You know, the Oscars race feels a bit like Mercury in retrograde this year: full of unexpected twists, last-minute appearances, and intense jockeying for position under Hollywood’s watchful stars. Since the recent Governors Awards, the who’s who of Oscar hopefuls have swarmed the red carpet—not just to celebrate luminaries like Tom Cruise and Dolly Parton, but to make sure Oscar voters can’t help but notice them. From Leonardo DiCaprio to Ariana Grande, these heavy hitters are proving that sometimes, it’s all about being seen in the right cosmic moment.
Meanwhile, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners have been gaining momentum with stylish industry events and awards buzz that has the race anything but settled. And don’t count out Warners’ One Battle After Another, a film that’s snagged praise across demographics and holds a strong lead in many predictions. A24’s Marty Supreme is soaring too, flooding LA skies with its name and filling theaters despite the rain—maybe a nod to some unstoppable Scorpio energy?
With the Academy’s longlists now out and documentaries like Netflix’s Apocalypse in the Tropics creating waves alongside box office smashes such as Wicked: For Good, it’s clear this awards season is shaping up to be a celestial showdown. So, will the stars align for the expected favorites, or will a surprise eclipse shake things up? Let’s dive into Scott’s latest Oscar forecasts and see who’s truly in orbit for the gold.
A NOTE FROM SCOTT Since our last check-in, just about every current Oscar hopeful descended on Hollywood for the Academy’s Governors Awards on Nov. 16. They ostensibly were there to celebrate honorees Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, Wynn Thomas and Debbie Allen, but let’s be honest: Leonardo DiCaprio (Warners’ One Battle After Another), Jennifer Lawrence (Mubi’s Die My Love), Adam Sandler (Netflix’s Jay Kelly) and Ariana Grande (Universal’s Wicked: For Good) don’t show up to the ceremony every year. They — and literally hundreds of others with varying awards prospects — were on the red carpet and in the ballroom because they’re great places to see and be seen by Oscar voters.
So, too, was the American Cinematheque Award ceremony on Nov. 20, where Michael B. Jordan, star of Warners’ Sinners, was honored, and those toasting him included Sinners writer/director Ryan Coogler and actors Miles Caton and Delroy Lindo; Bradley Cooper, writer/director/star of Searchlight’s Is This Thing On?; and Tessa Thompson, star/producer of Amazon/MGM’s Hedda. It was but one of numerous Sinners-related events in recent days. Among others, Coogler received the “key” to Warner Bros. at the Somerville restaurant in the Windsor Hills part of LA — which was transformed into the Juke Joint, the Southern blues hall in the movie — on Nov. 21, with the rest of his principal collaborators in attendance. And on Nov. 22, they all turned up at a brunch at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.
Warners’ other major horse in the race, One Battle After Another, may be the frontrunner according to most prognosticators, including yours truly, and indeed it got another nod of approval last week from the retiree demographic with a field-leading eight AARP Award nominations. But Sinners, which cost a lot less ($90 million vs. $140 million, pre-marketing) and has grossed a lot more ($368 million vs. $202 million worldwide), clearly won’t be conceding the pole position without a fight. Another sign of its strength: it landed a field-leading 13 mentions across the Critics Choice Association’s 11 shortlists for below-the-line Critics Choice Award nominations, including at least one in every category. (Full disclosure: I served on the committee that determined those shortlists.)
A24’s Marty Supreme, in addition to having an orange blimp with its name on it flying all around LA, has finally begun to screen more heavily for the industry, and is going over like gangbusters. On Nov. 13, it played at the DGA, after which Bill Simmons moderated a Q&A. The following night, despite pouring rain, it filled the 952-seat David Geffen Theatre at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures — attendees included Jennifer Lawrence, Mikey Madison, Cara Delevingne, Shawn Mendes and Chase Sui Wonders — after which I did a Q&A with writer/director/editor Josh Safdie, writer/editor Ronald Bronstein and stars Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion, among others.
On Nov. 21, the Academy announced the longlists — meaning, the lists of all titles that have qualified for consideration — for its best animated feature, best documentary feature and best international feature categories, which numbered 35, 201 and 86, respectively.
Speaking of the doc feature race, that came into clearer focus last week with Netflix’s Apocalypse in the Tropicsgarnering a field-leading four noms for the International Documentary Association’s IDA Awards (just as one of its subjects, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, was arrested for attempting to escape a prison sentence). Another Netflix doc, The Perfect Neighbor, was shortlisted for the best film editing Critic Choice Award, while no other doc landed a spot on any of the organization’s 11 BTL shortlistsn. And the SCAD Savannah Film Festival released this year’s full Docs to Watch Panel, which was moderated by yours truly and featured the directors of 10 top docs — including the aforementioned two — in conversation about their films. Don’t miss it!
As for the general public? Last weekend, they turned out in mass for the theatrical opening weekend of Wicked: For Good, to the tune of $147 million in the U.S. and $223 million globally, marking the biggest debut ever for a Broadway adaptation and the third-best for any musical. (Critics, it must be noted, were less enthusiastic: it’s now at 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.) In terms of streaming, Frankenstein was again the people’s choice on Netflix, watched more than any other English-language film, while newcomer Train Dreams, on the back of rave reviews (it’s at 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), broke into the top 10.
Finally, the Camerimage festival in Poland, which celebrates cinematography, awarded its top prize, the Golden Frog, to Judith Kaufmann for her work on Music Box’s Late Shift, the Swiss entry for the best international feature competition, and its second-place prize, the Silver Frog, to Fabian Gamper for his work on Mubi’s Sound of Falling, the German entry. Will they be able to challenge, for Oscar nominations, the category’s presumptive frontrunners, including Focus’ Hamnet, One Battle After Another and Frankenstein? Time will tell.
PLEASE REMEMBER: Scott’s forecasts do not necessarily reflect his personal preferences. His aim is not to advocate for what he thinks the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should do, but rather to project what they will do. He arrives at his projections by screening many films, analyzing their campaigns, speaking with voters and studying relevant history and stats.
Best Picture
Image Credit: Netflix
Frontrunners 1. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 2. Hamnet (Focus) 3. Sinners (Warner Bros.) 4. Marty Supreme (A24) 5. Sentimental Value (Neon) 6. Frankenstein (Netflix) 7. Jay Kelly (Netflix) 8. Train Dreams (Netflix) 9. Wicked: For Good (Universal) 10. F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.)
Major Threats 11. It Was Just An Accident (Neon) 12. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) 13. Bugonia (Focus) 14. Rental Family (Searchlight) 15. No Other Choice (Neon)
Possibilities 16. The Secret Agent (Neon) 17. Nuremberg (Sony Classics) 18. Weapons (Warner Bros.) 19. Hedda (Amazon/MGM) 20. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century)
Long Shots 21. Roofman (Paramount) 22. Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) 23. The Smashing Machine (A24) 24. Song Sung Blue (Focus) 25. Is This Thing On? (Searchlight)
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century)
Best Director
Image Credit: Neon
Frontrunners 1. Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 2. Ryan Coogler for Sinners (Warner Bros.) 3. Chloé Zhao for Hamnet (Focus) 4. Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value (Neon) 5. Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein (Netflix) — podcast 1 and 2
Major Threats 6. Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident (Neon) 7. Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme (A24) 8. Park Chan-wook for No Other Choice (Neon) 9. Kathryn Bigelow for A House of Dynamite (Netflix) 10. Noah Baumbach for Jay Kelly (Netflix) 11. Richard Linklater for Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — podcast
Possibilities 12. Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia (Focus) 13. Clint Bentley for Train Dreams (Netflix) 14. Jon M. Chu for Wicked: For Good (Universal) 15. Kleber Mendonça Filho for The Secret Agent (Neon) 16. Joseph Kosinski for F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.)
