The long and chaotic awards season leading to the 97th Oscars is finally over. A few categories seem locked up, while some others are still going to be a race to the finish.
Anora seems the likely Best Picture winner with it having PGA, DGA, WGA, and Critics Choice wins. But Conclave could sneak in and take it as it has BAFTA and SAG wins.
The hardest category to call is Best Actress, with Mikey Madison and Demi Moore battling it out. Fernanda Torres could surprise though as the dark horse with her Golden Globe momentum.
Below are my final predictions of who I think will win for each category, along with who I would personally vote for if I was an Academy voter. I also include a pick of a snub I believe deserved to be nominated in each category.
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Will Win: Anora
My vote if I could vote: Nickel Boys
Should have been a nominee: Sing Sing (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Director
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Will Win: Sean Baker, Anora
My vote if I could vote: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Should have been a nominee: RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (in place of Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez)
Best Actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Will Win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
My vote if I could vote: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Should have been a nominee: Daniel Craig, Queer (in place of Ralph Fiennes, Conclave)
Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Will Win: Mikey Madison, Anora
My vote if I could vote: Mikey Madison, Anora
Should have been a nominee: Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (in place of Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez)
Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Will Win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
My vote if I could vote: Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Should have been a nominee: Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (in place of Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain)
Best Supporting Actress
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Will Win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
My vote if I could vote: Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Should have been a nominee: Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (in place of Ariana Grande, Wicked)
Best Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Will Win: Conclave
My vote if I could vote: Sing Sing
Should have been a nominee: Queer (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Original Screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
Will Win: Anora
My vote if I could vote: Anora
Should have been a nominee: The Seed of the Sacred Fig (in place of The Substance)
Best Animated Feature
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Will Win: The Wild Robot
My vote if I could vote: Flow
Should have been a nominee: N/A (These are the five I would have chosen)
Best International Feature
I’m Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)
Will Win: I’m Still Here (Brazil)
My vote if I could vote: The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Should have been a nominee: Kneecap (Ireland) (in place of Emilia Pérez (France))
Best Documentary Feature
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Will Win: Porcelain War
My vote if I could vote: No Other Land
Should have been a nominee: Daughters (in place of Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat)
Best Cinematography
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu
Will Win: The Brutalist
My vote if I could vote: The Brutalist
Should have been a nominee: Nickel Boys (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked
Will Win: Wicked
My vote if I could vote: Wicked
Should have been a nominee: Dune: Part Two (in place of Conclave)
Best Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Will Win: Wicked
My vote if I could vote: Nosferatu
Should have been a nominee: Gladiator II (in place of Conclave)
Best Editing
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
Will Win: Conclave
My vote if I could vote: Conclave
Should have been a nominee: Challengers (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
Will Win: The Substance
My vote if I could vote: Nosferatu
Should have been a nominee: Longlegs (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Original Score
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Will Win: The Brutalist
My vote if I could vote: The Brutalist
Should have been a nominee: Challengers (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Original Song
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
“The Journey” – Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird” – Sing Sing
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late” – Elton John: Never Too Late
Will Win: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
My vote if I could vote: “Like a Bird” – Sing Sing
Should have been a nominee: “Compress/Repress” – Challengers (in place of “The Journey” – Six Triple Eight)
Best Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Will Win: Dune: Part Two
My vote if I could vote: A Complete Unknown
Should have been a nominee: Civil War (in place of Emilia Pérez)
Best Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Will Win: Dune: Part Two
My vote if I could vote: Dune: Part Two
Should have been a nominee: Gladiator II (in place of Wicked)
Best Animated Short
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Will Win: Yuck!
My vote if I could vote: Beautiful Men
Best Live Action Short
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Will Win: A Lien
My vote if I could vote: A Lien
Best Documentary Short
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Will Win: The Only Girl in the Orchestra
My vote if I could vote: Incident
