Happy Oscar Sunday! Tonight I’ll be celebrating the Academy Awards at the Academy Museum, where I watched the ceremony two years ago, so I’m excited to be back there for Hollywood’s biggest night. That, of course, brings me to my annual Oscar picks and predictions post, which I’ll be keeping brief this time around. So, as in years past, I’ll make predictions on which films will win the Academy Award in each category. And for the top eight categories (the four for acting, the two screenplay categories, Best Director, and, of course, Best Picture), I’ll be including which of the nominees I’d pick for my own ballot.
Best Picture
First, my personal ranking of the nominees, from best to worst:
- The Substance
- The Brutalist
- Nickel Boys
- Anora
- I’m Still Here
- Conclave
- Wicked
- A Complete Unknown
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
My Pick: The Substance
My Prediction: Anora
Best Director
Nominees (in alphabetical order by movie):
- Sean Baker, Anora
- Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
- James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
- Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
- Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
My Pick: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
My Prediction: Sean Baker, Anora
Best Actor
Nominees (in alphabetical order by last name):
- Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
- Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
- Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
- Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
- Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
My Pick: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
My Prediction: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress
Nominees (in alphabetical order by last name):
- Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
- Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
- Mikey Madison, Anora
- Demi Moore, The Substance
- Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
My Pick: Demi Moore, The Substance
My Prediction: Demi Moore, The Substance
Best Supporting Actor
Nominees (in alphabetical order by last name):
- Yura Borisov, Anora
- Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
- Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
- Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
- Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
My Pick: Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
My Prediction: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees (in alphabetical order by last name):
- Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
- Ariana Grande, Wicked
- Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
- Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
- Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
My Pick: Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
My Prediction: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Best Original Screenplay
Nominees (in alphabetical order):
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Real Pain
- September 5
- The Substance
My Pick: A Real Pain
My Prediction: Anora
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees (in alphabetical order):
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Nickel Boys
- Sing Sing
My Pick: Nickel Boys
My Prediction: Conclave
And now the rest of my predictions…
- Best Animated Feature Film: Flow
- Best International Feature Film: I’m Still Here
- Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land
- Best Cinematography: The Brutalist
- Best Film Editing: Anora
- Best Production Design: Wicked
- Best Costume Design: Wicked
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Substance
- Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two
- Best Sound: A Complete Unknown
- Best Original Score: The Brutalist
- Best Original Song: “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez
- Best Animated Short Film: Yuck!
- Best Live Action Short Film: A Lien
- Best Documentary Short Subject: Incident