Long Shots 17. Gus Van Sant for Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) 18. Zach Cregger for Weapons (Warner Bros.) 19. Nia DaCosta for Hedda (Amazon/MGM) 20. Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine (A24) 21. Scott Cooper for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century)
Still to See/Under Embargo James Cameron for Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century)
Best Actor
Image Credit: Jason McDonald/Searchlight Pictures
Frontrunners 1. Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 2. Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme (A24) — podcast 3. Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent (Neon) 4. Michael B. Jordan for Sinners (Warner Bros.) — podcast 5. George Clooney for Jay Kelly (Netflix) — podcast 1 and 2
Major Threats 6. Dwayne Johnson for The Smashing Machine (A24) — podcast 7. Joel Edgerton for Train Dreams (Netflix) — podcast 8. Jesse Plemons for Bugonia (Focus) — podcast 9. Jeremy Allen White for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century) 10. Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon (Sony Classics) — podcast 11. Brendan Fraser for Rental Family (Searchlight) — podcast
Possibilities 12. Oscar Isaac for Frankenstein (Netflix) — podcast 13. Channing Tatum for Roofman (Paramount) — podcast 14. Will Arnett for Is This Thing On? (Searchlight) 15. Bill Skarsgård for Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) 16. Daniel Day-Lewis for Anemone (Focus)
Long Shots 17. Brad Pitt for F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.) 18. Toni Servillo for La Grazia (Mubi) 19. Lee Byung-hun for No Other Choice (Neon) 20. Russell Crowe for Nuremberg (Sony Classics) 21. Hugh Jackman for Song Sung Blue (Focus) — podcast
Best Actress
Image Credit: A24
Frontrunners 1. Jessie Buckley for Hamnet (Focus) 2. Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value (Neon) 3. Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 4. Emma Stone for Bugonia (Focus) — podcast 5. Cynthia Erivo for Wicked: For Good (Universal) — podcast
Major Threats 6. Sydney Sweeney for Christy (Black Bear) — podcast 7. Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24) 8. Jennifer Lawrence for Die My Love (Mubi) — podcast 9. Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue (Focus) — podcast 10. Tessa Thompson for Hedda (Amazon/MGM)
Possibilities 11. Amanda Seyfried for The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight) — podcast 1 and 2 12. Julia Roberts for After the Hunt (Amazon/MGM) — podcast 13. Lucy Liu for Rosemead (Vertical) — podcast 14. Claire Foy for H Is for Hawk (Roadside) — podcast
Long Shots 15. Laura Dern for Is This Thing On? (Searchlight) 16. June Squibb for Eleanor the Great (Sony Classics) 17. Eva Victor for Sorry, Baby (A24) 18. Jodie Foster for A Private Life (Sony Classics) — podcast
Frontrunners 1. Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value (Neon) — podcast 2. Sean Penn for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — podcast 3. Paul Mescal for Hamnet (Focus) 4. Benicio Del Toro for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — podcast 5. Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein (Netflix) — podcast
Major Threats 6. Adam Sandler for Jay Kelly (Netflix) — podcast 7. Billy Crudup for Jay Kelly (Netflix) 8. Miles Caton for Sinners (Warner Bros.) 9. Delroy Lindo for Sinners (Warner Bros.) — podcast 10. Jack O’Connell for Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Possibilities 11. Jeremy Strong for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century) — podcast 12. Mark Hamill for The Life of Chuck (Neon) — podcast 13. William H. Macy for Train Dreams (Netflix) 14. Kevin O’Leary for Marty Supreme (A24) 15. Jacobi Jupe for Hamnet (Focus)
Long Shots 16. Jonathan Bailey for Wicked: For Good (Universal) 17. Ben Foster for Christy (Black Bear) 18. David Jonsson for The Long Walk (Lionsgate) 19. Damson Idris for F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) 20. Andrew Scott for Blue Moon (Sony Classics)
Still to See/Under Embargo Alexander Skarsgård for Pillion (A24)
Best Supporting Actress
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Frontrunners 1. Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good (Universal) — podcast 2. Amy Madigan for Weapons (Warner Bros.) 3. Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 4. Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value (Neon) — podcast 5. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value (Neon)
