This weekend sees Hollywood’s elite gather for the 98th Academy Awards on what promises to be a thrilling night for the biggest stars in film.
Once again, here are our final predictions across a majority of categories…
BEST PICTURE
BUGONIA
F1
FRANKENSTEIN
HAMNET
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
THE SECRET AGENT
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
SINNERS
TRAIN DREAMS
WILL WIN? – SINNERS – Despite an early release last year, the period horror has stayed relevant throughout this year’s awards race and made Oscar history with a record-breaking SIXTEEN nominations. A crucial victory at the Actor Awards also proved significant though One Battle After Another could still prevail after dominating the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Producers Guild Awards. This will be a close one folks!
SHOULD WIN? – HAMNET – The historical tearjerker was an emotional watch for audiences and left many in tears (including yours truly!). However, it looks as though Jessie Buckley will be the film’s sole win come Monday morning…
IGNORED? – IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT – With strong critical acclaim, the Palme d’Or-winning thriller was cited as an early lock for a nomination only to miss out.
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Ryan Coogler, SINNERS
Josh Safdie, MARTY SUPREME
Joachim Trier, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Chloé Zhao, HAMNET
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – Paul Thomas Anderson – From our perspective, One Battle After Another was one of PTA’s weaker efforts though it would be satisfying to see the versatile filmmaker finally get his due in this field after previous losses for There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and Licorice Pizza.
IGNORED? – Jafar Panahi (IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT) – The headline-making Iranian auteur looked to have strong support in this category after landing a Golden Globe nod, but the buzz for the film decreased rapidly and left him with just a sole mention for his screenplay.
BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley, HAMNET
Rose Byrne, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
Kate Hudson, SONG SUNG BLUE
Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Emma Stone, BUGONIA
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – Jessie Buckley – Since her breakthrough in the BBC talent competition I’d Do Anything, the Irish performer has gone from strength-to-strength with her acting career and produced her strongest performance yet as the grieving Agnes Shakespeare. Unsurprisingly, she has swept the field with key wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Actor Awards, and is all but locked for a maiden Oscar triumph.
IGNORED? – Chase Infiniti (ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER) – The in-demand starlet held her own against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn and did well to pick up a number of major nods only to miss the Oscar cut. Nevertheless, she looks to have a bright future in the industry!
BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, MARTY SUPREME
Leonardo DiCaprio, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Ethan Hawke, BLUE MOON
Michael B. Jordan, SINNERS
Wagner Moura, THE SECRET AGENT
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – Timothée Chalamet – The last couple of weeks have been rocky for the in-demand star between key losses at the BAFTAs and Actor Awards, and his negative feelings about ballet and opera in a recent interview. However, the latter issue made headlines AFTER Oscar voting ended which could prove the difference between bagging the gold, and going home empty-handed for a third time. Nonetheless, he was formidable throughout Marty Supreme and should just about get over the line. Don’t count out Michael B. Jordan though!
IGNORED? – Jesse Plemons (BUGONIA) – The former Breaking Bad star has delivered a number of strong performances over the past decade, and was unlucky to miss out here after notable mentions at the BAFTAs and Actor Awards. However, you get the feeling that his second nod is just around the corner!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elle Fanning, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Amy Madigan, WEAPONS
Wunmi Mosaku, SINNERS
Teyana Taylor, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
WILL WIN? – Wumi Mosaku – It’s a very tough category to call this year, but the surge of support for her film, and a key victory at the BAFTAs may be enough to lead the Manchester-born actress towards a maiden Oscar statuette. However, Madigan’s recent triumph at the Actor Awards was a significant one, while Taylor’s early success at the Golden Globes, and the overwhelming strength of One Battle After Another shouldn’t be ruled out. Too close by far!
SHOULD WIN? – Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – The Norwegian actress was mesmerising as an emphatic historian caught in a family feud and arguably gave the best performance in the category. Nonetheless, she will probably just be happy to earn her first nomination for one of the most celebrated films of the season.
IGNORED? – Ariana Grande (WICKED: FOR GOOD) – On the one hand, the long-awaited follow-up to the smash-hit 2024 musical was deemed a misfire to a number of critics and audiences. However, the pop icon-turned-film star did produce stronger work as Glinda in this sequel, and will hope to gain more prominence in her acting career going forward.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Jacob Elordi, FRANKENSTEIN
Delroy Lindo, SINNERS
Sean Penn, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Stellan Skarsgård, SENTIMENTAL VALUE
WILL WIN? – Sean Penn – The divisive Hollywood star could find himself on the brink of becoming a three-time Oscar winner following vital successes at the BAFTAs and Actor Awards. However, this may turn out to be another dramatic race with more than one contender looking to take the gold.
