With the Oscars coming up this weekend, the pressure is on to find out who will take home the gold this year. Will box office juggernauts “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” emerge victorious, or are we underestimating critical favorites like “Poor Things,” “The Holdovers” and “Killers of the Flower Moon?” Read on to see the Daily’s predictions in all 23 categories ahead of the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday.
Best Picture
Nominees: “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Barbie,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Past Lives,” “Poor Things,” “The Zone of Interest”
A few months ago, Best Picture looked like a close race, but now it seems like a lock for “Oppenheimer.” The three-hour historical epic that made nearly $1 billion last summer has proven to be a hit at awards shows as well, taking the top prize at the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice and PGA Awards in recent weeks. While there’s always the possibility of an upset from another contender, like “Poor Things” or “Killers of the Flower Moon,” it looks like “Oppenheimer” has this one in the bag.
Will Win: “Oppenheimer”
Could Win: “Poor Things”
Should Win: “The Holdovers”
Best Directing
Nominees: Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”), Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”)
While Greta Gerwig’s shocking snub was the biggest topic of conversation after nominations were announced, many have overlooked the significance of two directors of foreign-language films, Triet and Glazer, being recognized in this category. However, it’s Nolan, the winner of all four major precursor awards, who’s expected to win what would be his very first Oscar for directing “Oppenheimer.”
Will Win: Christopher Nolan
Could Win: Martin Scorsese
Should Win: Christopher Nolan
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees: Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), Emma Stone (“Poor Things”)
The closest race of the acting categories this year, Best Actress is a battle between Emma Stone’s wild performance in “Poor Things” and Lily Gladstone’s nuanced performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Stone triumphed at the BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards, while Gladstone took home the Screen Actors’ Guild Award (they both won at the Golden Globes, which separates the Comedy and Drama categories). While many are predicting a victory for Stone, the scene-stealing Gladstone has the edge here, and a win for Gladstone would make her the first Native American actress ever to win an Oscar.
Will Win: Lily Gladstone
Could Win: Emma Stone
Should Win: Lily Gladstone
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees: Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Colman Domingo (“Rustin”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”), Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”)
An unusually competitive Best Actor category features five exceptional performances this year, but it looks like BAFTA and SAG winner Cillian Murphy has the best chance of victory at this year’s ceremony. He faces a serious threat from Paul Giamatti, who triumphed at the Critics’ Choice Awards and won alongside Murphy at the Golden Globes for his incredible performance in “The Holdovers.” However, expect Murphy to ride the wave of good will for “Oppenheimer” to victory this weekend.
Will Win: Cillian Murphy
Could Win: Paul Giamatti
Should Win: Paul Giamatti
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: No contest in this category — Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a shoo in for her moving performance in “The Holdovers,” directed by Alexander Payne, which will earn her a well-deserved first Oscar.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Despite some strong competitors (looking at you, Mark Ruffalo and Ryan Gosling), Robert Downey Jr. has swept the precursor awards, and he’s favored to take home the award for his supporting role in “Oppenheimer.”
Best Adapted Screenplay: “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are up against each other again in this category (because the “Barbie” screenplay was adapted from… a doll??), but they’re likely both going to lose to Cord Jefferson’s razor-sharp script for “American Fiction.”
Best Original Screenplay: “The Holdovers” has the strongest screenplay here, but expect the French legal drama “Anatomy of a Fall” to take this award for its thought-provoking script.
Best Animated Feature Film: Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki’s “The Boy and the Heron” is a visually stunning ode to the legendary filmmaker’s childhood, but it’s no match for “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the long-awaited sequel to the 2019 winner in this category.
Best Original Song: It’s a crime that Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” didn’t get a nomination here, but expect her fellow “Barbie” artist Billie Eilish to win her second Oscar for her song “What Was I Made For?”
Best Costume Design and Best Production Design: Both of these categories are toss-ups between “Barbie” and “Poor Things,” but “Barbie” has the advantage here for its whimsical costumes and larger-than-life (or smaller-than-life?) set design.
Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Original Score: Barring any upsets, expect “Oppenheimer” to win all four of these categories for its masterful sounds and visuals.
And here’s who we think is going to win in the remaining categories:
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Maestro”
Best Visual Effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
Best Documentary Feature Film: “20 Days in Mariupol”
Best International Feature Film: “The Zone of Interest”
Best Animated Short Film: “War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko”
Best Documentary Short Film: “The ABCs of Book Banning”
Best Live Action Short Film: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
