Here at ORWAV we’re nothing if not cynical trouble-makers, keen to upset some applecarts, rock some boats, and start a revolution. By which we mean that for the ORWAV Oscars 2017, votes have been counted by average score rather than total votes.

The main effect is that more mainstream films, seen by more of the team, lose their numerical advantage and the playing field is levelled out a little. So will La La Land sweep to victory, as it’s favourite to tonight at the real Oscars? Or will the underdogs like Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Paterson cause an upset? Find out below…

Best Actor

Manchester By The Sea

Courtesy of: Roadside Attractions

  1. Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) – 6.58
  2. Adam Driver (Paterson) – 6.23
  3. Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) – 5.79
  4. Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals) – 4.79
  5. Peter Simonischek (Toni Erdmann) – 4.42
  6. Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) – 4.38
  7. Ryan Gosling (La La Land) – 4.29
  8. Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) – 4.00

Academy frontrunner Casey Affleck sneaks it, proving we were just as blown away by his tortured performance as the Academy will probably be later tonight. ORWAV favourite and two-time nominee Driver (he was shortlisted for The Force Awakens last year) claims a deserved 2nd place after missing out on an Academy nomination, followed closely by officially the nicest man of this year’s award season, Mahershala Ali.

Best Actress

Jackie

Courtesy of: Entertainment One

  1. Natalie Portman (Jackie) – 5.21
  2. Naomie Harris (Moonlight) – 5.00
  3. Emma Stone (La La Land) – 4.53
  4. Rebecca Hall (Christine) – 4.30
  5. Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) – 4.27
  6. Amy Adams (Arrival) – 4.25
  7. Sandra Hüller (Toni Erdmann) – 3.75

We may have found justice for Amy Adams with a place on our shortlist, but we clearly weren’t that enamoured with her performance. She comes second-last in a tight field, led by Natalie Portman’s transformative display in Jackie. Naomie Harris is a close second for her tragic contributon to Moonlight, with the wondrous, wide-eyed performance of Emma Stone in 3rd place. We should also reaffirm that Rebecca Hall truly deserves her strong ranking for Christine, a film and a performance that didn’t receive their due attention.

Best Screenplay

Oscars 2017_Manchester by the Sea

Courtesy of: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

  1. Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) – 4.38
  2. Jim Jarmusch (Paterson) – 3.46
  3. Taika Waititi (screenplay), Tearepa Kahi (additional writing) – Hunt for the Wilderpeople (based on the novel by Barry Crump) – 3.19
  4. Eric Heisserer (screenplay) – Arrival (based on the short story ‘Story of Your Life’ by Ted Chiang) – 3.06
  5. Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi (The Nice Guys) – 2.53

Kenny Lonergan strides up to the dais, nods proudly, and walks away with the Best Screenplay award for his phenomenal creation, Manchester by the Sea. Jim Jarmusch is 2nd for his deceptively simple Paterson script and Waititi & co. combine to nick third place for Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Best Cinematography

JamesLaxton

Courtesy of: Saint Peter’s Blog

  1. James Laxton (Moonlight) – 4.43
  2. Natasha Braier (The Neon Demon) – 4.38
  3. Linus Sandgren (La La Land) – 4.06
  4. Bradford Young (Arrival) – 3.94
  5. Rodrigo Prieto (Silence) – 3.83
  6. Giles Nuttgens (Hell or High Water) – 2.73

Remember when I told you Bradford Young received so many nominations he was basically guaranteed an ORWAV Oscar? Yeah, about that…

He manages a respectable 4th behind the more luminous likes of Sandgren and Braier, with James Laxton taking top prize for making black boys look blue in the Moonlight.

Best Director

LaLaChazelleStone

Courtesy of: Lionsgate

  1. Damien Chazelle (La La Land) – 4.88
  2. Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) – 4.62
  3. Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) – 3.59
  4. Jim Jarmusch (Paterson) – 3.54
  5. Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) – 3.50
  6. Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) – 3.31

Chazelle may have always been favourite for this one, but he didn’t take it by much, sneaking a close two-horse race against Barry Jenkins. Very little separated Villeneuve, Jarmusch and Edelman either, and it’s nice to see three such different films in close company. Waititi may have come in last, but he’s undoubtedly earned his seat at the table, building a formidable and growing reputation film by film.

Best Film

Manchester By The Sea

Courtesy of: Roadside Attractions

  1. Manchester by the Sea – 4.23
  2. Paterson – 4.15
  3. La La Land – 4.12
  4. Moonlight – 4.07
  5. Toni Erdmann – 3.33
  6. Arrival – 3.24

In the biggest shock of the night, Academy favourites La La Land and Moonlight can only manage 3rd and 4th place! The margins are tiny between the top four, but Manchester by the Sea sneaks the win. We hope it brings Lee some peace.

Paterson puts in a storming performance to come 2nd, while one of the most interesting results, at least for us, is that our official favourite film of 2016, Arrival, can only manage last place…