@Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Nominations for the 96th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23rd. There are many precursors, including critics’ groups and guilds prizes, the Golden Globes, and BAFTA, the British equivalent of the Academy Awards, to consider when making predictions, and we’ve taken all of that into account with our best guesses in all 23 categories below!
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
These are the ten films cited by the Producers Guild of America, a group that almost always differs slightly in its picks from the final Oscar list. Yet this feels like the most likely ten, with Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest both defying expectations with bids for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes and and from the PGA. It’s possible that Maestro is losing support and that Past Lives is too small to make the cut, but both feel relatively solid at the moment. The Color Purple was expected to do better than it has and could still rally for a comeback. Similarly, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has plenty of fans and could crack this lineup. A late surge for something like The Iron Claw feels unlikely, as does Air showing up at this point, but another film that might join other international fare is Spain’s submission: Society of the Snow.
Best Director
Greta Gerwig (Barbie)
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Alexander Payne (The Holdovers)
Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)
This category very often features a surprise or surging nominee whose inclusion means that a seemingly locked filmmaker is omitted. Think Denis Villenueve for Dune or, just five years ago, Bradley Cooper for Maestro. Now Cooper feels like he’s already out of the race after missing with DGA, but there could still be enough support for the actor-turned-director to show up. It’s crazy to think that Christopher Nolan is only looking at his second nomination in this category, though he too was snubbed back in 2010 for Inception. Nolan, Scorsese, and Yorgos Lanthimos feel far too secure to miss (keep reading), and Gerwig, one of the only women ever nominated in this category, is definitely having a moment and has a very good shot at getting nominated. While Payne, who didn’t get nominated at the Golden Globes, might seem most vulnerable, he got nominated for Nebraska and has a lot of industry support, and picked up a BAFTA nomination. Glazer feels likeliest to earn a nomination for The Zone of Interest, and Justine Triet is also possible for Anatomy of a Fall. Celine Song is another longshot for Past Lives, as is Cord Jefferson for American Fiction, but that’s a whole lot of contenders for just one category. Lanthimos getting snubbed would be a shock, especially considering how well Poor Things has being doing this season, but that may just be what happens (see BAFTA’s 11 nominations for the film that don’t include one for Lanthimos).
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
Colman Domingo (Rustin)
Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
These are the five men recognized by the Screen Actors Guild. Missing from this list with the potential to sneak into it are Leonardo DiCaprio, who has two previous nominations from collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, and Andrew Scott, who has received rave reviews for All of Us Strangers even if the film hasn’t been enthusiastically embraced by all awards bodies (save for BAFTA, though Scott himself wasn’t nominated). Barry Keoghan is close to a second consecutive nomination, for Saltburn, depending on how that film is embraced. If The Zone of Interest performs very well, Christian Friedel could surprise, and there’s also been plenty of buzz for Zac Efron, whose film The Iron Claw may have peaked too late.
Best Actress
Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)
Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
Margot Robbie (Barbie)
Emma Stone (Poor Things)
Consider Gladstone and Stone locked and in a tight race for the win. Mulligan feels safe but might be vulnerable given waning support for her film, while Robbie, who missed out on a BAFTA nomination despite a healthy history with that group, might still be able to get in. Fantasia Barrino was an early frontrunner who just snagged a BAFTA nomination, while Greta Lee missed out there even with her Past Lives costar Teo Yoo getting in. Annette Bening scored a SAG bid for NYAD, but the buzz is likeliest to be with Sandra Hüller, who could also show up in the supporting actress race.
Best Supporting Actor
Willem Dafoe (Poor Things)
Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
Ryan Gosling (Barbie)
Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)
Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers)
Downey and Gosling are in. Dafoe and Ruffalo are probably in too, though they did both get snubbed by BAFTA even while their film was embraced and only Dafoe got cited by SAG. That leaves Robert De Niro out in the cold for Killers of the Flower Moon despite steady precursor support, something he didn’t have for his last Martin Scorsese collaboration, The Irishman. Sterling K. Brown got a SAG nomination, and American Fiction is very hot right now, but the final slot could still go to BAFTA nominee Dominic Sessa. Charles Melton remains in contention also for May December, a film that performed strongly earlier in awards season than it has of late.
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
Sandra Hüller (The Zone of Interest)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Rosamund Pike (Saltburn)
Randolph, Brooks, and Blunt seem to be the top three to beat in this race, with mixed messages about who might join them. Jodie Foster got nominated at the Golden Globes and SAG for NYAD, a film that otherwise doesn’t have much buzz. Julianne Moore is a contender for May December, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Pike was cited at the Globes and by BAFTA, and she could easily be joined by another BAFTA pick and potential double nominee, Hüller. SAG picked Penélope Cruz for Ferrari, while BAFTA added Claire Foy to the mix for All of Us Strangers. Two other popular picks who could earn nominations are Rachel McAdams for Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. and America Ferrera for Barbie.
Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
This category feels fairly set after Barbie was moved to the Best Adapted Screenplay race, with other possibilities including Air, Saltburn, and Fallen Leaves.
Best Adapted Screenplay
All of Us Strangers
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
This category is overcrowded by at least one nominee thanks to Barbie’s reclassification here. Betting on All of Us Strangers to bump out Killers of the Flower Moon may not be wise, and there’s also Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. and The Zone of Interest likely to siphon votes.
Best Cinematography
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Four of these picks seem set, and the question is what will join them? El Conde scored a bid from the American Society of Cinematographers, while the British Society of Cinematographers chose Saltburn. BAFTA picked The Zone of Interest, which seems likeliest to repeat with the Oscars.
