Awards Insights

Tag: Nominations

  • Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Original And Adapted Screenplay

    Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Original And Adapted Screenplay

    Past Lives, The Holdovers, and Anatomy of a Fall are undeniable locks here. Maestro is another Best Picture nominee eligible in this category but like Mank back in 2021, it seems like exactly the type of film that would miss in this category. While Maestro screenwriter Josh Singer won an Oscar for Spotlight, he also missed nominations for The Post and First Man. I think May December will take the fourth spot as it won multiple critics prizes in this category. The last slot, to me, is between Maestro and Saltburn. Saltburn has no major precursor nods and while a film like The Worst Person in the World has shown that a film can get in this category without any, I don’t know if Saltburn has the kind of love that film in spades. It’s definitely a film that everyone is talking about but I don’t think it’s in a mostly positive way. Saltburn writer-director Emerald Fennell, however, is a previous winner in this category and I could see the film being nominated for its twisty and vaguely satirical narrative.

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Past Lives – GG, CCA, BAFTA

    The Holdovers – CCA, BAFTA

    Anatomy of a Fall – GG, BAFTA

    May December – CCA

    Saltburn

    Could Jump In: Maestro – CCA, BAFTA

     

    Do All of Us Strangers and The Zone of Interest have a chance here? Yes, but I think we will see the biggest Picture contenders category end up as the top five. Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and American Fiction seem locked here. Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon seem snubbable. If either want to retain their spot as possible Best Picture winners, they need this nomination.

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    *Was nominated in Original Screenplay at this precursor

    Oppenheimer – GG, CCA, USC, BAFTA

    Poor Things – GG, CCA, USC, BAFTA

    American Fiction – CCA, USC, BAFTA

    Barbie – GG, CCA*, BAFTA*

    Killers of the Flower Moon – GG, CCA, USC

    Could Jump In: All of Us Strangers – CCA, BAFTA, The Zone of Interest – BAFTA

  • Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Sound, Original Song, Original Score

    Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Sound, Original Song, Original Score

    Three films hit all the major precursors, Oppenheimer, Maestro, and Ferrari. I wouldn’t say Ferrari is locked because it won’t be a Best Picture nominee, but it’s a racing film and the Academy loves that genre in this category. If the rest of the nominees are Best Picture nominees, Ferrari will get in.

    As a result, the next two slots will be vied for by The Zone of Interest, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Barbie. The Zone of Interest has the most critically-acclaimed sound design of the three as sound plays arguably the most crucial aspect in the film’s devastating power. With its BAFTA nod and MPSE mention, I think the film will have enough people in the industry recognizing it for it to be nominated here. The last slot is between Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie and for me this decision comes down to which is a bigger Best Picture contender. Sound is an important part of both films but I think it’s utilized more powerfully in ‘Killers’ and it’s the bigger Picture contender.

    BEST SOUND

    Oppenheimer – MPSE, CAS. BAFTA

    Maestro – MPSE, CAS, BAFTA

    Ferrari – MPSE, CAS, BAFTA

    The Zone of Interest – MPSE, BAFTA

    Killers of the Flower Moon – MPSE, CAS

    Could Jump In: Barbie – MPSE, CAS, Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part One – MPSE, BAFTA

     

    The two Barbie tracks “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken” and Rustin’s “Road to Freedom” hit all the precursors and should be shoo-ins for nods.

    For the last SIX years, Diane Warren has managed to get nominated in Best Original Song every single time. Once again, she has a song that was only nominated by the SCL but will probably get in regardless.

    That leaves one last slot. American Symphony, The Color Purple’s “Keep it Movin’”, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Past Lives have a chance at this final slot. In the last two years, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Belfast made it into the lineup after having relatively few precursor nods. Could we see the same happen for Killers of the Flower Moon or Past Lives? I doubt it. While I really like Sharon von Etten’s track from Past Lives, it just doesn’t sound like the kind of track the Academy would nominate. The track from Killers of the Flower Moon is performed by the Osage Nation and I could see Academy members voting for this in order to create a powerful moment when members of the Osage Nation will perform this song on the Academy stage. However, the song has literally no precursor noms. I could not find a single nomination for the song from anywhere on its IMDb.

    That means that the last slot is between American Symphony and The Color Purple. While The Color Purple is a SAG-nominated top 15 Best Picture contender, this is an industry that has a deep love for Jon Batiste. As a result, I think his poignant love ballad for his wife will probably edge out Halle Bailey and The Color Purple.

    BEST ORIGINAL SONG

    Barbie “What Was I Made For?” – GG, CCA, SCL

    Barbie “I’m Just Ken” – GG, CCA, SCL

    Rustin “Road to Freedom” – GG, CCA, SCL

    Flamin’ Hot “The Fire Inside” – SCL

    American Symphony “It Never Went Away” – SCL

    Could Jump In: The Color Purple, Past Lives, Killers of the Flower Moon

     

    Oppenheimer is the undeniable winner here and Killers of the Flower Moon, which would be a possible winner in many years, is another lock here. While I don’t think they’re locked, Poor Things and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follow close behind. I am very happy with this top four, they are also phenomenal scores with their own very distinct signatures. I don’t think any of these films would have nearly the same power without them.

    The big question is what will take the last spot. It could be Mica Levi’s haunting work for The Zone of Interest, John Williams’ dependable quality for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Joe Hisaishi’s gorgeous and overdue work for The Boy and the Heron, or even Oscar winner Michael Giacchino’s score for Society of the Snow. Of these, The Zone of Interest would likely be the critics’ pick, Indiana Jones would be the John Williams legacy pick, The Boy and the Heron would be the “giving the never-nominated legend his due” pick, and Society of the Snow would be the left-field pick this branch has made in the past with films like Parallel Mothers. I think the Academy of today is less likely to give John Williams a nod than the Academy of let’s say early 2020. As a result, I think this is between The Zone of Interest and The Boy and the Heron. The last time two animated films showed up in this category was 2010, when both Up and Fantastic Mr. Fox were nominated. Two films with very different animation styles, just like this year with Spider-Verse and Boy and the Heron. As much as I love Mica Levi and their scores, I’m not sure if its the type of score the Academy would like. As a result, I will be going with The Boy and the Heron.

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

    Oppenheimer – GG, CCA, SCL, BAFTA

    Killers of the Flower Moon – GG, CCA, SCL, BAFTA

    Poor Things – GG, CCA, BAFTA

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – GG, CCA, BAFTA

    The Boy and the Heron – GG, SCL

    Could Jump In: The Zone of Interest – GG, SCL, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Society of the Snow – CCA, American Fiction – SCL

  • Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Film Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design

    Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Film Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design

    In the last five years, every film nominated in this category has been a Best Picture nominee, with the only exception being tick, tick…BOOM!, which was probably 11th in its year.

