It’s that time of year once again. The biggest night for movies and cinephiles is right around the corner. The 98th Academy Awards is just days away, with many artists hoping to take home gold for their hard work and their craft. There are many competitive categories this year, but there can only be one winner for each.

Below are my predictions for who will win the Oscar for each category. Check out the full list of nominations here.

Actor in a Leading Role

Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Michael B. Jordan gave an incredibly moving and charismatic performance that allowed for both of his characters to feel lifelike. Even if much of the movie didn’t take place, it would still be captivating to just watch his performance. This is one of the greatest dual performances ever, so he truly deserves this award.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Delroy Lindo – Sinners

Part of me wants to think Sean Penn might win this for his role in One Battle After Another, but Delroy Lindo’s performance in Sinners brings more emotion. His character is a big part of the heart of the movie, and that’s heavily due to his moving performance.

Actress in a Leading Role

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Jessie Buckley gives a powerhouse performance in Hamnet. She’s an excellent actress in general, and was even nominated for Supporting Actress for the Oscars in the past. Her talents are truly on display as Agnes Shakespeare. It would be quite the surprise to not see her win this one.

Actress in a Supporting Role 

Amy Madigan – Weapons

Amy Madigan gives a haunting performance in Weapons. She plays an excellent villain that heavily carries the tone of the film. She manages to be sinister, grounded, emotional, and mysterious all at the same time. This performance is a unique one and deserves to be recognized.

Animated Feature Film

KPop Demon Hunters

Is there really any question that KPop Demon Hunters will win for Best Animated Feature? The animation is spectacular, and it’s filled with powerful themes. It’s a must-see movie that’s almost perfect. Plus, it offers plenty of catchy tunes. This is a movie that has made a huge splash in pop culture because of how great it is, and the Academy should recognize that.

Animated Short Film

Forevergreen

There are some solid nominees for Best Animated Short Film this year, but Forevergreen is clearly the superior film. It’s emotional, funny, and suspenseful. It tells a touching story with important themes, and it does so completely free of dialogue. In addition to that impressive feat, the animation style is unique and absolutely beautiful.

Casting

Sinners

This is a new category this year, and it feels a little silly with categories like stunt performers and voice actors not being recognized whatsoever. Since it’s here, let’s go with Sinners, as it has an ensemble cast that completely nailed in-depth characters with grounded emotion.

Cinematography

Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw

The cinematography in Sinners should be used in film classes, because it’s exactly how it should be done. The underexposure and centered framing paid off for them, because every shot looks spectacular. The cinematography does a fantastic job at conveying the emotion of each scene, and it’s genuinely really impressive.

Costume Design

Frankenstein – Kate Hawley

The costume design in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is top-notch. Ranging from extravagant dresses worn by Mia Goth to patched together garb donned by the monster. It helps to tell the story while also looking brilliant. 

Directing

Ryan Coogler – Sinners

The clear frontrunner for the Best Directing Oscar this year is Ryan Coogler for his work on Sinners. This is a movie that looks, sounds, and feels powerful throughout, and that’s because of his incredible talent. Sinners is the most nominated film of all time, and he’s at the helm. He deserves to earn the win here, easily.

Documentary Feature Film

Come See Me In The Good Light – Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro and Stef Willen

This is often one of the harder categories to decide on, but I’m leaning toward Come See Me In The Good Light. It’s a unique and powerful film that touches on the grief, love, and humor that comes with having a terminal illness. It highlights the beauty of life while also discussing the life of a talented poet, and is an important spotlight on a nonbinary artist. I’d be surprised to see this one lose the award.

Documentary Short Film 

All the Empty Rooms  – Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

All the Empty Rooms was one of the hardest to watch documentaries I’ve ever seen, and that’s precisely what it was going for. The somber tone was captured perfectly, and there’s even a small bit of hope for the future mixed in as it discusses people and instances from the past. It’s well shot, and blends TV footage from The Oprah Winfrey Show and other TV programs to make something great. 

