The world of cinema flourished this year, bringing a bounty of genres and plotlines to the big screen. However, this only heightens the competition in each category the Academy awards come Oscar season.

As always, much tension surrounds the spotlight for Best Animated Feature, since this year overflowed with extraordinary digital artistry. The usual, heartwarming Disney films are strong contenders to snag the award—Finding Dory, Moana, and Zootopia—although some express discontent at the company’s monopoly in animation.

“It’s turned into an all-out war of small boats against the behemoth ship,” Ashley Yang ‘17 complains. “Disney needs to relinquish its hold on the Oscar and get over its egocentrism to face the fact that it’s not the only talented company that produces good animated movies.”

Other films that may strike Disney down include the inspiring, humorous Kubo and the Two Strings and the melancholy Little Prince. Studio Ghibli may succeed in stealing the title with The Red Turtle, potentially winning their second Academy Award in fifteen years. Despite the critics’ rave reviews for the silent film, some Ridge students seem set on their nomination choices for Best Animated Feature.

“Kubo and the Two Strings definitely needs a Best Animation nomination, even though it has a few cliché jokes for comic relief,” Sam Prentis ‘17 states. “The story was not only heartwarming, but the innovative nature, sheer artistic detail, and unique world-building just blew me away.”

The year also brought about a number of riveting performances from unpixelated, human actors. Denzel Washington charmed as the former baseball player Troy Maxson in Fences. Academy newcomer Dev Patel tugged on heartstrings in Lion, portraying a wanderer who searches for his family with Google Earth. Still, Best Actor favorite Tom Hanks may enter the field again as the PTSD suffering pilot Chesley Sullenberger in Sully.

Likewise, the Best Actress nominees showed remarkable talent throughout the course of the year. Natalie Portman portrayed a healing Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of the ‘63 assassination in Jackie, giving her a chance to take her second Academy Award. Emma Stone’s performance in La La Land as an aspiring actress may allow her to once again grab a nomination. However, Empire actress Taraji P. Henson could sweep the category as Katherine Johnson, the African American NASA scientist who calculated the moon trajectory of the Apollo 11 in Hidden Figures.

As for the Best Picture nominations, the Academy tends to select dramas. More intellectual, dramas capture Oscar voters’ minds with emotion and weighty themes. Conversely, the Oscars tend to snub popular ‘popcorn’ movies that smash box-office records. (For example, the Academy has constantly overlooked Marvel films despite their record-breaking profits.)

The Toronto Film Festival showcased the whimsical La La Land –a romantic-comedy musical about chasing dreams in Los Angeles –to rave reviews waxing lyrical about its magical appeal and momentum. Some critics even dare to compare it to West Side Story, a film that absolutely floored the Oscars by taking home a total of ten awards.

Entertainment Weekly speculates the sci-fi thriller Arrival will take the Academy by storm. Instead of another cookie-cutter alien invader film with graphic special effects, the film focuses on communication and chance as linguist Amy Adams attempts to make contact with extraterrestrials. The film, according to some, challenges its audience to think about concepts such as acceptance by expertly flipping the hostile alien trope on its head.

However, critics hailed Moonlight, a soulful coming-of-age story that centered on accepting sexuality, as the potential Best Picture winner. The audience travels alongside an isolated boy, struggling with his identity. Indeed, this film seems to capture the hearts of viewers as well.

There’s a thrill to predicting potential Oscar nominees as the year draws to a close, since one never knows what to expect of the Academy’s tastes. Nevertheless, critics and viewers both agree that 2016 has provided a delightful feast of films to revel in.

The Academy will announce its nominees on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.