    Like last year, the American Cinema Editors (ACE) are releasing their nominations on February 1st, a week after the Oscar nominations so we won’t have that guild to help us in predicting this category.

    Of the seven films that I think can get nominated here, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Poor Things feel like locks as they’ve hit both precursors and are top five Best Picture contenders. The last two slots will be fought between Barbie, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, and Maestro.

    Many have The Holdovers in Best Editing since they see it as a top two Picture contender but unlike last year’s The Banshees of Inisherin which was number two and received an Editing nod from BAFTA, The Holdovers didn’t receive a nod from either the CCA or BAFTA even though it performed well with both bodies. That leaves Barbie, Maestro, and Anatomy of a Fall. Anatomy of a Fall’s BAFTA success in conjunction with its critical success in this category makes it a likely pick here. It also won the Editing prize at the European Film Awards. Barbie and Maestro make sense as nominees as they’re the type of films that usually get nominated for Best Editing. Maestro has received a lot more love from critics’ groups in the Best Editing category and while I don’t think the film will get more than 5 or 6 nods, I think Editing makes sense.

    BEST FILM EDITING

    Oppenheimer – CCA, BAFTA

    Killers of the Flower Moon – CCA, BAFTA

    Poor Things – CCA, BAFTA

    Anatomy of a Fall – BAFTA

    Maestro – CCA

    Could Jump In: The Holdovers, Barbie – CCA

     

    Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, and Maestro have hit all the major precursors and are Best Picture nominees so they should be locked.

    In my eyes, the lasts lot is between The Zone of Interest and El Conde. And while El Conde’s ASC nod is big it really comes down to The Zone of Interest being a major player this year and a Best Picture nominee. This is likely one of the more secure fives this year.

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Oppenheimer – ASC, CCA, BAFTA

    Killers of the Flower Moon – ASC, CCA, BAFTA

    Poor Things – ASC, CCA, BAFTA

    Maestro – ASC, CCA, BAFTA

    The Zone of Interest – BAFTA

    Could Jump In: El Conde – ASC, Saltburn – CCA

     

    Barbie, Poor Things, and Killers of the Flower Moon are locked in for nominations as they’ve hit all the major precursors and are top five Best Picture nominees. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon also hit all three major precursors but as a non-Best Picture nominee, I hesitate to deem it locked. Oppenheimer is the presumed Best Picture winner and we will see it receiving support across the board, why not in Costume Design as well?

    Wonka, Maestro, and The Color Purple all have the type of period costuming that the Academy likes to recognize in this category but the other films just seem stronger in this category. Maestro could possibly replace Napoleon but Napoleon’s costuming just seems objectively more deserving of a nomination.

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Barbie – CCA, CDG, BAFTA

    Poor Things – CCA, CDG, BAFTA

    Killers of the Flower Moon – CCA, CDG, BAFTA

    Napoleon – CCA, CDG, BAFTA

    Oppenheimer – CDG, BAFTA

    Could Jump In: Maestro – CDG, Wonka – CCA, The Color Purple – CCA

  • Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Animated Feature, International Feature, Documentary Feature

    Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Animated Feature, International Feature, Documentary Feature

    This year, two films seem locked for a mention come Tuesday morning: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Boy and the Heron. They’ve hit all the major precursors and have the wide support needed to be confidently nominated in this category.

    I think Elemental and Nimona will take the nest two slots. While Elemental received nods from the Globes, Critics Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and the PGA, it missed a nomination from the Annies, which is a really crucial precursor in this category. However, I think it should still be safe. I think many will see it like last year’s Turning Red, few think it’s one of Pixar’s best work but it’s well animated and has a good message and is pretty much shoo-in for a nomination.

    Nimona, on the other hand, was hugely successful at the Annies and was actually the nominations leader. The Academy shocked last year by nominating The Sea Beast, so they clearly have no reservations about nominating Netflix’s animated films. Even though Nimona’s only other nod was from the CCA, it’s received enough support where it’s pure quality will speak for itself.

    In my mind, the last slot is between Suzume, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and Robot Dreams. While Suzume received nods from both the Annies and the Globes, I don’t see the Academy nominating two anime films, especially when the last time they nominated in anime film here was Mirai in 2019. While TMNT has received pretty good critical and popular notices, something about it just doesn’t feel like something the Academy would go for. Maybe it’s the long title, maybe it’s the gen-Z humor but it reminds me of something like the LEGO Movie. A self-referential animated comedy that might be too fun for the Academy’s tastes. Robot Dreams is a sleeper contender. It’s the likely winner in the independent film category at the Annie Awards. It’s the kind of emotional, quirky, and human tearjerker that definitely will get nominated if enough people watch it, but will that happen? I think (and hope) it will.

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – GG, CCA, Annie, BAFTA, PGA

    The Boy and the Heron – GG, CCA, Annie, BAFTA, PGA

    Elemental – GG, CCA, BAFTA, PGA

    Nimona – CCA, Annie

    Robot Dreams – Annie (Indie)

    Could Jump In: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Annie, CCA, PGA, Suzume – GG, Annie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie – GG, PGA

     

    With A Hero missing two years ago and Decision to Leave missing last year, this category is very prone to snubs and surprises. That said, The Zone of Interest and Society of the Snow seem very locked in, the former is going to receive a Picture nomination, and the latter is poised to receive multiple below-the-line mentions.

    This category is so unpredictable, there has been at least one massive shock nominee in the last three years. I would not be surprised if that happens again (even though there is a lower chance of that happening due to the rule change which will allow all Academy members to opt in to voting in this category if they say they’ve seen all the shortlisted films). With the ability for the whole Academy to vote, I can see the National Society of Film Critics pick for Best Foreign Film Fallen Leaves, legend Wim Wenders’ newest and audience fave Perfect Days, and the timely doc 20 Days in Mariupol. The Taste of Things and The Teachers’ Lounge feel like films that will miss to me. They don’t seem like they’ll leave the kind of emotional impact on their audiences that these five would.

    BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

    The Zone of Interest – GG, CCA, BAFTA

    Society of the Snow – GG, CCA, BAFTA

    Fallen Leaves – GG

    Perfect Days – CCA

    20 Days in Mariupol – BAFTA

    Could Jump In: The Taste of Things – CCA, The Teachers’ Lounge, Totem, Four Daughters, Amerikatsi

     

    20 Days in Mariupol, American Symphony, and Beyond Utopia feel pretty secure as nominees. The Eternal Memory seems like the kind of tearjerker that many will resonate with and I think it will get in as well. While Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie has had a lot of precursor nods, its exactly the kind of CCA winner that I see being snubbed completely. Four Daughters feels deeply relevant and while I think it will be nominated, I could see it missing for something like Bobi Wine: The People’s president or 32 Sounds.