Film Editing

One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen

One Battle After Another is a high-energy film with a lot of suspense, action, and multiple storylines. It’s all edited together in a way that allows the audience to be on the edge of their seat while understanding everything that’s coming at them. The editing knows when to breathe and when to have several continuous cuts, and Jurgensen shows just why he’s a master of his craft.

International Feature Film

Sentimental Value – Norway

This one is more of a race between Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent, but I think Sentimental Value has it. It’s an emotional ride that will make any audience member cry. It explores grief, generational trauma, and emotional neglect, making it a powerful story. It’s also extremely well-acted and well-shot.

Live Action Short Film

Two People Exchanging Saliva – Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata

The only one that really impressed me in this category this year was Two People Exchanging Saliva. It uses surrealism to provide humor, suspense, and to make some interesting commentary. The performances are great, and I honestly wanted to see more of this version of our world when it ended.

Makeup and Hairstyling

Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, and Cliona Furey

The prosthetics and makeup on the monster in Frankenstein are some of the best moviegoers have seen in years. It’s simply incredible to look at. That alone should be enough to win, but it’s also worth taking a look at Mia Goth’s hair and makeup throughout, which is also impressive. This one is a shoo-in. 

Music (Original Score)

Sinners – Ludwig Goransson

The plot of Sinners is heavily about music, and that obviously bleeds into the movie’s score. It sounds beautiful, captures the tone of the movie, matches the setting in a way that allows for maximum immersion. It blends a variety of music tones and genres to create something phenomenal.

Music (Original Song)

“Golden” from KPOP Demon Hunters – Music and Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park

You’ve heard the song a million times by now. It’s everywhere. There’s a great reason for that. It’s excellent. It’s an extremely catchy pop song, but it’s also meaningful for the film’s characters, and is even in multiple languages. It’s a pretty clear winner.

Production Design

Frankenstein – Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau

Part of what makes Frankenstein look so fantastic is how amazing the sets and props look. It all works together to truly transport the audience into the setting of the film. A lot of it is even important to the overall storytelling of the movie. The sets feel grand and look fantastic, therefore this movie should take home the gold for this category.

Sound

F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta

I initially thought F1 was nominated for its sound due to the sounds of the cars racing. While that’s definitely part of it, I see many more reasons after watching the movie. While the screech of the tires and the revving of engines play a huge role in this nomination, the sound design throughout is impressive. For instance, the change of characters’ voices when they’re speaking into headsets is a nice detail.

Visual Effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett

Is there anyone who actually thinks someone else will win for Visual Effects when an Avatar movie is nominated? James Cameron’s Avatar films have some of the most realistic and immersive digital effects in movie history, and the third installment is no different. If anything, Fire and Ash’s effects are even better than its predecessors. There’s no doubt in my mind it will win.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

One Battle After Another  – Paul Thomas Anderson

One Battle After Another manages to touch on important modern political topics while also being funny, emotional, and action-packed. It’s a character-driven story that leads to a lot of surprises. It’s a brilliant script that takes a novel that took place decades ago and cleverly translates it to touch on modern issues. For that, it definitely deserves the prestigious award.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Sinners – Ryan Coogler

The screenplay for Sinners is especially well-written. It’s emotional and powerful, and it touches on topics like racial injustice and cultural appropriation while also being wildly entertaining. It cleverly uses vampires as a metaphor for systemic racism and the extraction of black culture. It also has a focus on identity. Plus, it celebrates the history of black music and culture. It also serves as an exciting horror/fantasy/western flick. It’s so cleverly written that it has this award in the bag.

Best Picture

Sinners – Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Ryan Coogler, Producers

Sinners is the most nominated movie in the history of the Academy Awards, and it’s fitting. It’s brilliantly written, directed, and acted. The story is both powerful and entertaining. The music and scenery are both incredible. It’s a must-watch for moviegoers of all kinds. Not much thought needs to go into this prediction, because Sinners definitely deserves to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

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