Best Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
This is a field where films like Asteroid City, Wonka, or The Color Purple could be feted, but it seems likelier that Best Picture contenders will instead populate the category. Watch out also for Art Directors Guild picks like Maestro, Napoleon, Saltburn, or The Killer.
Best Costume Design
Barbie
The Color Purple
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
This category includes some heavy hitters and could be where The Color Purple breaks through, and other contenders include Costume Designers Guild picks like Maestro, Napoleon, and Saltburn, as well as Priscilla and Wonka.
Best Film Editing
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Nominations for the American Cinema Editors awards won’t be announced until two days after Oscar nominations are out. This category often leaves out big films that feel like shoo-ins, and one this year could be Killers of the Flower Moon. Watch out also for Maestro, Past Lives, or American Fiction, as well as other possibilities like Ferrari.
Best Original Score
The Boy and the Heron
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Oppenheimer
Society of the Snow
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
This race features a number of big films and some big names. Among them is John Williams, the most-nominated composer in this category, who was previously nominated for the first three Indiana Jones films. Two animated films getting in would be big, as well as two foreign films, but it’s possible. Other top contenders include Killers of the Flower Moon, Elemental, Barbie, Poor Things, and American Fiction. Also in the running are American Symphony, The Color Purple, The Holdovers, Saltburn, and The Zone of Interest.
Best Original Song
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
“Road To Freedom” from Rustin
There’s a rule that prevents a single film from getting more than two nominations, which means Barbie can only get in for two out of three of its shortlisted songs. From among the rest of the contenders, expected Best Picture nominees Killers of the Flower Moon and Past Lives both have songs shortlisted, and John Carney, whose films have previously earned nominations in this race, has two tunes from Flora and Son in contention. The Color Purple is another film with two songs on this list, though its non-original songs adapted from the Broadway musical may prove more appealing to voters. If they’re looking for something less serious, “Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)” from Asteroid City may prove just right.
Best Sound
Barbie
Ferrari
The Killer
Maestro
Oppenheimer
This category, which now includes both sound mixing and sound editing, is drawn from a shortlist of ten films. The other possibilities are Killers of the Flower Moon, The Zone of Interest, Napoleon, The Creator, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Starting out with ten finalists makes this field theoretically easier to narrow down, though there may still be surprises. Maestro and Golda should benefit from the stunning recreation of real people, while Society of the Snow involves intense work to show deteriorating (dead and living) bodies in the snow. From the Best Picture contenders, Oppenheimer and Poor Things have a leg up on Killers of the Flower Moon. Ferrari is likely to make a play in the Best Sound race, while The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a longshot due to its genre nature and the fact that this would certainly be its only nomination. Joaquin Phoenix also has two films in contention – Beau is Afraid and Napoleon – but neither feels all that likely.
Best Visual Effects
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Society of the Snow
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Don’t expect to see likely nominations leader Oppenheimer hear since it didn’t even make the first twenty-wide list of finalists. Other contenders on the second shortlist of ten films are Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Poor Things, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, Napoleon, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Best Animated Feature
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Suzume
Unlike the other specialty film categories, there’s no shortlist for this race. There are 33 titles on the official eligibility list that could make the cut. While The Boy and the Heron, Elemental, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse all feel safe, the other two slots are a mystery. Popular fare like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Wish could show up, as could sequels Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibbertia. Also in contention are buzzy titles like Nimona, Suzume, and Robot Dreams.
Best Animated Short
Humo (Smoke)
I’m Hip
Koerkorter (Dog Apartment)
Ninety-Five Senses
Wild Summon
From the fifteen films shortlisted in this category, A Kind of Testament, Letter to a Pig, Our Uniform, and Once Upon a Studio are also very strong contenders.
Best Documentary Feature
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
32 Sounds
20 Days in Mariupol
This category is full of fantastic nonfiction fare, and quite competitive. While Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie and American Symphony are the highest-profile titles in contention, both Four Daughters and 20 Days in Mariupol also made the Best International Feature shortlist. Those seeking experimental documentaries will find satisfaction in Apolonia, Apolonia, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, and 32 Sounds. Even though they may be under-the-radar, Beyond Utopia and To Kill a Tiger both deal with incredibly compelling topics and could surprise. Probably the least prominent from the fifteen-wide shortlist, Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy, could benefit from its subject matter: a previous Best Picture winner.
Best Documentary Short
The Barber of Little Rock
Deciding Vote
How We Get Free
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
From among the fifteen films shortlisted, other strong contenders include The ABCs of Book Banning, Camp Courage, Island in Between, Last Song from Kabul, and Wings of Dust.
Best International Feature
Bhutan, The Monk and the Gun
Finland, Fallen Leaves
Spain, Society of the Snow
Tunisia, Four Daughters
United Kingdom, The Zone of Interest
From the fifteen films that made the shortlist, very strong contenders that could easily get in include The Taste of Things (France), The Promised Land (Denmark), The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany), and Perfect Days (Japan). Both Four Daughters (Tunisia) and 20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) appear on the Best Documentary Feature shortlist also, and while it’s not on that list, The Mother of All Lies (Morocco) is a documentary. Io Capitano (Italy) may also be competitive, but watch out for The Monk and the Gun (Bhutan), which comes from a filmmaker who earned his country a startling nomination in this category just a few years ago.
Best Live Action Short
The Anne Frank Gift Shop
Invincible
Strange Way of Life
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Yellow
From the fifteen films shortlisted for this category, The After, An Avocado Pit, Dead Cat, Knight of Fortune, and Red, White and Blue are also likely to be nominated.
Come back on the morning of Tuesday, January 23rd for the nominations list and to see how we did!