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    20 Days in Mariupol – CCA, CEH, PGA, BAFTA

    American Symphony – CCA, PGA, BAFTA

    Beyond Utopia – CCA, BAFTA

    The Eternal Memory – CCA, CEH

    Four Daughters – CEH

    Could Jump In: Bobi Wine: The People’s President – IDA, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – CCA, CEH, BAFTA, 32 Sounds – CEH

  • Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Live Action Short, Documentary Short, And Animated Short

    Final 2024 Oscar Nomination Predictions: Live Action Short, Documentary Short, And Animated Short

    While the Academy has its pet themes and topics that it likes to reward in these categories, predicting them is mostly a crapshoot.

    BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

    The Anne Frank Gift Shop

    The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

    Red, White, and Blue

    Invisible Border

    The After

    Could Jump In: The Shepherd, Knight of Fortune, Strange Way of Life

     

    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

    The ABCs of Book Banning

    The Last Repair Shop

    Deciding Vote

    Last Song From Kabul

    The Barber of Little Rock

    Could Jump In: Nai Nai and Wai Po, Camp Courage

     

    BEST ANIMATED SHORT

    Once Upon a Studio

    Letter to a Pig

    Ninety-Five Senses

    Pete

    WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko

    Could Jump In: Humo, 27, Eeva

  • FINAL 2024 OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS: VISUAL EFFECTS, PRODUCTION DESIGN, MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

    FINAL 2024 OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS: VISUAL EFFECTS, PRODUCTION DESIGN, MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

    The two locks here seem to be The Creator and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Creator is this year’s likely winner and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fills the superhero slot in this catgeory.

    In addition to The Creator and Guardians, one other film also hit all the major Visual Effects precursors: Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part 1. However, as this an action franchise known for its practical effects I doubt it will make it in. While last year’s Tom Cruise action vehicle Top Gun: Maverick was a shoo-in for a Visual Effects nod and was also a film consisting of primarily practical effects, that film was also a Best Picture nominee and one of the biggest films of last year. This is category where the Academy chooses to recognize action, sci-fi, and fantasy films they deem to be “highbrow” enough to warrant Academy attention. As a result, Godzilla Minus One, a film that marries kaiju thrills with affecting drama seems like exactly the type of film that gets recognized in this category.

    The last two slots are difficult. In my eyes, Society of the Snow, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Poor Things all have a good chance of making it in.

    A lot of people are comparing Society of the Snow to last year’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Both are Netflix films, both are top contenders in Best International Feature in their respective years, and both were some of the top performers on the Oscar shortlists. However, unlike ‘All Quiet’, Society of the Snow did not have the massive BAFTA push that catapulted that war film to become a multi-Oscar winner. Society of the Snow also reminds me of last year’s Thirteen Lives. A film that was similarly very popular with audiences, was a story of survival in dire circumstances, and made the Visual Effects Oscar shortlist. While Thirteen Lives didn’t end up getting nominated last year, Society of the Snow has been shown love in many more categories than Thirteen Lives was last year. As a result, I see Society of the Snow receiving a nod here.

    That leaves Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Poor Things. Both films have big things going for and against them. The last time an animated film was nominated in Visual Effects was Kubo and the Two Strings in 2017 (2019’s The Lion King can be argued to be an animated film, but it was billed as a “live-action” film). Across the Spider-Verse is an undeniable visual feast and its seven nominations from the Visual Effects Society epitomizes that. Kubo and the Two Strings received six VES nominations so Spider-Verse’s success with the group is reminiscent of a past animated Visual Effects nominee. With its 11 BAFTA nominations yesterday, Poor Things is on the rise right now. It’s also the only Best Picture nominee of the Visual Effects shortlist. However, I think that its Visual Effects elements are not the most notable parts of the film. Other than the animal hybrids, I’m not sure if anything else in the film jumps out to me as work that would be recognized in this category. I am going to go with ‘Spider-Verse’ but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Academy throws a curveball like “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in this category.

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    The Creator – CCA, BAFTA, VES (7x)

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – CCA, BAFTA, VES (6x)

    Godzilla Minus One – VES

    Society of the Snow – VES (2x)

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – CCA, VES (7x)

    Could Jump In: Poor Things – BAFTA, CCA, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – VES, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part 1 – BAFTA, CCA, VES,

     

    Barbie, Poor Things, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon have hit all the major precursors and are exactly the type of Best Picture nominees with spectacular sets that get nominated here.

    The last slot will be contested for by three films: Asteroid City, Napoleon, and The Zone of Interest. Wes Anderson’s last film The French Dispatch received a Production Design nod at BAFTA, yet didn’t receive an Oscar nomination in what was a less competitive year than this one. The French Dispatch also was generally more well-liked than Asteroid City. Napoleon seemed to be somewhat of a mixed bag with audiences, but it’s a massive medieval epic, much bigger than Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, which was shut out on nominations morning. The Zone of Interest was a BAFTA nominee, yet as a British film I doubt we will see The Zone of Interest receiving the below-the-line success with the Academy that it did with the BAFTAs. Napoleon did well with the Oscar shortlists, receiving three mentions. As a result, I think it’s likely we’ll see it nominated somewhere, so I am going with it.

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Barbie – CCA, ADG, SDSA, BAFTA

    Poor Things – CCA, ADG, SDSA, BAFTA

    Oppenheimer – CCA, ADG, SDSA, BAFTA

    Killers of the Flower Moon – CCA, ADG, SDSA, BAFTA

    Napoleon – ADG, SDSA

    Could Jump In: Asteroid City – CCA, ADG, SDSA, The Zone of Interest – BAFTA, Saltburn – CCA, ADG, SDSA

     

    Three films hit all four precursors and all three fit the mold of a nominee in this category. So the question is what will fill in those last two slots?

    To me, those last two slots are between Society of the Snow, Beau is Afraid, Killers of the Flower Moon, Golda, and Napoleon.

    Society of the Snow did well across the shortlists and the Makeup branch has historically been a lot better at recognizing non-English films than other branches have. The film has no precursor nods but it’s shortlist success spells a good omen for its nomination prospects. It also won Best Make-Up & Hair at the European Film Awards, which has increasingly become an important precursor for the Oscars as the Academy becomes more international. Beau is Afraid is the kind of wacky (and awesome!) pick that the Makeup branch that nominated Border could go for. That would be well-deserved, but I am going to play it safe and go with a period biopic that did well on the shortlists and go with Napoleon.

    BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

    Maestro – CCA, MUAH (3x), BAFTA

    Poor Things – CCA, MUAH (2x), BAFTA

    Oppenheimer – CCA, MUAH, BAFTA

    Society of the Snow

    Napoleon – BAFTA

    Could Jump In: Golda – MUAH, Beau is Afraid, Killers of the Flower Moon – BAFTA

  • BAFTA Nominations 2024: ‘Oppenheimer’ Leads With 13; ‘KOTFM’ and ‘Barbie’ Falter in Major Categories

    BAFTA Nominations 2024: ‘Oppenheimer’ Leads With 13; ‘KOTFM’ and ‘Barbie’ Falter in Major Categories

    Both Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things performed well at this year’s BAFTA nominations receiving 13 and 11 nominations respectively. Both Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie missed in major categories. The Scorsese film missed in Director, Lead Actress, and Lead Actor. Lead Actress is especially concerning for Lily Gladstone’s chances at the Oscars. After losing to Emma Stone at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Gladstone needs a SAG win to take the Oscar. Barbie missed in Best Film, Best Director, and many of the below-the-line categories. However, there’s also a point to be made that Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie have aspects to them that would appeal to American audiences in comparison to British audiences. Killers of the Flower Moon is very specifically dealing with American colonialism and Barbie dolls don’t have the same level of popularity in the UK as they do in the United States.

    Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, and All of Us Strangers found success across the board spelling good prospects for their chances with the Academy.

    Here is the full list of BAFTA nominees:

    BEST FILM

    “Anatomy of a Fall” — Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion
    “The Holdovers” — Mark Johnson
    “Killers of the Flower Moon” — Dan Friedkin, Daniel Lupi, Martin Scorsese, Bradley Thomas
    “Oppenheimer” — Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
    “Poor Things” — Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone

    DIRECTOR

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    “All of Us Strangers,” Andrew Haigh
    “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet
    “The Holdovers,” Alexander Payne
    “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper
    “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan
    “The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”
    Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
    Claire Foy, “All of Us Strangers”
    Sandra Hüller, “The Zone of Interest,”
    Rosamund Pike, “Saltburn”
    Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

    SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
    Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”
    Jacob Elordi, “Saltburn”
    Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”
    Paul Mescal, “All of Us Strangers”
    Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers”

    LEADING ACTRESS

    Fantasia Barrino, “The Color Purple”
    Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”
    Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
    Vivian Oparah, “Rye Lane”
    Margot Robbie, “Barbie”
    Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

    LEADING ACTOR

    Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”
    Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
    Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
    Barry Keoghan, “Saltburn”
    Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
    Teo Yoo, “Past Lives”

    OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

    “All of Us Strangers” — Andrew Haigh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
    “How to Have Sex” — Molly Manning Walker, Emily Leo, Ivana MacKinnon, Konstantinos Kontovrakis
    “Napoleon” — Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, Kevin J. Walsh, David Scarpa
    “The Old Oak” — Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
    “Poor Things” — Yorgos Lanthimos, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone, Tony McNamara
    “Rye Lane” — Raine Allen-Miller, Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, Damian Jones, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia
    “Saltburn” — Emerald Fennell, Josey McNamara, Margot Robbie
    “Scrapper” — Charlotte Regan, Theo Barrowclough
    “Wonka” — Paul King, Alexandra Derbyshire, David Heyman, Simon Farnaby
    “The Zone of Interest” — Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Ewa Puszczyńska

    OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

    “Blue Bag Life” — Lisa Selby (director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (director, producer), Alex Fry (producer)
    “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” — Christopher Sharp (director) [also directed by Moses Bwayo]
    “Earth Mama” — Savanah Leaf (writer, director, producer), Shirley O’Connor (producer), Medb Riordan (producer)
    “How to Have Sex” — Molly Manning Walker (writer, director)
    “Is There Anybody Out There?” — Ella Glendining (director)

    ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
    “Barbie,” Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
    “The Holdovers,” David Hemingson
    “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
    “Past Lives,” Celine Song

    ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    “All of Us Strangers,” Andrew Haigh
    “American Fiction,” Cord Jefferson
    “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan
    “Poor Things,” Tony McNamara
    “The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer

    FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

    “20 Days in Mariupol” — Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath
    “Anatomy of a Fall” — Justine Triet, Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion
    “Past Lives” — Celine Song, David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
    “Society of the Snow” — J.A. Bayona, Belen Atienza
    “The Zone of Interest” — Jonathan Glazer

    ANIMATED FILM

    “The Boy and the Heron” — Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki
    “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” — Sam Fell, Leyla Hobart, Steve Pegram
    “Elemental” — Peter Sohn, Denise Ream
    “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” — Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Avi Arad, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, Christina Steinberg

    DOCUMENTARY

    “20 Days in Mariupol” — Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath
    “American Symphony” — Matthew Heineman, Lauren Domino, Joedan Okun
    “Beyond Utopia” — Madeleine Gavin, Rachel Cohen, Jana Edelbaum
    “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” — Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan King, Annetta Marion
    “Wham!” — Chris Smith

    CASTING

    “All of Us Strangers” — Kahleen Crawford
    “Anatomy of a Fall” — Cynthia Arra
    “The Holdovers” — Susan Shopmaker
    “How to Have Sex” — Isabella Odoffin
    “Killers of the Flower Moon” — Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes

    CINEMATOGRAPHY

    “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Rodrigo Prieto
    “Maestro,” Matthew Libatique
    “Oppenheimer,” Hoyte van Hoytema
    “Poor Things,” Robbie Ryan
    “The Zone of Interest,” Łukasz Żal

    EDITING

    “Anatomy of a Fall,” Laurent Sénéchal
    “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Thelma Schoonmaker
    “Oppenheimer,” Jennifer Lame
    “Poor Things,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
    “The Zone of Interest,” Paul Watts

    COSTUME DESIGN

    “Barbie,” Jacqueline Durran
    “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Jacqueline West
    “Napoleon,” Dave Crossman, Janty Yates
    “Oppenheimer,” Ellen Mirojnick
    “Poor Things,” Holly Waddington

    MAKEUP & HAIR

    “Killers of the Flower Moon” — Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen
    “Maestro” — Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy-Bell
    “Napoleon” — Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon
    “Oppenheimer” — Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou Mofid
    “Poor Things” — Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston

    ORIGINAL SCORE

    “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Robbie Robertson
    “Oppenheimer,” Ludwig Göransson
    “Poor Things,” Jerskin Fendrix
    “Saltburn,” Anthony Willis
    “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Daniel Pemberton

    PRODUCTION DESIGN

    “Barbie” — Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
    “Killers of the Flower Moon” — Jack Fisk, Adam Willis
    “Oppenheimer” — Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman
    “Poor Things” — Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa Mihalek
    “The Zone of Interest” — Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora

    SOUND

    “Ferrari” — Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser
    “Maestro” — Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic
    “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” — Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor
    “Oppenheimer” — Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, Gary A. Rizzo
    “The Zone of Interest” — Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers

    SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

    “The Creator” — Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper
    “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” — Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams
    “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” — Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke
    “Napoleon” — Henry Badgett, Neil Corbould, Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet
    “Poor Things” — Simon Hughes

    BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

    “Crab Day” — Ross Stringer, Bartosz Stanislawek, Aleksandra Sykulak
    “Visible Mending” — Samantha Moore, Tilley Bancroft
    “Wild Summon” — Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Jay Woolley

