New 2017 Kitty Awards

The Academy Awards are TOMORROW and it used to be super exciting but now has become a big yawn and you just know at 9 you are going to take a break and watch "The Walking Dead", right? The Kitty Awards, on the other hand are more exciting than ever! And, once again, we've scored the hottest host of all time, Mr. Neil Patrick Harris! Can you believe we got him again?

As you know, the Kitty will go to the most deserving winners. Not the movies that cost the most, or the biggest stars. And, as always, we will use the Academy Award list of nominees so you can see if the judges at the Kitties agree or if they go with something surprising, something you'll be talking about at work because the judges have been so on target! That's how it is, here, at the Kitty Awards!

So, get ready to settle back and enjoy the show! It's time for... the 8th Annual (8 YEARS!!! Is it possible, you ask? Yes, it is... as some of us have to handle all the stars plus do everything back stage!) Kitty Awards for all you viewers (I know, I know, readers) out there! Take it away Neil!

Now it's time for our first awards! Let's begin with Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali : Moonlight
Jeff Bridges: Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges: Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel: Lion
Michael Shannon: Nocturnal Animals
So, the Judges did not see any of these movies, but has that ever stopped them from awarding an award? Never! The judges DID see a lot of performances on DVD and things on Netflix not to mention good old cable. Maybe if those at the top made those AA nominees available on DVD to our judges...things might have gone differently! We judges LOVED  Penny Dreadful and in particular, they admired Josh Hartnett who was a revelation in the role of Ethan Chandler!

And the winner is Josh! We love you, Josh, and only wish Penny Dreadful could have continued with you and Goddess Eva Green as you had the best chemistry and are deserving of All the Awards! Congratulations!

Isn't that a surprise and an upset, no offense to all the fine nominees, and, again, Academy, make these things available to the Kitty Judges and things might go a lot differently, though, probably not!
Next Category is for Best Supporting Actress:
The Nominees are:
Viola Davis: Fences
Naomi Harris: Moonlight
Nicole Kidman: Lion
Octavia Spencer: Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams: Nocturnal Animals
Sigh, again, the judges haven't seen ANY of these films (although we are on hold for some of them at the Library!) so they were forced to look hard at many performers NOT nominated and the judges have seen a great many episodes of Third Rock From the Sun and they just adore Kristen Johnston who is just standout brilliant as Sally the alien living in the hot body of a earth woman.

And here are more reasons why this amazing actress should be in the running, because, hey, great performances are forever!


And, surprise, the winner is Kristen! Look how happy she is to win the esteemed Kitty! You deserve it, Kristen! Congratulations!

Now for the big categories!
And for once, the judges saw one of the big names listed here, so, will they agree with the AA or go with a dark horse?
Best Actor
Casey Affleck: Manchester By the Sea
Andrew Garfield: Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling: La La Land
Viggo Mortensen: Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington: Fences
And, Yay! The Judges LOVED La La Land, and that means the winner is Ryan Gosling.
Here you go, Ryan!

You may have won other awards and you may win the Oscar... but I am sure the win that means the most to you is the prestigious Kitty!
Next category is:
Best Actress!
The Nominees are:
Isabelle Huppert: Elle
Ruth Negga: Loving
Natalie Portman: Jackie
Emma Stone: La La Land
Meryl Streep: Florence Foster Jenkins
We agree that these are all wonderful actresses. We LOVE Ruth Negga in Preacher, and Natalie in most things and the Judges even saw that Meryl Streep movie and it was interesting but seriously, Emma Stone just lit up the screen in La La Land! She's adorable, can act and sing and the Judges love, love, love her in everything so...yes, Emma, YOU are the winner of the amazing Kitty! Congratulations!!

The Nominees for Best Director are:
Denis Villeneuve ("Arrival")
Mel Gibson ("Hacksaw Ridge")
Damien Chazelle ("La La Land")
Kenneth Lonergan ("Manchester by the Sea")
Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight")
And, it's a sweep, because Damien Chazelle is another La La Land winner!

Now the award for Best Animated Movie:
The Nominees are
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
the Red Turtle
Zootopia
The Winner is, of course, Moana, because it had great characters and fabulous music!

Get ready for a tough race: Best SONG
Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from La La Land
(Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul)
"Can’t Stop The Feeling" from Trolls
(Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster)
"City Of Stars" from La La Land
(Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul)
("The Empty Chair" from Jim: The James Foley Story)
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
"How Far I’ll Go" from Moana
(Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
The Judges LOVED both La La Land's City of Stars (and everything else, too)

And they also LOVED "Moana's" "How Far I'll Go" and all  the other songs!

 So BOTH are WINNERS!!! A FIRST for the Kitties! And we are also giving them BOTH the Kitty for Best Music, too, a category Moana was sadly excluded from!

Now, the moment you've been waiting for:
the Kitty Life Time Achievement Award!!! This year's winner is: Gerard Butler!!!!
Because he did this:

Really, did he even NEED to do anything else? Well, he has had a pretty illustrious career so he is well deserving of winning the Kitty!

Wrapping things up with the BIG Award of the Night
The Kitty Best Picture Nominees are:
La La Land
La La Land
La La Land
La La Land
Arrival
Because the Judes only saw La La Land and Arrival... so, can there be any doubt? Check out this trailer for La La Land!

The Winner is La La Land! For once Everyone agrees with the Kitty Judge's consensus!
Hooray!

Congratulations everyone!

Well, that's it for this year! Another exciting Kitty Awards and possibly the very best!!! We know the Academy Awards are coming right up and you'll probably watch, as the Judges will, and know, once again, that the Kitty Awards did everything right! Thanks once more to the amazing NPH for giving so generously of his time! Thank you, Neil! Hope to see you back here next year!

* A note about the Kitty Award itself. The statue was inspired by the late and majestic  cat among cats: Big Eric. He will live on in the hearts of all the Kitty Award recipients.