89th Academy Awards: Don't expect a tie on these categories

Best Supporting Actor. This is an open category, where Dev Patel has a good chance of winning an Academy Award on his first attempt. (Hollywood still remembers him in "Slumdog Millionaire".) Mahershala Ali, the critics' choice, has a slight edge. The Academy voters want to make amends for the shutout of black actors last year, but Michael Shannon might be the surprise winner. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's performance in "Nocturnal Animals", which missed the cut in the Best Picture category, gave him a Golden Globe Award. It was costar Shannon who was noticed instead. The English actor will likely win the British Film Academy Award on February 12, and British fans will be happy to see him with the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress. There are three black actors in the list, and Viola Davis knows that she'll get the Oscar. She's on the A-list, and there's a small chance that she won't be off the radar anytime soon. Perhaps Warner Bros. can consider Amanda Waller starring in her own movie.

Best Animated Feature Film. Academy voters opted for diversity with two foreign pictures up against Disney's biggest hits. No Pixar feature in the list, which would surprise fans. ("Finding Dory" may not be as captivating as the original, but the sequel to "The Incredibles" might turn out to be different.) Disney will continue its lucky streak, with "Zootopia" winning this category. Critics loved it. Enough said.

Best Foreign Language Film. This category divides observers and critics. Most of the winners and nominees are European productions, which might imply the preference of the voters. It may be demographics as well. Some wonder if Meryl Streep is part of the judging panel, and they may not find out at all. (She rather talks about the current state of the nation.) "Toni Erdmann", which was winning accolades all over Europe, would be the favorite in this category. Don't be surprised if some producers want to work with its director, Maren Ade.

Best Cinematography. Rodrigo Prieto collaborated with Martin Scorsese in "Silence", which earned him his second Academy Award nomination. The Mexican cinematographer seems to be the sentimental favorite, having worked with the likes of Oliver Stone. Linus Sandgren's work in "La La Land" might change the minds of the Academy voters, though. The musical is expected to win the lion's share of the awards, and it will come from the technical categories.

Best Production Design. This is supposed to be toss up between "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Hail, Caesar!", but the collaboration of Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and David Wasco (and Damien Chazelle) in “La La Land” will likely be noticed.

Best Visual Effects. Those who didn't fancy "La La Land" will be relieved that the musical isn't nominated in this category. The Inception-like effects in "Doctor Strange" got a nod, so as "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". The Academy voters still believe in the Force.

Best Original Song. Justin Timberlake's infectious hit, "Can't Stop the Feeling!", should be deserving of a win. Nostalgia would prevail, so expect "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from “La La Land” to win this category. Poor trolls.