    BRITISH SHORT FILM

    “Festival of Slaps” — Abdou Cissé, Cheri Darbon, George Telfer
    “Gorka” — Joe Weiland, Alex Jefferson
    “Jellyfish and Lobster” — Yasmin Afifi, Elizabeth Rufai
    “Such a Lovely Day” — Simon Woods, Polly Stokes, Emma Norton, Kate Phibbs
    “Yellow” — Elham Ehsas, Dina Mousawi, Azeem Bhati, Yiannis Manolopoulos

    EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

    Phoebe Dynevor
    Ayo Edebiri
    Jacob Elordi
    Mia McKenna-Bruce
    Sophie Wilde

  • Critics Choice Nominations: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Poor Things’ Lead; ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is Snubbed

    Critics Choice Nominations: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Poor Things’ Lead; ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is Snubbed

    This year’s Critics Choice Awards saw a glaring lack of nomination for non-English language features outside of the “Foreign Language” category. Both Anatomy of a Fall and LAFCA Best Film winner The Zone of Interest were snubbed from Best Picture. ‘Anatomy”s stars Sandra Huller and Milo Machado Graner received nods but the film missed in Original Screenplay and Editing.

    The Color Purple rebounded from its Golden Globe miss with a Best Picture nomination here, something it needed to even have a chance at a Best Picture nomination. Saltburn also made it into Best Picture and also received nods in Cinematography and Production Design.

    With the massive snubs for across the board for both major international contenders Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, I doubt that they will mean much for the Oscar race. The Academy has diverged greatly from the Critics Chouce Awards in their acknowledgement of international films in recent years, so this should not be too concerning. However, with the inclusion of The Color Purple in the Best Picture slate, there are now eleven films that I think have a realistic chance at an Oscar Best Picture nod: Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, Barbie, The Holdovers, Past Lives, American Fiction, Maestro, Anatomy of a Fall, The Color Purple, and The Zone of Interest. Either The Color Purple or The Zone of Interest will miss, time will tell which one.

    Here are the Critics’ Choice Award nominees:

    Best Picture

    American Fiction
    Barbie
    The Color Purple
    The Holdovers
    Killers of the Flower Moon
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Past Lives
    Poor Things
    Saltburn

    Best Actor

    Bradley Cooper, Maestro
    Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Colman Domingo, Rustin
    Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
    Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
    Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

    Best Actress

    Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
    Greta Lee, Past Lives
    Carey Mulligan, Maestro
    Margot Robbie, Barbie
    Emma Stone, Poor Things

    Best Supporting Actor

    Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
    Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
    Ryan Gosling, Barbie
    Charles Melton, May December
    Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

    Best Supporting Actress

    Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
    Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
    America Ferrera, Barbie
    Jodie Foster, Nyad
    Julianne Moore, May December
    Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

    Best Young Actor/Actress

    Abby Ryder Fortson, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
    Ariana Greenblatt, Barbie
    Calah Lane, Wonka
    Milo Machado Graner, Anatomy of a Fall
    Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers
    Madeleine Yuna Voyles, The Creator

    Best Acting Ensemble

    Air
    Barbie
    The Color Purple
    The Holdovers
    Killers of the Flower Moon
    Oppenheimer

    Best Director

    Bradley Cooper, Maestro
    Greta Gerwig, Barbie
    Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
    Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

    Best Adapted Screenplay

    Kelly Fremon Craig, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
    Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
    Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
    Tony McNamara, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

    Best Original Screenplay

    Samy Burch, May December
    Alex Convery, Air
    Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer, Maestro
    Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, Barbie
    David Hemingson, The Holdovers
    Celine Song, Past Lives

    Best Cinematography

    Matthew Libatique, Maestro
    Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie
    Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Robbie Ryan, Poor Things
    Linus Sandgren, Saltburn
    Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer

    Best Production Design

    Suzie Davies, Charlotte Dirickx, Saltburn
    Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman, Oppenheimer
    Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Barbie
    James Price, Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek, Poor Things
    Adam Stockhausen, Kris Moran, Asteroid City

    Best Editing

    William Goldenberg – Air
    Nick Houy – Barbie
    Jennifer Lame – Oppenheimer
    Yorgos Mavropsaridis – Poor Things
    Thelma Schoonmaker – Killers of the Flower Moon
    Michelle Tesoro – Maestro

    Best Costume Design

    Jacqueline Durran, Barbie
    Lindy Hemming, Wonka
    Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, The Color Purple
    Holly Waddington, Poor Things
    Jacqueline West, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Janty Yates, David Crossman, Napoleon

    Best Hair and Makeup

    Barbie
    The Color Purple
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things
    Priscilla

    Best Visual Effects

    The Creator
    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
    Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things
    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    Best Comedy

    American Fiction
    Barbie
    Bottoms
    The Holdovers
    No Hard Feelings
    Poor Things

    Best Animated Film

    The Boy and the Heron
    Elemental
    Nimona
    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
    Wish

    Best Foreign Language Film

    Anatomy of a Fall
    Godzilla Minus One
    Perfect Days
    Society of the Snow
    The Taste of Things
    The Zone of Interest

    Best Song

    “Dance the Night,” Barbie
    “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie
    “Peaches,” The Super Mario Bros. Movie
    “Road to Freedom,” Rustin
    “This Wish,” Wish
    “What Was I Made For,” Barbie

    Best Score

    Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things
    Michael Giacchino, Society of the Snow
    Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
    Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
    Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Barbie

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Golden Globe Nominations: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’, and ‘Poor Things’ Lead the Pack

    Golden Globe Nominations: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’, and ‘Poor Things’ Lead the Pack

    On the film side, this year’s Golden Globe nominations didn’t see any major snubs outside of The Color Purple missing in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. With the film missing here, at AFI, and with NBR last week, I think its Best Picture nomination chances are quickly dwindling and I am increasingly confident that my top 10 of Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, Barbie, The Holdovers, Past Lives, American Fiction, Maestro, Anatomy of a Fall, and The Zone of Interest will be this year’s Best Picture nominees. If The Color Purple gets a Critics Choice nomination on Wednesday its back in the race but otherwise it seems that May December is the only film outside the top 10 that has a chance at a Best Picture nomination (and while I thought that film was fantastic, it’s not getting a Best Picture nomination). Critics Choice will be a major precursor as always so stay tuned for their picks on Wednesday.

    One thing I always mention when the Golden Globe noms are released is the stat that in the last 15 years (in all years except 2021 when ‘CODA’ won Best Picture), the eventual Best Picture winner was nominated for a Best Film, Director, and Screenplay award at the Globes before going on to win Oscar’s biggest prize. This year, FIVE films, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie, and Past Lives, achieved that trifecta. I think only those former three films have a chance at a Best Picture win and while my instincts are leaning towards Poor Things, both Oppenheimer and ‘Killers’ are incredibly strong possibilities.