Major Threats 6. Regina Hall for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 7. Hailee Steinfeld for Sinners (Warner Bros.) — podcast 8. Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners (Warner Bros.) 9. Mia Goth for Frankenstein (Netflix) 10. Odessa A’zion for Marty Supreme (A24)
Possibilities 11. Gwyneth Paltrow for Marty Supreme (A24) 12. Emily Blunt for The Smashing Machine (A24) — podcast 13. Emily Watson for Hamnet (Focus) 14. Zoey Deutch for Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — podcast 15. Jennifer Lopez for Kiss of the Spider Woman (Roadside) — podcast
Long Shots 16. Kerry Condon for Train Dreams (Netflix) 17. Felicity Jones for Train Dreams (Netflix) 18. Odessa Young for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century) 19. Nina Hoss for Hedda (Amazon/MGM) 20. Kirsten Dunst for Roofman (Paramount) — podcast
Still to See/Under Embargo Sigourney Weaver for Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century)
Frontrunners 1. Hamnet (Focus) — Chloé Zhao 2. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Paul Thomas Anderson 3. Frankenstein (Netflix) — Guillermo del Toro — podcast 1 and 2 4. Bugonia (Focus) — Will Tracy 5. Train Dreams (Netflix) — Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Major Threats 6. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) — Rian Johnson 7. No Other Choice (Neon) — Park Chan-wook, Lee Ja-hye, Lee Kyoung-mi & Don McKellar 8. Nuremberg (Sony Classics) — James Vanderbilt 9. The Smashing Machine (A24) — Benny Safdie 10. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (20th Century) — Scott Cooper
Possibilities 11. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — Dana Fox & Winnie Holzman 12. Hedda (Amazon/MGM) — Nia DaCosta 13. Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — Holly Gent, Michèle Halberstadt, Laetitia Masson & Vincent Palmo 14. The Life of Chuck (Neon) — Mike Flanagan
Long Shots 15. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Focus) — Julian Fellowes — podcast 16. Highest 2 Lowest (A24) — Alan Fox 17. Die My Love (Mubi) — Alice Birch, Lynne Ramsay & Enda Walsh 18. Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix) — Rowan Joffé
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Best Original Screenplay
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Frontrunners 1. Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Ryan Coogler 2. Sentimental Value (Neon) — Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt 3. Marty Supreme (A24) — Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie 4. It Was Just an Accident (Neon) — Jafar Panahi 5. Jay Kelly (Netflix) — Noah Baumbach & Emily Mortimer
Major Threats 6. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) — Noah Oppenheim 7. Weapons (Warner Bros.) — Zach Cregger 8. The Secret Agent (Neon) — Kleber Mendonça Filho 9. Rental Family (Searchlight) — Stephen Blahut & Hikari
Possibilities 10. Blue Moon (Sony Classics) — Robert Kaplow 11. Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) — Austin Kolodney 12. Roofman (Paramount) — Derek Cianfrance & Kirt Gunn 13. Is This Thing On? (Searchlight) — Will Arnett, Mark Chappell & Bradley Cooper
Long Shots 14. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24) — Mary Bronstein 15. Sorry, Baby (A24) — Eva Victor 17. Left-Handed Girl (Netflix) — Sean Baker & Shih-Ching Tsou — podcast (Baker) 16. Materialists (A24) — Celine Song
Best International Feature
Image Credit: GKIDS
Frontrunners 1. Norway — Sentimental Value (Neon) 2. France — It Was Just an Accident (Neon) 3. South Korea — No Other Choice (Neon) 4. Brazil — The Secret Agent (Neon) 5. Ukraine — 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS)
Major Threats 6. Spain — Sirāt (Neon) 7. Taiwan — Left-Handed Girl (Netflix) 8. Belgium — Young Mothers (Music Box) 9. Tunisia — The Voice of Hind Rajab (Willa) 10. Japan — Kokuho (GKIDS)
Possibilities 11. Argentina — Belén (Amazon) 12. Iraq — The President’s Cake (Sony Classics) 13. North Macedonia — The Tale of Silyan (Nat Geo) 14. Germany — Sound of Falling (Mubi)
Still to See/Under Embargo Canada — The Things You Kill (Cineverse) Chile — The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (still seeking U.S. distribution) Czech Republic — I’m Not Everything I Want to Be (still seeking U.S. distribution) Denmark — Mr. Nobody Against Putin (still seeking U.S. distribution) Hungary — Orphan (still seeking U.S. distribution) Iceland — The Love That Remains (Janus) Ireland — Sanatorium (still seeking U.S. distribution) Israel — The Sea (still seeking U.S. distribution) Italy — Familia (still seeking U.S. distribution) Jordan — All That’s Left of You (Watermelon/Visibility) Mexico — We Shall Not Be Moved (still seeking U.S. distribution) Palestine — Palestine 36 (Watermelon) Philippines — Magellan (Janus) Poland — Franz (Cohen Media Group) Senegal — Demba (still seeking U.S. distribution) Switzerland — Late Shift (Music Box) Thailand — A Useful Ghost (Cineverse)
