The 87th annual Oscars will occur on Feb. 22 and is one of the biggest nights in movies. Multimedia Editor Erica Kelble and A&E Editor Kristen Isoldi put forward their picks for who they think will win awards in different categories that night. They predicted the winners of Best Picture, Actor and Actress in Leading Role, Animated Features, Costume Design, and Music Original Song. Here’s what they said:

Category:  Best Picture

Nominees: “American Sniper;” “Boyhood;” “Birdman;” “The Grand Budapest Hotel;” “The Imitation Game;” “Selma;” “The Theory of Everything;” “Whiplash”

Predicted Winner: “American Sniper”

Audiences flocked into the theaters to see this movie. Every showing was basically selling out, and it was all of the buzz on the news and media. The movie received a lot of criticism, but when you have a movie this good people look for anything to complain about. This well-acted-out movie was eye opening to the tragedy of war. The director did not try to glamorize the lives of our soldiers and he brought the movie audience to the battlefield. The movie gave you a lot to think about and made you grateful for the men and women out there fighting for freedom. The movie is a beautiful tribute to the best sniper in American history, Chris Kyle.

Category: Actor in Leading Role

Nominees: Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher;” Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper;” Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game;” Michael Keaton in Birdman; Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”

Predicted Winner: Michael Keaton in “Birdman”

All of the nominated male actors bring great competition, but Keaton plays his role perfectly in the movie Birdman. Keaton shows great energy in his acting which has brought his role attention from Hollywood. For the past couple of years, Keaton has played mostly as a supporting actor and has made a great comeback as a leading actor in this movie.

Category: Animated Feature

Nominees: “Big Hero 6;” “The Boxtrolls;” “How to Train your Dragon 2;” “Song of the Sea;” “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

Predicted Winner: “Big Hero 6”

An original and adorable movie, Big Hero 6 was able to do what most children movies aren’t able to do, which is entertain people of all ages. With characters that are relatable, an exciting plotline, funny jokes, and a story that hasn’t been gone through before, Big Hero 6 was hands down the best animated feature of the year. How to Train your Dragon 2 comes close to winning this award, but it is hard for sequels to win. Song of the Sea and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya were both small movies and are least likely to win.

Category: Costume Design

Nominees: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”  by Milena Canonero; “Inherent Vice”

By Mark Bridges; “Into the Woods” by Colleen Atwood; “Maleficent” by Anna B. Sheppard; “Mr. Turner”by Jacqueline Durran

Predicted Winner: “Maleficent” by Anna B. Sheppard

The main reason “Maleficent,” should win this award is because of the black gown that Angelina Jolie wore as Maleficent through most of the movie. The costume brought her character to life and was similar to the real evil queen in the animated Sleeping Beauty. The black gown had a high collar that rose above Maleficent’s head and gave her a majestic look. To top off her evil demeanor Maleficent’s costume included two black horns that rose from her head. Maleficent’s costume was not the only reason this movie won best costume design. The fairies in the movie had beautiful costumes that enhanced the movie by depicting the fairies as enchanted people. Their costumes were tiny dresses in rich colors that fringed out on the bottom. The fairies’ costumes were completed with tiny pointed hats in the color to match their dress.

Category: Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees: Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”; Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”; Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”; Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”; Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Predicted Winner: Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

In “Wild,” Reese Witherspoon played Cheryl Strayed, a woman who leaves behind her life to hike over a thousand miles. Strayed is struggling to accept her life and is working to overcome grief. Witherspoon’s performance is moving as she expresses every emotion in this film. The plot frequently goes back to flashbacks that help the audience understand the plot. The emotional ups and downs Witherspoon portrays allows the audience to connect with her character’s struggles and to feel for Witherspoon’s character. Witherspoon captured the essence of her character beautifully, and that is why she deserves an Oscar for her amazing performance.

Category: Music Original Song

Nominees: “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”; “Glory” from “Selma”; “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”; “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campell … I’ll Be Me; “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”

Predicted Winner: “Glory” from “Selma”, Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn

“Glory” is a song that enhances the movie “Selma” by portraying all that the movie stands for. The message of the song is to give equality to all men. The song stands for justice and hope, which perfectly corresponds with the theme of the movie. The song starts off with a gospel sound and then transfers into a rap. “Selma” is about standing up against injustice and this song empowers people to do just that.

Kristen Isoldi is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

Erica Kelble is a Multimedia Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.