    On the TV side, there were many more snubs and surprises. Succession leading the nominations pack was expected but misses for Abbott Elementary stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams weren’t. While ‘Abbott’ won Best Film – Musical or Comedy at last year’s Globes, expect this year to be the year of The Bear, which was nominated in five categories.

    See the full list of nominees below:

    Best Motion Picture – Drama

    Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)
    Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)
    Maestro (Netflix)
    Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
    Past Lives (A24)
    The Zone of Interest (A24)

    Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

    Air (Amazon MGM Studios)
    American Fiction (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
    Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    The Holdovers (Focus Features)
    May December (Netflix)
    Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)

    Best Motion Picture – Animated

    The Boy and the Heron (GKids)
    Elemental (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
    The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)
    Suzume (Crunchyroll / Sony Pictures Entertainment)
    Wish (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

    Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

    Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate)
    Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount Pictures)
    Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
    The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)
    Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (AMC Theatres Distribution)

    Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

    Anatomy of a Fall, France (Neon)
    Fallen Leaves, Finland (Mubi)
    Io Capitano, Italy (Pathe Distribution)
    Past Lives, United States (A24)
    Society of the Snow, Spain (Netflix)
    The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom/USA (A24)

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

    Bradley Cooper, Maestro
    Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Colman Domingo, Rustin
    Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
    Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
    Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

    Annette Bening, Nyad
    Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
    Greta Lee, Past Lives
    Carey Mulligan, Maestro
    Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

    Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
    Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings
    Natalie Portman, May December
    Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves
    Margot Robbie, Barbie
    Emma Stone, Poor Things

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

    Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario
    Timothée Chalamet, Wonka
    Matt Damon, Air
    Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
    Joaquin Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid
    Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

    Willem Dafoe, Poor Things
    Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
    Ryan Gosling, Barbie
    Charles Melton, May December
    Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

    Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
    Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
    Jodie Foster, Nyad
    Julianne Moore, May December
    Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
    Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

    Best Director — Motion Picture

    Bradley Cooper, Maestro
    Greta Gerwig, Barbie
    Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Celine Song, Past Lives

    Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

    Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Barbie
    Tony McNamara, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
    Celine Song, Past Lives
    Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall

    Best Original Song – Motion Picture

    “Addicted to Romance,” She Came to Me, Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen
    “Dance the Night,” Barbie, Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin
    “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie, Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt
    “Peaches,” The Super Mario Bros. Move, Music and lyrics by Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, John Spiker
    “Road to Freedom,” Rustin, Music and lyrics by Lenny Kravitz
    “What Was I Made For?” Barbie, Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish, Finneas

    Best Original Score – Motion Picture

    Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things
    Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
    Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron
    Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest
    Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
    Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon

    Best Television Series – Drama

    1923 (Paramount+)
    The Crown (Netflix)
    The Diplomat (Netflix)
    The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
    The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
    Succession (HBO/Max)

    Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

    Abbott Elementary (ABC)
    Barry (HBO/Max)
    The Bear (FX)
    Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)
    Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
    Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

    Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

    All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix)
    Beef (Netflix)
    Daisy Jones & the Six (Prime Video)
    Fargo (FX)
    Fellow Travelers (Showtime)
    Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama

    Helen Mirren, 1923
    Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
    Keri Russell, The Diplomat
    Sarah Snook, Succession
    Imelda Staunton, The Crown
    Emma Stone, The Curse

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama

    Brian Cox, Succession
    Kieran Culkin, Succession
    Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
    Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
    Jeremy Strong, Succession
    Dominic West, The Crown

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

    Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
    Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
    Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
    Elle Fanning, The Great
    Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
    Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

    Bill Hader, Barry
    Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
    Jason Segel, Shrinking
    Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
    Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
    Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

    Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six
    Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry
    Elizabeth Olsen, Love & Death
    Juno Temple, Fargo
    Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers
    Ali Wong, Beef

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

    Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers
    Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & the Six
    Jon Hamm, Fargo
    Woody Harrelson, White House Plumbers
    David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves
    Steven Yeun, Beef

    Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

    Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
    Abby Elliott, The Bear
    Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets
    J. Smith-Cameron, Succession
    Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building
    Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

    Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

    Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
    Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
    James Marsden, Jury Duty
    Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
    Alan Ruck, Succession
    Alexander Skarsgard, Succession

    Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television

    Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais: Armageddon
    Trevor Noah, Trevor Noah: Where Was I
    Chris Rock, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
    Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact
    Sarah Silverman, Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
    Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Early October Oscar Predictions

    Early October Oscar Predictions

    While there’s always the possibility of a late season surprise, the films you see here, in both the predictions and the “could jump in” section, will probably be the films that you will see in the Oscar race as the year season trods on.

    In my eyes, there are four films that are undeniably locked for a Best Picture nomination: Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and Barbie. The former three are some of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year, all with Metascores of 88 and above. Barbie is a cultural phenomenon (the number of Barbie-themed parties I see popping up is mind-boggling) as well as being critically-acclaimed. Outside of these four films, however, I see everything else as being vulnerable to missing in one way or another. In my mind, there are only nine other films that I see as having a reasonable shot at a Best Picture nomination: The Holdovers, American Fiction, Maestro, Past Lives, Anatomy of a Fall, The Color Purple, The Zone of Interest, Napoleon, and The Boy and the Heron. Here’s my analysis for each of the nine

    American Fiction and The Holdovers respectively won the first and second place prizes at the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Awards and in the past 10 years, at least two of the three winners of the TIFF People’s Choice Award have gone on to be nominated for Best Picture. In my view, American Fiction and The Holdovers have a better chance of being nominated than third place winner The Boy and the Heron for multiple reasons. The only reason The Boy and the Heron is a contender is because of the immense love the world has for legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. The Boy and the Heron is not even touted to be one of his best films and none of his films have ever received a Best Picture nod in the past but this film is his last so I can see a groundswell of support bring this film to a nomination. At the same time, American Fiction and The Holdovers fit the “Oscar film” mold to much greater degree. American Fiction is a satire tackling race, exploitation, and the media industry, and The Holdovers is a feel-good dramedy from Alexander Payne (who’s previous directing efforts Sideways, The Descendants, and Nebraska have all been nominated for Best Picture) that you already know the actors branch is going to love. With heavyweights like Alexander Payne, Mark Johnson (the producer of Rain Man, the kind of “mature” accessible feel-good film The Holdovers hearkens back to), and Focus Features behind it, The Holdovers feels secure in its fifth place slot, but I could also see it not getting the first-place votes needed to be nominated. I don’t think American Fiction will have as much trouble getting those first-place votes since it’s the type of film that provokes strong reactions, but MGM is an unreliable distributor. Other than George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat, MGM has nothing else on its slate that seems like an awards contender, so they should be able to handle pushing American Fiction. American Fiction also has beloved industry figures like Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, and Rian Johnson behind it so it should be fine. Still, this is a film from a first-time director and as a result I think it must be campaigned very well if it wants to see itself in the Best Picture conversation.