Best Documentary Feature
Image Credit: Tribeca
Frontrunners 1. The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) 2. 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS) 3. Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon) 4. Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix) 5. The Alabama Solution (HBO)
Major Threats 6. My Mom Jayne (HBO) 7. Cover-Up (Netflix) 8. Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple) 9. Riefenstahl (Kino Lorber) 10. Deaf President Now! (Apple) 11. Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (Kino Lorber) 12. It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley (Magnolia)
Possibilities 13. The Tale of Silyan (Nat Geo) 14. Natchez (Oscilloscope) 15. The Man Who Saves the World? (Area 23a) 16. Predators (MTV) 17. Holding Liat (still seeking U.S. distribution) 18. Prime Minister (Magnolia)
Long Shots 19. Folktales (Magnolia) 20. Coexistence, My Ass! (still seeking U.S. distribution) 21. Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost (Apple) 22. One to One: John & Yoko (Magnolia) 23. Grand Theft Hamlet (Mubi) 24. Diane Warren: Relentless (MasterClass)
Still to See/Under Embargo The 6 Billion Dollar Man (still seeking U.S. distribution) The Age of Disclosure (Relentless) Always (still seeking U.S. distribution) American Sons (still seeking U.S. distribution) Antidote (PBS) Architecton (A24) Art for Everybody (Fourth Art) Below the Clouds (Mubi) Blknws: Terms & Conditions (still seeking U.S. distribution) BTS Army: Forever We Are Young (still seeking U.S. distribution) Can’t Look Away: The Case Against Social Media (Jolt) Champions of the Golden Valley (still seeking U.S. distribution) Child of Dust (still seeking U.S. distribution) Cutting Through Rocks (still seeking U.S. distribution) The Dating Game (still seeking U.S. distribution) El Canto de Las Manos (still seeking U.S. distribution) Endless Cookie (Obscured) Facing War (still seeking U.S. distribution) Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea (still seeking U.S. distribution) Heightened Scrutiny (still seeking U.S. distribution) The Last Class (Abramorama) The Librarians (Independent Lens) Life After (Multitude) Love+War (Nat Geo) Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (Kino Lorber) Meanwhile (Abramorama) Mistress Dispeller (Oscilloscope) Mr. Nobody Against Putin (still seeking U.S. distribution) Night in West Texas (still seeking U.S. distribution) Norita (still seeking U.S. distribution) The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue (Forston Consulting) The Rose: Come Back to Me (CJ 4DPlex) A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant (Magnolia) Seeds (still seeking U.S. distribution) Selena y Los Dinos (Netflix) Shari & Lamb Chop (Kino Lorber) Songs from the Hole (Netflix) Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter (Obscured) The Stringer (Netflix) Third Act (still seeking U.S. distribution) Timestamp (still seeking U.S. distribution) Trade Secret (still seeking U.S. distribution) Trains (EPF Media) Viktor (still seeking U.S. distribution) Wisdom of Happiness (Abramorama) Zodiac Killer Project (Music Box)
Best Animated Feature
Image Credit: Crunchyroll
Frontrunners 1. KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix) 2. Arco (Neon) 3. In Your Dreams (Netflix) 4. Elio (Disney/Pixar)
Major Threats 5. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (Sony)
Possibilities
Long Shots 6. Fixed (Netflix)
Still to See/Under Embargo The Bad Guys 2 (Universal) ChaO (GKIDS) Dog Man (Universal) Endless Cookie (Obscured) The Legend of Hei 2 (GKIDS) Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS) Lost in Starlight (Netflix) A Magnificent Life (Sony Classics) Scarlet (Sony Classics) The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (Paramount) Stitch Head (Briarcliff) The Twits (Netflix) Zootopia 2 (Disney)
Best Casting
Image Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight
Frontrunners 1. Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Francine Maisler 2. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Cassandra Kulukundis 3. Hamnet (Focus) — Nina Gold 4. Marty Supreme (A24) — Jennifer Venditti 5. Jay Kelly (Netflix) — Douglas Aibel & Nina Gold
Major Threats 6. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — Tiffany Little Canfield & Bernard Telsey 7. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) — Susanne Scheel 8. Weapons (Warner Bros.) — Allison Jones 9. Sentimental Value (Neon) — Yngvill Kolset Haga & Avy Kaufman 10. Rental Family (Searchlight) — Kei Kawamura & Yumi Takada 11. Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — Stéphane Batut 12. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century) — Francine Maisler
