The 97th Academy Awards are fast approaching, and the race for the golden statues is heating up with several categories featuring tight frontrunner battles.
Following the close of the Oscar ballot on February 18, recent wins at the SAG Awards, Indie Spirits, and BAFTAs have shaken up predictions and added a layer of unpredictability to many categories, including Best Picture. From Zoe Saldaña’s dynamic performance in Emilia Pérez to Timothée Chalamet’s transformative turn as a young Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, the acting categories are packed with standout performances that could define the night. Meanwhile, Best Picture contenders like Anora and Conclave are making waves, with recent victories on the awards circuit and mounting buzz for the Oscar.
In this special episode of The Wandering Screen, Senior Staff Writer and Head of Multicultural Content Ben Lei and Deputy Awards Editor Matt Koss sit down for one last analysis of this year’s most competitive categories, offering their expert predictions and insights on who has the best shot at winning big.
If you’re looking for expert commentary and a deep dive into the Oscars race, this is the video to watch!
Check out our full list of predictions!
The 97th Academy Awards cermony will air live on ABC this Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Blue – Ben | Yellow – Matt
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Animated Feature Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
International Feature Film
I’m Still Here
The Girl with the Needle
Emilia Pérez
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Flow
Directing
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Cinematography
Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two
Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez
Ed Lachman, Maria
Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Film Editing
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
Music (Original Song)
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing
“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Music (Original Score)
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
Costume Design
Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown
Lisy Christl, Conclave
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Gladiator II
Linda Muir, Nosferatu
Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Best Animated Short
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candles
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Best Documentary Short
Death by Numbers
I am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Best Live-Action Short
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent