We are finally here, after what has felt like a million award shows, we are at the big one. For a lot of these categories, it feels like a foregone conclusion as almost all have gone the same way. Will that happen this time? Weirder things have happened in that theatre… Let’s look at our picks for every category. Shall we?

Best Picture

Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite

Winner – 1917

It has all the momentum in the world at the minute and it is very hard to see past it. Is it a worthy winner if it wasn’t for the use of cinematography in the film? No, techniques didn’t stop films like Birdman from doing so well. Parasite could surprise us all here, but much like Roma, I doubt it. The only other outside could be Marriage Story, it’s going to be 1917 though.

Best Director

Martin Scorsese – The Irishman, Todd Phillips – Joker, Sam Mendes – 1917, Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bong Joon Ho – Parasite

Winner – Bong Joon Ho

We are going for a slight surprise on this one as it has been a two-horse race the entire awards season between Sam Mendes and Bong Joon Ho. The Parasite director will pip it here if it doesn’t win Best Picture as it has been a juggernaut of a film and will deserve more than just Internation Film and Adapted Screenplay. Plus the Oscars likes to spread out the awards nowadays. However, the Best Director award has gone to the winner of the Directors Guild award 63 out of 71 times. Who won that this year? Sam Mendes, it will be tight.

 Best Actor

Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory, Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Adam Driver – Marriage Story, Joaquin Phoenix – Joker, Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

Winner – Joaquin Phoenix

No one is touching him on this one, the acting noms are all locks in my opinion and only Adam Driver (remember he was a serious favourite at the beginning of awards season) the likely person to win in front of Phoenix. Where Driver’s momentum dwindled, Phoenix’s has grown.

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo – Harriet, Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story, Saorise Ronan – Little Women, Charlize Theron – Bombshell, Renee Zellweger – Judy

Winner – Renee Zellweger

 Scarlett Johansson will be disappointed, but Zellweger blew it away with Judy and fully deserves this. Could there be a shock on the cards? Possibly, but very unlikely. Zellweger has been winning everywhere and it is very much expected for it to continue here.

Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes, Al Pacino – The Irishman, Joe Pesci – The Irishman, Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Winner – Brad Pitt

Nothing is taking this one away from Brad Pitt, the only that truly deserved to wasn’t even nominated in Willem Dafoe. This is another year of ignoring Tom Hanks, but let’s be honest he shouldn’t really be in this category. Pitt’s unless something crazy happens.

Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell, Laura Dern – Marriage Story, Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit, Florence Pugh – Little Women, Margot Robbie – Bombshell

Winner – Laura Dern

She is loved by her peers and it will be another big surprise if she doesn’t walk away with the Oscar. Scarlett Johansson will run close, but again for her this year, she will miss out, which is a shame as her performance in Jojo Rabbit was far stronger than Derns in Marriage Story.

Adapted Screenplay

Jojo Rabbit, The Irishman, The Two Popes, Little Women, Joker

Winner – Little Women

It is a two-horse race between Jojo Rabbit and Little Women and I feel that Little Women will get the nod here to make up for that Best Director snug to Greta Gerwig. Jojo Rabbit is a hit or miss film to some people, whereas Little Women has been greatly commended for its adaption.

Best Original Screenplay

Knives Out, Marriage Story, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite

Winner – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

The Academy love Tarantino and usually they go with their favourite if they are nominated, but everyone has fallen in love with Bong Joon Ho (hard not to) and he deserves this one. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, for me is too long and if it was written as such, doesn’t deserve the award. I expect to be wrong as Hollywood has got to Hollywood, but I have a feeling on this one. Actually no Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Indecision!

Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, I Lost My Body, Klaus, Missing Link, Toy Story 4

Winner – Toy Story 4

It is most likely between Toy Story 4 and Klaus here. I have gone for Toy Story 4 because of the Academy’s history of love with big Pixar films (hello Toy Story 3). But do not be surprised if Klaus is mentioned. Though don’t rule out How to Train Your Dragon, but with most of the guild awards going to Toy Story 4, it seems like we will see another Pixar win.

 International Feature Film

Corpus Christi, Honeyland, Les Miserables, Pain and Glory, Parasite

Winner – Parasite

Parasite will only lose this if voters pick other films because they think everyone else will be voting for it. Not a chance it loses here, in another strong field. Pain and Glory is such a good film and it is a shame that it will not pick up anything.

 Best Documentary

American Factory, The Cave, Edge of Democracy, For Sama, Honeyland

Winner – For Sama

I have really gone for the one I want to win here. It is a tight race between, For Sama, Honeyland and American Factory with the latter probably winning overall. Honeyland might be held back by being in the International Film category. For Sama is the true gut punch out of all the contenders and would be a worthy winner.