Possibilities 13. Frankenstein (Netflix) — Robin D. Cook 14. The Secret Agent (Neon) — Gabriel Domingues 15. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) — Bret Howe & Mary Vernieu 16. Is This Thing On? (Searchlight) — Shayna Markowitz 17. The Life of Chuck (Neon) — Anne McCarthy, Morgan Robbins & Kellie Roy 18. Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) — Kathy Campbell
Long Shots 19. Bugonia (Focus) — Jennifer Venditti 20. F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.) — Lucy Bevan & Emily Brockmann 21. Train Dreams (Netflix) — Nike Imoru & Avy Kaufman 22. Roofman (Paramount) — Bonnie Timmermann 23. The Long Walk (Lionsgate) — Rich Delia 24. Song Sung Blue (Focus) — Lindsay Graham & Mary Vernieu
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — Margery Simkin
Best Cinematography
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Frontrunners 1. Hamnet (Focus) — Lukasz Zal 2. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Michael Bauman 3. Frankenstein (Netflix) — Dan Laustsen 4. F1 (Apple) — Claudio Miranda 5. Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Major Threats 6. Train Dreams (Netflix) — Adolpho Veloso 7. Marty Supreme (A24) — Darius Khondji 8. Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — David Chambille 9. Jay Kelly (Netflix) — Linus Sandgren 10. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) — Barry Ackroyd 11. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — Alice Brooks
Possibilities 12. No Other Choice (Neon) — Kim Woo-hyung 13. Weapons (Warner Bros.) — Larkin Seiple 14. Sentimental Value (Neon) — Kasper Tuxen 15. Hedda (Amazon/MGM) — Sean Bobbitt 16. Bugonia (Focus) — Robbie Ryan 17. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24) — Christopher Messina 18. Late Shift (Music Box) — Judith Kaufmann
Long Shots 19. Sound of Falling (Mubi) — Fabian Gamper 20. 28 Years Later (Sony) — Anthony Dod Mantle 21. The Smashing Machine (A24) — Maceo Bishop 22. Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix) — James Friend 23. Is This Thing On? (Searchlight) — Matthew Libatique 24. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (20th Century) — Masanobu Takayanagi 25. The Secret Agent (Neon) — Evgenia Alexandrova
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — Russell Carpenter
Best Costume Design
Image Credit: 20th Century
Frontrunners 1. Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Ruth E. Carter (podcast) 2. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — Paul Tazewell 3. Frankenstein (Netflix) — Kate Hawley 4. Hedda (Amazon/MGM) — Lindsay Pugh 5. Hamnet (Focus) — Malgosia Turzanska
Major Threats 6. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Roadside) — Colleen Atwood & Christine Cantella 7. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Colleen Atwood 8. Marty Supreme (A24) — Miyako Bellizzi 9. The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight) — Małgorzata Karpiuk 10. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney) — Alexandra Byrne
Possibilities 11. Kokuho (GKIDS) — Kumiko Ogawa 12. Downton Abbey (Focus) — Anna Robbins 13. The Phoenecian Scheme (Focus) — Milena Canonero 14. Song Sung Blue (Focus) — Ernesto Martinez 15. The Secret Agent (Neon) — Rita Azevedo
Long Shots 16. Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — Pascaline Chavanne 17. Nuremberg (Sony Classics) — Bartholomew Cariss 18. Train Dreams (Netflix) — Malgosia Turzanska 19. Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix) — Lisy Christl 20. F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) — Julian Day
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — Deborah L. Scott
Best Film Editing
Image Credit: Netflix
Frontrunners 1. F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) — Stephen Mirrione 2. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Andy Jurgensen 3. Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Michael Shawver 4. Marty Supreme (A24) — Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie 5. Frankenstein (Netflix) — Evan Schiff
Major Threats 6. Hamnet (Focus) — Affonso Gonçalves & Chloé Zhao 7. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) — Kirk Baxter 8. Sentimental Value (Neon) — Olivier Bugge Coutté 9. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — Myron Kerstein 10. Bugonia (Focus) — Yorgos Mavropsaridis 11. Jay Kelly (Netflix) — Valerio Bonelli & Rachel Durance
