We’re at the end of it. After posting our thoughts on the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, we’re here to rattle through our predictions on who will win for all the additional categories. So let’s get after it!
We’re just going to list the categories and nominees. The bolded selections are who we think will win, but if you see an asterisk, that’s our guess for a surprise upset.
Let’s get to it!
Animated Feature Film
This one feels like it’s pretty much a lock, since KPop Demon Hunters has been a cultural phenomenon. But, they have the Netflix curse (the Oscars do not care for streamers, and when they award a streaming film, Netflix tends to get the cold shoulder). That said, Zootopia 2 came out later, and became the highest grossing Hollywood animated film of all time (apparently Ne Zha 2, a Chinese animated film, actually made about 500 million more last year) so with recency bias (KPop came out in June, so its momentum might have fizzled out by the time Zootopia 2 came out). So this could go either way.
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2*
Animated Short Film
We haven’t watched a single one of these. But whatever, hey siri, who is predicted to win the Oscar for Animated Short Film.
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Casting
This is a new category. So it’s a little interesting to predict. But we think Sinners has such a stacked cast, including three acting nominations, and a few deserving actors not included, that it’ll take the prize. That said, there’s a good chance that One Battle after Another can take it away, as they also had a stacked cast, including some breakout performances that earned nominations.
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another*
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Cinematography
Sinners deserves the trophy here – just watch Ryan Coogler describe the aspect ratio of the movie in the most compelling way and tell us otherwise. If they don’t win, it’ll go to One Battle, but honestly we’d love to see Train Dreams get a little love. They won’t win but if they were a surprise upset, we’d be kind of okay with it.
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another*
Sinners
Train Dreams*
Costume Design
Frankenstein isn’t going to win a lot, we’re thinking, but this looks like an area they should get some credit. It’s won the category in a lot of the major awards, and it is a very visual film. Sinners could sneak in here, and it would be warranted, but we’re thinking Del Toro’s Creature will end up taking it home.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners*
Directing
This one is tricky. It’ll likely come down to where the momentum goes between Sinners and One Battle after Another. But we’re thinking the Academy will give Coogler his due for his screenplay, but then give PTA (Paul Thomas Anderson, don’t worry, we’re in the industry, we know the shorthand) Director, and probably will end up with three trophies at the end of the night. But if Sinners late run ends up working, then it’ll be Coogler who gets three trophies.
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle after Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Documentary Feature Film
Didn’t watch a damn one, so went with the odds favorite. That said, with Russia being pretty topical, we could see Mr. Nobody taking it home.
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting through Rocks
Mr. Nobody against Putin*
The Perfect Neighbor
Documentary Short Film
See above.
All the IRooms
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”
The Devil Is Busy*
Perfectly a Strangeness
Film Editing
Sinners and One Battle after Another are competing against each other for 11 different categories, which is wild. We think it’ll go to One Battle but this is one where “whoever wins it might be the frontrunner to win the top prize” is a thing to keep an eye on.
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners*
International Feature Film
We’ve seen just two of these, and though we liked Sentimental Value much more than The Secret Agent (we will watch It Was Just an Accident we swear) we think that’ll take home the award as being the only foreign film to get a Best Picture nomination.
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident*
Sentimental Value*
Sirāt
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Live Action Short Film
*shrug* who watches live action short films. Google, use your shitty AI results to tell us who you think will win this. Oh that? Okay. Weird name.
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein is going to get some aesthetic awards, which honestly, is deserved, so we think this is a slam dunk. It would be interseting if they gave it to The Smashing Machine, as the work there was really impressive, but also since the Safdie brothers broke up, it would be kind of funny if that movie (directed by Benny Safdie) got more Oscars than the much more heralded Marty Supreme (directed by Josh Safdie).
We’re nerds.
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine*
The Ugly Stepsister
Music (Original Score)
Max Richter is a goddamn genius. His classical music is incredible – you’ve heard his stuff without knowing it. Did you hear a piano trill on a show or movie that made you want to cry? Richter. He did the entire score of The Leftovers, and if you saw that show, you’ll understand. This is his first Oscar nomination which is insane. But Sinners has a banger of a score, and has won the major awards, so is the frontrunner, with One Battle being the second most likely winner.
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet*
One Battle after Another
Sinners
Music (Original Song)
This feels pretty obvious, since “Golden” is easily the biggest hit of the year, at least from a soundtrack. We’d love to see “I Lied To You” win, and we have to acknowledge that it’s super cool that Nick Cave got his first nomination from Train Dreams. But it’s likely going be be a KPop win here. Oh also, it’s kind of hilarious that a opera song got nominated given Timotheeeeee’s press tour.
“Dear Me” – from Diane Warren
“Golden – from KPop Demon Hunters
“I Lied To You” – from Sinners*
“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” – from Viva Verdi
“Train Dreams” – From Train Dreams
Production Design
This is a bit of a toss up. But we think Frankenstein will get rewarded, but Sinners could take the prize, which would be a sign they’d end up getting Best Picture.
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another
Sinners*
Sound
We’re thinking that F1 will get it’s “fine we’ll give you one” Oscar on this one.
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle after Another
Sinners*
Sirāt
Visual Effects
F1 might come away with this, but in terms of the sheer vast amount of visual effects, Avatar, which some people feel was snubbed in other categories, will take the trophy. We think. Don’t hold us to anything, our diet is literally potato chips and whiskey.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1*
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
This feels like one that’s locked. Honestly, both writing categories seem like guarantees. Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA if you nasty) has been nominated fourteen times without a win. We think he’ll win Director, but at the very least this is more or less a lock to ensure he comes home with at least one Oscar.
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle after Another
Train Dreams
Writing (Original Screenplay)
This is a similar situation. Coogler could come away with Best Picture and Best Director (both would be earned) but even if he doesn’t, the Academy will most definitely at least make sure he gets one here.
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
We just hit the deadline, but here you go! Our Oscar thoughts! one of the few times you can expect us to keep making content. Happy Sunday!
America Fun Fact of the Day 