accepting the award.

We predict: "How Far I'll Go" (Lin-Manuel Miranda) - Moana
But watch out for: "Can't Stop the Feeling!" (Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake) - Trolls

The Golden Globes will air live Sunday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC.

Tags: golden globes Movies