Possibilities 12. Weapons (Warner Bros.) — Joe Murphy 13. The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) — Viridiana Lieberman 14. No Other Choice (Neon) — Kim Sang-bum 15. The Secret Agent (Neon) — Matheus Farias & Eduardo Serrano 16. The Lost Bus (Apple) — Peter M. Dudgeon, William Goldenberg & Paul Rubell
Long Shots 17. Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) — Saar Klein 18. Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — Catherine Schwartz 19. Warfare (A24) — Fin Oates 20. 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS) — Michelle Minzer 21. Sirāt (Neon) — Cristóbal Fernández
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — David Brenner, James Cameron, John Refoua & Stephen E. Rivkin
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Image Credit: Black Bear
Frontrunners 1. Frankenstein (Netflix) 2. The Smashing Machine (A24) 3. Wicked: For Good (Universal) 4. Sinners (Warner Bros.) 5. Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Major Threats 28 Years Later (Sony) Bugonia (Focus) Hedda (Amazon/MGM) Kokuho (GKIDS)
Possibilities Kiss of the Spider Woman (Roadside) Christy (Black Bear) One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) Predator: Badlands (20th Century)
Long Shots Superman (Warner Bros.) The Life of Chuck (Neon) Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) Blue Moon (Sony Classics)
Best Original Score
Image Credit: Neon
Frontrunners Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Ludwig Göransson One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Johnny Greenwood Hamnet (Focus) — Max Richter Frankenstein (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat Jay Kelly (Netflix) — Nicholas Britell
Major Threats F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer (podcast) Hedda (Amazon/MGM) — Hildur Guðnadóttir Sirāt (Neon) — Kangding Ray Marty Supreme (A24) — Daniel Lopatin A House of Dynamite (Netflix) — Volker Bertelmann Tron: Ares (Disney) — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Wicked: For Good (Universal) — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz Train Dreams (Netflix) — Bryce Dessner
Possibilities After the Hunt (Amazon/MGM) — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) — Danny Elfman The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight) — Daniel Blumberg Bugonia (Focus) — Jerskin Fendrix Rental Family (Searchlight) – Jónsi and Alex Somers Nuremberg (Sony Classics) — Brian Tyler Jurassic World Rebirth (Universal) — Alexandre Desplat Thunderbolts* (Disney) — Son Lux
Long Shots The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney) — Michael Giacchino Captain America: Brave New World (Disney) — Laura Karpman Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix) — Volker Bertelmann Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) — Nathan Johnson Superman (Warner Bros.) — David Fleming & John Murphy Sentimental Value (Neon) — Hania Rani No Other Choice (Neon) — Jo Yeong-wook Weapons (Warner Bros.) — Zach Cregger, Hays Holladay & Ryan Holladay
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — Simon Franglen
Best Original Song
Image Credit: A24
Frontrunners 1. “Golden” from KKPop Demon Hunters (Netflix) — EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick 2. “I Lied to You” from Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Raphael Saadiq & Ludwig Göransson 3. “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless (MasterClass) — Diane Warren (podcast) 4. “Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest (A24) — Aiyana-Lee Anderson & Nicole Daciana Anderson 5. “Drive” from F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) — John Mayer, Ed Sheeran & Blake Slatkin
Major Threats 6. “No Place Like Home” from Wicked (Universal) — Stephen Schwartz 7. “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked (Universal) — Stephen Schwartz 8. “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Miles Caton, Ludwig Göransson & Alice Smith 9. “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams (Netflix) — Nick Cave & Bryce Dessner 10. “Clothed by the Sun” from The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight) — Daniel Blumberg
Possibilities 11. “Lose My Mind” from F1: The Movie (Warner Bros.) — Grant Boutin, Amala Dlamini aka Doja Cat, Ryan Tedder, Caleb Toliver aka Toliver & Hans Zimmer (podcast) 12. “Just Keep Watching” from F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) — Amy Allen, Tate McRae, Tyler Spry & Ryan Tedder 13. “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” from Tron: Ares (Disney) — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross 14. “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me In the Good Light (Apple) — Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlile & Andrea Gibson 15. “My Baby (Got Nothing at All)” from Materialists (A24) — Michelle Zauner aka Japanese Breakfast
