By: Rose Caisley '26
Photo Courtesy of US Weekly and Shutterstock
The BAFTAs have gone, the SAGs (Screen Actors Guild Award) are finished, and it’s time once again for the grand finale of awards season: the 93rd Academy Awards. Even more than usual, the spotlight is on the academy as it makes history with some of its first Asian nominees and a movie that everyone has actually seen is the favorite for best picture. But if you’re not quite sure who to put down on your annual Oscars prediction list, don’t worry I’ve got you covered with the front runners for every category. The Academy of Motion Pictures may be a fickle organization, but to the best of my ability, I’ve tried to predict who will take home that shiny gold statue at the end of the night.
Best Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Photo Courtesy of Hype Beast and James Jean
Despite not taking home the BAFTA or the Golden Globe, this crowd favorite has been the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar since before the nominations. Everything Everywhere All at Once won Best Motion Picture Cast at the SAGs and also won Best Picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards. If you’re not so sure, the runner-ups are The Fabelmans, which took home a Golden Globe and was directed by Academy darling Steven Spielberg, and The Banshees of Insherin, which won both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
Best Actor: Brendan Fraser or Austin Butler
Photo of Brendan Fraser Courtesy of E! News and Arturo Holmes (pictured left) and Austin Butler of Esquire and Frederic J. Brown (pictured right)
Best Actor is looking to be one of the most contentious races of this Oscar season. Despite an early win for Colin Farrell at the Golden Globes, the race has come down to Brendan Fraser for his role in The Whale and Austin Butler for his titular role in Elvis. Fraser won both the SAG and the Critics’ Choice Award and has the benefit of age and a good comeback story. Bulter on the other hand received the Golden Globe and the BAFTA and has the advantage of going method for his role, an acting technique the Academy has previously rewarded greatly. But all things considered, the Academy is made up mostly of actors, making the SAGs the best predictor of the Oscars. Personally, I give the edge to Fraser, although at this point it’s anyone’s game.
Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh
Photo Courtesy of Britannica and Frazer Harrison
Another contentious race, but I have to give it to Yeoh for her role as Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once. While she didn’t win the BAFTA or the Critics' Choice Award, she did win the SAG and, as previously mentioned, the Academy is mostly comprised of actors. Watch out for Cate Blanchett though, who is the only other serious contender for the award, she could steal it right out from under Yeoh.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Ke Huy Quan
Photo Courtesy of GQ and Jerod Harris
Finally, we reach a category for which there is a clear winner. It would take a miracle, for any of the other nominees to swipe the Best Supporting Actor from Ke Huy Quan for his role as Raymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jamie Lee Curtis
Photo Courtesy of Glamour and Rich Fury
At the beginning of the awards season, it seemed certain that Angela Basset would sweep this category, particularly after her Golden Globe win for playing Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, after an upset by Kerry Condon at the BAFTAs and Jamie Lee Curtis receiving the SAG award for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once this is no longer certain. Momentum seems to be swinging toward Curtis to take the Oscar, but still, watch out for a surprise Basset win.
Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Photo Courtesy of The Filmmaker Magazine
While longtime Academy favorite Steven Spielberg is also nominated, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known primarily as the Daniels) took home the Director’s Guild Award and will likely win the Oscar as well for directing Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Best Original Screenplay: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Photo Courtesy of Writers Guild Foundation and Joyce Kim
The Daniels are also likely to win this category as well, as they won the Critic’s Choice Award. However, there could be a surprise win from Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Insherin, particularly if the Academy feels the need to give The Banshees of Insherin at least one award.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley
Photo Courtesy of The Walrus and Christopher Wahl
In a year with very few female nominees in gender-neutral categories, Sarah Polley is likely to take home an Oscar consolation prize for her work on Women Talking.
Best Animated Feature: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
Photo Courtesy of Animation World Network
It’s worth noting that the Academy historically has very little regard for the animation category. Most voters choose the most popular animated movie of that year, whether or not they’ve seen it. With both Disney and Pixar failing to make significant waves in animation this year, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is likely to win this award.
Best International Foreign Film: All Quiet on The Western Front
Photo Courtesy of IMDB
This adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s book has swept the BAFTA’s and is poised to win many of the categories this year, including Best Foreign Film.
Best Cinematography: All Quiet on the Western Front
Photo Courtesy of Variety, Reiner Bajo, and Netflix
An adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front has been nominated for this category before, and cinematographer James Friend is favored to win.
Best Original Score: All Quiet on the Western Front
Photo Courtesy of Vivien Killilea and The Hollywood Reporter
Volker Bertelmann is likely to win this award for his work on All Quiet on the Western Front.
Best Original Song: Naatu Naatu
Photo Courtesy of Variety and DVV Entertainment
While the movie RRR isn’t nominated for Best International Foreign Film, it will probably win the award for Best Original Song.
Best Film Editing: Top Gun: Maverick
Photo Courtesy of IMDB
The sequel to the 1986 movie Top Gun is nominated for six awards this year, and its cutting-edge flight technology will help Eddie Hamilton win the Oscar for editing.
Best Sound Design: Top Gun: Maverick
Photo Courtesy of Cinemablend and Paramount Pictures
It’s very rare for a movie nominated for editing not to be nominated for sound design, and Top Gun: Maverick’s Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Christ Burdon, and Mark Taylor are likely to join Eddie Hamilton in winning an Oscar.
Best Production Design: Babylon
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Movies
Babylon was a movie that was highly anticipated to be an awards darling this year, but unfortunately it wasn’t received well enough by critics to launch a successful awards campaign. However, it still is a movie about the movies, so the academy will throw a bone to the movie’s production designers Florence Martin and Anthony Carlino.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Elvis
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Not much to say about this one, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti went above and beyond to transform Austin Bulter into the King himself.
Best Visual Effects: Avatar: The Way of Water
Photo Courtesy of Disney UK
Because of their extraordinary and ground-breaking VFX work on Avatar: The Way of Water Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett will probably take this award home.
This list isn’t a hundred percent foolproof but I’ve done my best to look at the data of previous award shows and Oscar trends in past years to bring you this list. SO, make your predictions and tune into Sunday’s broadcast to see how many you get right!
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