    Of these nine films, Maestro has the least amount of critical acclaim (outside of The Color Purple and Napoleon which are sights unseen at this point). I think this is very much a film that a lot of people see as a top six Best Picture contender and then ends up underperforming on nominations morning like Bradley Cooper’s previous major Oscar contender A Star is Born. I just don’t see it getting nominated in many places outside of the acting categories (for Cooper and Mulligan), maybe Makeup and Hairstyling (though that would be highly controversial) and maybe Sound. If it wasn’t Netflix’s biggest contender, I would say it has a very high chance of missing. But Netflix has had at least one film nominated in Best Picture every year since Roma in 2019. Rustin is the streamer’s only other major contender but since the reaction to that film outside of its lead performance has been quite lukewarm so I doubt it gets in. Therefore, Maestro is what the streamer will focus on campaigning and as a result, I think it has pretty good chance of getting in. This is the same distributor that made All Quiet on the Western Front a top six contender in the eleventh hour last year so I think Maestro should be fine.

    A24 now has multiple Best Picture wins under its belt and the regard the indie distributor has in the industry grows by the day. A24’s two major Picture contenders this year are Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. Both films are probably going to top many end-of-year critics lists, the former has a 94 Metascore on 51 reviews, while the latter has a 95 Metascore on 23 reviews. They are incredibly different films, Celine Song’s romantic drama is very warm and vulnerable, while Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama is deliberately cold and puts the audience at a distance. That creates the pause I have with the film. The people that love Glazer’s film rave about it, but for many this will be a film that they respect rather than adore. That could hurt it especially if it doesn’t perform as well on the end-of-year critics’ list as expected. Past Lives may have peaked too early in the year. It played at Sundance in January and Berlin in March and became something of an indie phenomenon when it came out in the United States in late June. We’ve seen films retain momentum throughout almost a whole calendar year, case in point last year’s BP winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, but will Past Lives be able to do the same? I think it should be able to, especially since its star Greta Lee has been going to events frequently and reliably.

    Palme D’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall is the kind of film that I think that will benefit from people starting to see it in greater numbers. For some reason, Neon doesn’t seem to be promoting it as much as Michael Mann’s Ferrari and Ava DuVernay’s Origin, but they need to realize that they have absolute gold on their hands in Justine Triet’s film and they should push it as much as they can. I think this is a film that could very well win Best Picture if handled properly. And Neon translating a Palme D’Or winner into a Best Picture winner is something they already have experience with in the form of Parasite. Of course, Anatomy of a Fall winning Best Picture is very unlikely, but I am just high on the possibilities of what a good campaign could do for this film. I really want to see a Best Director nod for Triet, so get to it Neon!

    That leaves The Color Purple and Napoleon, the only two major contenders that have no official reviews. The Color Purple, in my view, is a much bigger contender. Warner Bros. clearly has confidence in it, giving it a prime Christmas day release spot. Big names like Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and Quincy Jones are supporting the film alongside a stacked group of incredibly talented people both in front of and behind the camera. If the reviews are good, this could be a powerhouse. The fact that the film has the blessings of the writer of the source material Alice Walker does not hurt. I am only leaving it out of my predictions this month because if the reviews are not good, this film will receive no nominations outside of the techs. But, if the Metascore is 80 or above, this will undoubtedly be a top Oscar player. Napoleon, on the other hand, could be very good, and if it is very good it will be nominated. I just highly doubt this film will be very good. Ridley Scott hasn’t been successful as a director as of late and with a screenplay from David Scarpa, who’s previous work has been mostly just ok, nothing outside of Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski inspires much confidence in me about the film. It will likely be good, not great, and be restricted to the technical categories.

    BEST PICTURE

    Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+)

    Oppenheimer (Universal)

    Poor Things (Searchlight)

    Barbie (Warner Bros.)

    The Holdovers (Focus)

    American Fiction (MGM)

    Maestro (Netflix)

    Past Lives (A24)

    Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)

    The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)

    Could Jump In: The Zone of Interest (A24), The Boy and the Heron (GKids), Napoleon (Apple TV+), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony), All of Us Strangers (Searchlight), Rustin (Netflix), Saltburn (Amazon), Origin (Neon), Priscilla (A24), The Killer (Netflix), Wonka (Warner Bros.), The Boys in the Boat (MGM), May December (Netflix)

    Director has been such a strange category in recent years. It always feels like there’s one major snub here, but predicting who that will be seems almost impossible. But there are some trends. The directors branch of late likes to nominate those they consider auteurs. As a result, I think Scorsese, Nolan, and Lanthimos are probably the closest things to locks in this category. Glazer, Triet, and Gerwig are the next most likely contenders. If Gerwig cements itself as a top four or five Best Picture contender, I think that she could easily replace Triet or Glazer for a nomination here.

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

    Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer

    Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things

    Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest

    Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall

    Could Jump In: Greta Gerwig – Barbie, Celine Song – Past Lives, Alexander Payne – The Holdovers, Blitz Bazawule – The Color Purple, Hayao Miyazaki – The Boy and the Heron, Ava DuVernay – Origin, Cord Jefferson – American Fiction, Ridley Scott – Napoleon

    Best Actor is incredibly competitive this year. Cillian Murphy, Colman Domingo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Andrew Scott, and Joaquin Phoenix are all legitimate contenders and would probably have been nominated in most other years. Best Actor has historically been connected strongly with Best Picture and if I were to go just by my Best Picture predictions the nominees would be DiCaprio, Murphy, Giamatti, Wright, and Cooper. However, I think both Domingo and Scott both have a pretty good chance of getting in. Both will benefit from the end-of-year critics’ awards that will start popping up in December and January. If they underperform there, they have no chance with the performances being as strong as they are this year. I think only Murphy is locked in for a nomination and that DiCaprio, Cooper, Giamatti, and Wright are all vulnerable to being snubbed. Cooper, Giamatti, and Wright are the three most vulnerable to being replaced and I think Domingo can easily accomplish that jump into the slate.

