After months of precursor award shows, the Oscars are finally going to be awarded this coming Sunday, March 10. Jimmy Kimmel has the hosting duties for a second year in a row, with the Academy likely hoping to ride the luck of no one getting slapped last year. It’s an interesting slate this year – a solid mix of big blockbusters and smaller art films. The ratings for last year’s show were up, a trend which will hopefully continue for those of us who enjoy seeing film’s great stars and craftspeople come together to celebrate our favorite art form. With so many other awards bodies having given their awards already, and many awarding the same winners, I unfortunately don’t see it being a year with many surprises. Here are our predictions.
-Michael Powell
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
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Best Director
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)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Christopher Nolan
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Christopher Nolan
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Christopher Nolan
Best Actress
Annette Bening (Nyad)
Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall)
Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
Emma Stone (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Lily Gladstone
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Lily Gladstone
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Lily Gladstone
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
Colman Domingo (Rustin)
Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Cillian Murphy
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Cillian Murphy
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Cillian Murphy
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
America Ferrara (Barbie)
Jodie Foster (Nyad)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction)
Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
Ryan Gosling (Barbie)
Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Robert Downey Jr.
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Robert Downey Jr.
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Robert Downey Jr.
Best Original Screenplay
Justine Triet and Arthur Hirari (Anatomy of a Fall)
David Hemingson (The Holdovers)
Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer (Maestro)
Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik (May December)
Past Lives (Celine Song)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Anatomy of a Fall
Michael Powell’s Prediction: The Holdovers
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Anatomy of a Fall
Best Adapted Screenplay
Cord Jefferson (American Fiction)
Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach (Barbie)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Tony McNamara (Poor Things)
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: American Fiction
Michael Powell’s Prediction: American Fiction
Noah Damron’s Prediction: American Fiction
Best International Feature
Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teacher’s Lounge
The Zone of Interest
Robert Butler’s Prediction: The Zone of Interest
Michael Powell’s Prediction: The Zone of Interest
Noah Damron’s Prediction: The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Feature
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (but I hope Michael Powell is right)
Michael Powell’s Prediction: The Boy and the Heron (this is the one win I’m asking for, God)
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Documentary Feature
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol
Robert Butler’s Prediction: 20 Days in Mariupol
Michael Powell’s Prediction: 20 Days in Mariupol
Noah Damron’s Prediction: 20 Days in Mariupol
Best Film Editing
Laurent Senechal (Anatomy of a Fall)
Kevin Tent (The Holdovers)
Thelma Schoonmaker (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Jennifer Lame (Oppenheimer)
Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Best Cinematography
Edward Lachman (El Conde)
Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Matthew Libatique (Maestro)
Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer)
Robbie Ryan (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran (Barbie)
Jacqueline West (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman (Napoleon)
Ellen Mirojnick (Oppenheimer)
Holly Waddington (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Poor Things
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Poor Things
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Barbie
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby, and Ashra Kelly-Blue (Golda)
Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell (Maestro)
Luisa Abel (Oppenheimer)
Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston (Poor Things)
Ana Lopez-Puigcerver, David Marti and Montse Ribe (Society of the Snow)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Poor Things
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Poor Things
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Maestro
Best Production Design
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer (Barbie)
Jack Fisk and Adam Willis (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Arthur Max and Elli Griff (Napoleon)
Ruth De Jong and Claire Kaufman (Oppenheimer)
James Price, Shona Heath, and Zsuzsa Mihalek (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Poor Things
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Barbie
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Poor Things
Best Original Score
Laura Karpman (American Fiction)
John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Ludwig Goransson (Oppenheimer)
Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Best Original Song
The Fire Inside – Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren (Flamin’ Hot)
I’m Just Ken – Music and Lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)
It Never Went Away – Music and Lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (American Symphony)
Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) – Music and Lyrics by Scott George (Killers of the Flower Moon)
What Was I Made For? – Music and Lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (Barbie)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: What Was I Made For?
Michael Powell’s Prediction: I’m Just Ken
Noah Damron’s Prediction: What Was I Made For?
Best Sound
Ian Voight, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic (The Creator)
Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic (Maestro)
Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One)
Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell (Oppenheimer)
Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn (The Zone of Interest)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Oppenheimer
Michael Powell’s Prediction: The Zone of Interest
Noah Damron’s Prediction: The Zone of Interest
Best Visual Effects
Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould (The Creator)
Takashi Yamazaki, Kyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima (Godzilla Minus One)
Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3)
Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One)
Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simon Coco and Neil Corbould (Napoleon)
Robert Butler’s Prediction: Godzilla Minus One
Michael Powell’s Prediction: Godzilla Minus One
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Godzilla Minus One
Best Animated Short Film
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War is Over!
Robert Butler’s Prediction: War is Over!
Michael Powell’s Prediction: War is Over!
Noah Damron’s Prediction: Letter t0 a Pig
Best Live Action Short Film
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Robert Butler’s Prediction: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Michael Powell’s Prediction: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Noah Damron’s Prediction: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Best Documentary Short Film
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nai Nai and Wai Po
Robert Butler’s Prediction: The ABCs of Book Banning
Michael Powell’s Prediction: The ABCs of Book Banning
This is going to be such a tragically boring ceremony.
Nice list. It’s close enough I guess. All of those film I had the chance to read about them. Some I still need to watch. This Oscar prediction looks very competitive but close enough. To me if the audiences enjoyed the film and can take or learn something from it. It’s an award itself.
Great choices, Robert, there’s a few that I still haven’t seen. Looking forward to the Oscar’s!
I think there are going to be some real surprises and some real upsets.
Seems like there’s not much competition for most of the awards this year!
Looks like you all think Oppenheimer and American fiction are going to do a bit of a sweep! I tend to agree. But I am often surprised!
Oppenheimer I think will win the most awards. While killers of the flower moon will win best picture.