Best Cinematography

The Irishman, Joker, The Lighthouse, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Winner – 1917

The Lighthouse is the only film standing in Roger Deakins second win here. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t win because we know how the Academy is, but the main pull that 1917 has is in its cinematography and it would be a strange decision not to reward that in its own category.

Best Costume Design

The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Winner – Little Women

Yes I know it feels cheap to go for the “costume drama” for best costume, but it will be a worthy winner and it is the only nominee of that ilk this year and if we are honest, the Irishman shouldn’t be there.

Best Film Editing

Ford vs. Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Parasite

Winner – Ford vs Ferrari

Rarely in recent history has the Best Film Editing award gone to the Best Picture winner and due to the nature of the film, I feel it is a clear cut winner in comparison to its competitors. (I tried very hard not to have a racing pun in there, so thank me later).

 Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Bombshell, Joker, Judy, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, 1917

Winner – Bombshell

Bombshell will miss out on a lot of awards on Sunday, but one it will not is Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Why? you may ask, well dear reader it is because the Academy likes to spread out the winners and all but Maleficent (really how did it get in?) will win something. I would be shocked if it doesn’t win here.

 Best Original Score

Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, 1917, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Winner – Joker

Out of the nominee’s Joker’s score is the best, with it the film will not work as well, it is as simple as that really. The score creates everything in the film and is the perfect accompaniment to the film. It may be a short soundtrack, but it is a powerful one. It helps that Hildur Guðnadóttir has been winning all around her this season.

 Best Production Design

The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite

Winner – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Hollywood loves Hollywood, even more than Hollywood loves war films, I will be hard-pressed to see people within Hollywood and beyond not picking a film about Hollywood in the 1960s, it seems pretty unfathomable to be actually. 1917 will run it very close though.

 

 Best Sound Editing

Ford v Ferrari, Joker, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Winner -Ford vs. Ferrari

As others will note, the Sound Editing and Sound Mixing categories are rumoured to be merged at some point in the future as for the last decade 7 times has the winner of Sound editing also been the winner of Sound Mixing. General if the voters like the sound for one film more than the others then it will make sense to them to also vote for that same film again for the mixing. Going with Ford vs Ferrari here as it was very strong from a sound standpoint.

 Best Sound Mixing

Ad Astra, Ford vs. Ferrari, Joker, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Winner – 1917

I know I just stated that they usually just go along with both for this, but I am going with 1917 here as it really is a toss-up between it and Ford vs Ferrari, but I sense a few technical wins for 1917 to go with it’s Best Picture.

 Best Visual Effects

Avengers: Endgame, The Irishman, The Lion King, 1917, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Winner – 1917

In theory, this is a nail on for 1917, but stranger things occasionally happen in this category. Voters tend not to go for the big CGI filled fair, so that could discount Avengers and Star Wars. No one really liked the face de-ageing in The Irishman. So again this is getting more in favour for 1917. But could Lion King sneak it? It would be massive if it did and a real upset. But I will punt for 1917 on this one, though don’t be overly surprised if Disney takes it with one of theirs…

Best Documentary Short

In the Absence, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), Life Overtakes Me, St. Louis Superman, Walk Run Cha-Cha

Winner – In the Absence

Probably the tightest to predict out of all the categories so far and it will be the one seen by the least people. You really need to check all of these out. I am going for In the Absence just because of how heartbreaking it is. But, yes, please check out all of these excellent documentaries. However, a heavy favourite is Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) could get in there as well.

Best Animated Short

Dcera (Daughter), Hair Love, Kitbull, Memorable, Sister

Winner – Hair Love

Pixar or Disney have been pretty dominant here for the past few years so I would expect a lot of the same again. Hair Love has the advantage in a year where the complaint of the Oscars being very white has come up again, so I sense that it will do well.

Best Live-Action Short

Brotherhood, Nefta Football Club, The Neighbours’ Window, Saria, A Sister

Winner – The Neighbours’ Window

For those carrying out pools or the Oscars, these short categories are the breakers this year. Anyone of the nominees can win and none exemplify that more than the Live Action Short category. Literally, flip a coin on this one. All the films pack a punch in their own way, but we are going for The Neighbours’ Window on this one as it feels the more accomplished of the nominees.

Best Original Song

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4”, “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II”, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”, “I’m Standing With You” from “Breakthrough”, “Stand Up” from “Harriet”

Winner – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman

It is the most dead-on category of the night for predicting who will win. Though I have always had a gripe with this category for the fact that its very existence is the reason the broadcast goes on for too long. Cut the category and the songs from the night and they will finish well under the three-hour time-limit. But that’s just me.

Well, that’s my predictions! Is there any you disagree with? Let us know! We will be back on Monday with the results and breakdown… Until then!