SHOULD WIN? – Stellan Skarsgård – The Swedish veteran looked to be an early favourite here after his victory at the Golden Globes though that momentum has shifted after a key loss at the BAFTAs. Fingers crossed he finally gets his due with the industry.
IGNORED? – Paul Mescal (HAMNET) – Despite picking up a number of crucial awards nominations throughout the season, the Irish performer was surprisingly snubbed for his sensitive turn as William Shakespeare. Hopefully, a second Oscar nod will come for him in the not-too-distant future!
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BUGONIA (Will Tracy)
FRANKENSTEIN (Guillermo del Toro)
HAMNET (Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell)
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (Paul Thomas Anderson)
TRAIN DREAMS (Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar)
WILL WIN? – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SHOULD WIN? –HAMNET
IGNORED? – NO OTHER CHOICE
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BLUE MOON (Robert Kaplow)
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Jafar Panahi, Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin & Mehdi Mahmoudian)
MARTY SUPREME (Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie)
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier)
SINNERS (Ryan Coogler)
WILL WIN? – SINNERS
SHOULD WIN? –SENTIMENTAL VALUE
IGNORED? – SORRY, BABY
BEST CASTING
HAMNET (Nina Gold)
MARTY SUPREME (Jennifer Venditti)
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (Cassandra Kulukundis)
THE SECRET AGENT (Gabriel Domingues)
SINNERS (Francine Maisler)
WILL WIN? – SINNERS
SHOULD WIN? – HAMNET
IGNORED? –SENTIMENTAL VALUE
BEST EDITING
F1
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
SINNERS
WILL WIN? – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SHOULD WIN? – F1
IGNORED? – HAMNET
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
FRANKENSTEIN
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SINNERS
TRAIN DREAMS
WILL WIN? – SINNERS
SHOULD WIN? – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
IGNORED? – HAMNET
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
FRANKENSTEIN
HAMNET
MARTY SUPREME
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SINNERS
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? –FRANKENSTEIN
IGNORED? – AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
FRANKENSTEIN
HAMNET
MARTY SUPREME
SINNERS
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? –FRANKENSTEIN
IGNORED? – WICKED: FOR GOOD
BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIRSTYLING
FRANKENSTEIN
KOKUHO
SINNERS
THE SMASHING MACHINE
THE UGLY STEPSISTER
WILL WIN? –FRANKENSTEIN
SHOULD WIN? – SINNERS
IGNORED? – WICKED: FOR GOOD
BEST SOUND
F1
FRANKENSTEIN
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
SINNERS
SIRÂT
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – F1
IGNORED? – AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
F1
JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH
THE LOST BUS
SINNERS
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
IGNORED? – SUPERMAN
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BUGONIA (Jerskin Fendrix)
FRANKENSTEIN (Alexandre Desplat)
HAMNET (Max Richter)
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (Jonny Greenwood)
SINNERS (Ludwig Göransson)
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – SINNERS
IGNORED? – MARTY SUPREME
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS (“Dear Me”)
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (“Golden”)
SINNERS (“I Lied to You”)
TRAIN DREAMS (“Train Dreams”)
VIVA VERDI! (“Sweet Dreams of Joy”)
WILL WIN? – KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (“Golden”)
SHOULD WIN? – SINNERS (“I Lied to You”)
IGNORED? – WICKED: FOR GOOD (“The Girl in the Bubble”)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
ARCO
ELIO
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN
ZOOTOPIA 2
WILL WIN? – KPOP DEMON HUNTERS – From the moment the song “Golden” reached the airwaves, this category was all but sewn-up for the pop-based Netflix animation. If there is to be an upset, then Zootopia 2 will look to pounce after winning the BAFTA a few weeks ago.
SHOULD WIN? – LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN – In an ideal world, the independent Belgian animation would be winning this category a’la Flow last year. However, it just hasn’t been able to topple the worldwide popularity of KPop.
IGNORED? – DEMON SLAYER: INFINITY CASTLE – The Japanese anime found early momentum with Golden Globe and Producer Guild Award nominations only to fall shy with the Academy.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (FRANCE)
THE SECRET AGENT (BRAZIL)
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (NORWAY)
SIRĀT (SPAIN)
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (TUNISIA)
WILL WIN SHOULD WIN? – SENTIMENTAL VALUE – With multiple nominations under its belt, the Norwegian drama packed a punch with critics and scored key nominations across the major categories. However, The Secret Agent has its supporters and will look to repeat the success I’m Still Here achieved last year.
IGNORED? – NO OTHER CHOICE – Once again, another disappointing snub for Park Chan-wook (and South Korea itself) after seeing his previous effort Decision to Leave miss out here in 2023.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE ALABAMA SOLUTION
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS
MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
WILL WIN AND SHOULD WIN? – THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
IGNORED? –COVER-UP
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