Long Shots 16. “Trunks” from Highest 2 Lowest (A24) — Rakim Mayers aka A$AP Rocky & Kelvin Krash 17. “Stolen Tale” from Hedda — Nia DaCosta and Hildur Guðnadóttir 18. “He Lei Pāpahi No Lilo a me Stitch” from Lilo & Stitch (Disney) — Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu 19. “My Sweet Beth” from The Naked Gun (Paramount) — Greg Chun & Akiva Schaffer 20. “John’s Running Song” from The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight) — Daniel Blumberg & Mona Fastvold
Still to See/Under Embargo “Baby” from Freakier Friday (Disney) — Sarah Aarons “DOA” from Death of a Unicorn (A24) — Annie Clark aka St. Vincent “Dream As One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century) — Miley Cyrus, Simon Franglen, Mark Ronson (podcast) and Andrew Wyatt “Dying to Live” from Billy Idol Should Be Dead (Fremantle) — Tommy English, Billy Idol, Joe Janiak, J. Ralph (podcast) & Steve Stevens (podcast) “Give Your Love” from The Ballad of Wallis Island (Focus) — Tom Basden “Let’s Just Rock Again” from Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Bleecker Street) — Jeffery CJ Vanston “Open the Door” from The Twits (Netflix) — David Byrne (podcast) & Hayley Williams “The Song (Love Is All)” from O’Dessa (Hulu) — Jason Binnick & Geremy Jasper “Through the Long and Lonely Night” from The Legend of Ochi (A24) — David Longstreth “Took a Walk” from The Long Walk (Lionsgate) — Collins Obinna Chibueze aka Shaboozey & Stephen Wilson Jr. “Zoo” — Zootopia 2 — Shakira, Ed Sheeran & Blake Slatkin
Best Production Design
Image Credit: Paramount
Frontrunners 1. Hamnet (Focus) — Fiona Crombie 2. Sinners (Warner Bros.) — Hannah Beachler 3. Frankenstein (Netflix) — Tamara Deverell 4. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) — Florencia Martin 5. Marty Supreme (A24) — Jack Fisk
Major Threats 6. F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) — Mark Tildesley 7. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — Nathan Crowley 8. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) — Jeremy Hindle 9. Jay Kelly (Netflix) — Mark Tildesley 10. Hedda (Amazon/MGM) — Cara Brower 11. Sentimental Value (Neon) — Jørgen Stangebye Larsen 12. Roofman (Paramount) — Inbal Weinberg
Possibilities 13. Nouvelle Vague (Netflix) — Katia Wyszkop 14. Train Dreams (Netflix) — Fiona Crombie & Alice Felton 15. No Other Choice (Neon) — Ryu Seong-hie 16. The Secret Agent (Neon) — Thales Junqueira 17. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney) — Kasra Farahani 18. Predator: Badlands (20th Century) — Ra Vincent 19. Tron: Ares (Disney) — Darren Gilford
Long Shots 20. Weapons (Warner Bros.) — Thomas Hammock 21. Mickey 17 (Warner Bros.) — Fiona Crombie 22. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) — Rick Heinrichs 23. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Roadside) — Scott Chambliss 24. Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix) — Jonathan Houlding 25. The Life of Chuck (Neon) — Steve Arnold 26. Dead Man’s Wire (Row K) — Stefan Dechant
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century)
Best Sound
Image Credit: Universal
Frontrunners 1. F1: The Movie (Apple/Warner Bros.) 2. Sinners (Warner Bros.) 3. Wicked: For Good (Universal) 4. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) 5. Frankenstein (Netflix)
Major Threats 6. Hamnet (Focus) 7. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century) 8. Marty Supreme (A24) 9. Warfare (A24) 10. Superman (Warner Bros.)
Long Shots 16. A House of Dynamite (Netflix) 17. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24) 18. The Smashing Machine (A24) 19. Sirāt (Neon) 20. The Lost Bus (Apple)
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century)
Best Visual Effects
Image Credit: Disney
Frontrunners 1. F1 (Apple/Warner Bros.) 2. Wicked: For Good (Universal) 3. Frankenstein (Netflix) 4. Sinners (Warner Bros.) 5. Superman (Warner Bros.)
Major Threats 6. Predator: Badlands (20th Century) 7. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney) 8. Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (Paramount) 9. Jurassic WorldRebirth (Universal) 10. Tron: Ares (Disney)
Possibilities 11. Thunderbolts* (Disney) 12. How to Train Your Dragon (Universal) 13. 28 Years Later (Sony) 14. Mickey 17 (Warner Bros.) 15. Marty Supreme (A24)
Long Shots 16. Weapons (Warner Bros.) 17. Warfare (A24) 18. Lilo & Stitch (Disney) 19. Bugonia (Focus) 20. Sirāt (Neon)
Still to See/Under Embargo Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century)