    BEST ACTOR

    Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer

    Colman Domingo – Rustin

    Bradley Cooper – Maestro

    Leonardo DiCaprio – Killers of the Flower Moon

    Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction

    Could Jump In: Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers, Andrew Scott – All of Us Strangers, Joaquin Phoenix – Napoleon, Barry Keoghan – Saltburn, Christian Friedel – The Zone of Interest, Kingsley Ben-Adir – Bob Marley: One Love, Michael Fassbender – The Killer

    With Lily Gladstone entering the Actress fray from Supporting Actress, we now have another major contender here. In my view, the three biggest players in this category are Stone, Gladstone, and Huller. I think one of these women will end up winning here in the end. Outside of these three, the last two slots are very much up in the air. Carey Mulligan, Margot Robbie, Fantasia Barrino, Annette Bening, and Greta Lee all have a strong chance at a nomination here. If Barbie remains a top five contender, I think Margot Robbie gets in as the tour-de-force face of the film. While Carey Mulligan seems like the common sense pick to round out the five nominees, I think there’s a good chance she will miss. While she has received more acclaim for her work in Maestro then her costar Cooper has, she needs critics prizes for me to think a “standard Oscar face” performance like hers will receive a nomination. And with Stone, Gladstone, and Huller also competing in Best Actress, I can see Mulligan getting pushed to the side like Michelle Williams almost was last year for The Fabelmans. However, Williams managed to secure a nomination yet The Fabelmans was a much stronger contender than I imagine Maestro will be. Fantasia Barrino’s work in The Color Purple is a sight unseen so I am keeping her at the sixth spot. For some reason, I have a feeling that Greta Lee will get in for Past Lives. This could be due to exposure bias since she’s been consistently on the campaign trail especially since A24 signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA and as a result, actors in A24 films like Lee are allowed to promote their films. But her work in Past Lives is so subtle yet so powerful and I think she will do well in the critics’ awards later this year.

    BEST ACTRESS

    Emma Stone – Poor Things

    Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

    Sandra Huller – Anatomy of a Fall

    Margot Robbie – Barbie

    Greta Lee – Past Lives

    Could Jump In:  Fantasia Barrino – The Color Purple, Carey Mulligan – Maestro, Annette Bening – Nyad, Cailee Spaeny – Priscilla, Natalie Portman – May December, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Origin

    Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., and Ryan Gosling are by far the top contenders here. All three are highly-acclaimed for their work in top five Picture contenders. I think Ruffalo’s work in Poor Things will be nominated as well for the same reason. That fifth slot, however, could be filled my multiple people. Willem Dafoe could join his Poor Things co-star and it would continue the streak of two performers from the same film being nominated in Supporting Actor that’s gone on since 2020. Newcomer Dominic Sessa’s fantastic turn in The Holdovers is also a likelihood. I really want John Magaro to be nominated, but his work may be too subtle in comparison to these other turns. However, I think Sterling K. Brown’s vulnerable work in American Fiction could give the three-time Emmy winner his first Oscar nod.

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon

    Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer

    Ryan Gosling – Barbie

    Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things

    Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction

    Could Jump In: Willem Dafoe – Poor Things, Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers, John Magaro – Past Lives, Charles Melton – May December, Colman Domingo – The Color Purple, Paul Mescal – All of Us Strangers, Matt Damon – Oppenheimer, Jesse Plemons – Killers of the Flower Moon, Glenn Howerton – BlackBerry

    With Lily Gladstone now being campaigned in Best Actress, there was a void for the top spot in this category since Gladstone was by far the top contender here. That void was filled by The Holdovers’ Da’Vine Joy Randolph who broke out with 2019’s Dolemite Is My Name. The raves for her work in that film have surpassed those for its star Paul Giamatti and as long as The Color Purple remains unseen, Randolph will undoubtedly be the number one contender here. Emily Blunt is definitely the strongest contender outside of Randolph but I don’t see her winning. This is definitely the weakest of the acting categories so far, but who knows, there could be a surprise later this season that throws a wrench in the mix.

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

    Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer

    Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple

    Taraji P. Henson – The Color Purple

    Julianne Moore – May December

    Could Jump In: Penelope Cruz – Ferrari, Jodie Foster – Nyad, Viola Davis – Air, Sandra Huller – The Zone of Interest, America Ferrara – Barbie, Vanessa Kirby – Napoleon

    This seems pretty easy to predict. Outside of these five, I don’t really see anything else getting in here outside of Maestro. While Past Lives has a good chance of winning, I think The Holdovers fits the mold of past winners Green Book and Belfast really well and will win.

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    The Holdovers

    Past Lives

    Anatomy of a Fall

    Barbie

    May December

    Could Jump In: Maestro, Asteroid City, Saltburn, Dream Scenario

    I think this is between Poor Things and American Fiction. If American Fiction becomes a top four contender which is very possible, I definitely think it will win here. It’s a satire about the literary scene, something I would imagine the writers branch would fall in love with. As a result, I am very confident about it being nominated. Killers of The Flower Moon and Oppenheimer also seem like shoo-ins here. The last slot to me is between All of Us Strangers and The Zone of Interest. I think that The Zone of Interest is more of a directing achievement than a writing one and as a result, I think this category is All of Us Strangers’ best chance for a nomination.

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    Poor Things

    American Fiction

    Killers of the Flower Moon

    Oppenheimer

    All of Us Strangers

    Could Jump In: The Zone of Interest, The Color Purple, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Origin

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    The Boy and the Heron

    Elemental

    Wish

    Nimona

    Could Jump In: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Poor Things

    Barbie

    Oppenheimer

    Napoleon

    Killers of the Flower Moon

    Could Jump In: The Color Purple, Wonka, Asteroid City

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Oppenheimer

    Poor Things

    Killers of the Flower Moon

    The Zone of Interest

    Maestro

    Could Jump In: Napoleon, The Color Purple, Saltburn, Barbie, The Killer

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Poor Things

    Barbie

    The Color Purple

    Wonka

    Napoleon

    Could Jump In: Killers of the Flower Moon, Priscilla, Oppenheimer, Chevalier, Maestro

    BEST FILM EDITING

    Oppenheimer

    Killers of the Flower Moon

    Poor Things

    Anatomy of a Fall

    Barbie

    Could Jump In: The Holdovers, Maestro, The Color Purple, American Fiction, Ferrari, The Killer

    BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

    Barbie

    Maestro

    Poor Things

    Wonka

    The Color Purple

    Could Jump In: Ferrari, Napoleon, The Bikeriders

    BEST SOUND

    Oppenheimer

    Ferrari

    The Color Purple

    Maestro

    Napoleon

    Could Jump In: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Wonka, The Marvels. Barbie

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    Oppenheimer

    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

    The Marvels

    Wonka

    Could Jump In: Barbie, The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Blue Beetle

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

    Oppenheimer

    The Boy and the Heron

    The Killer

    Asteroid City

    The Zone of Interest

    Could Jump In: Napoleon, Elemental, Barbie, Past Lives, Lee, Killers of the Flower Moon, White Bird, Nyad, Ferrari

    With France shockingly not selecting Anatomy of a Fall as their submission for this category, The Zone of Interest will likely be the unopposed frontrunner here.

    BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

    The Zone of Interest (U.K.)

    The Taste of Things (France)

    The Society of the Snow (Spain)

    Shayda (Australia)

    The Monk and the Gun (Bhutan)

    Could Jump In: The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany), The Promised Land (Denmark), Fallen Leaves (Finland), Io Capitano (Italy), The Settlers (Chile), Perfect Days (Japan)