The campaign is over, voting is closed – with Hollywood's biggest night right around the corner, there's not much for the nominees to do but look great and wait to see who won what.
Unlike recent years, where the front runners were little-seen independent films that the Academy chose to highlight, this year sees box office giant Oppenheimer take the poll for the most awards.
But if we know anything about… Oscars It could be a party full of surprises, so let's take a look at the main categories and the nominees who might be the ones to watch…
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Downey Jr. plays Louis Strauss in Oppenheimer's film. Pic: Universal Pictures
First out of the gates is a potential win for Oppenheimer Robert Downey Jr, who plays a man who is keen to bring down the titular character in the overwhelming biopic. The Iron Man star has been giving great speeches all throughout awards season, so voters will be eager to hear more from him — plus he has a comeback narrative so beloved by the industry, after a very public battle with drugs and even a prison sentence in the 1990s. It seems that this is his time and even Ryan Gosling Ken Off isn't done to beat him, though I suspect the Barbie star might have been a front-runner if Downey Jr. wasn't in the mix this year.
Best Supporting Actress
Da'Vine Joy Randolph plays Mary Lamb in The Holdovers. Pic: Focus Features / Cecchia Pavao
Another character who has been winning throughout awards season is The Holdovers star D'Aphine Joy Randolph, who seems certain to win an Oscar for her portrayal of a grieving mother in the comedy-drama about the staff and children who have been stuck at a prestigious boarding school for over a year. Christmas vacation. She may not be the most popular person on stage on Sunday, but she still has star power — and even though there's a lot of love for her Jodie Foster And for her supporting role in Naiad, this seems like a dead certificate.
best actor
Cillian Murphy has already won a BAFTA and other awards for his performance in Oppenheimer's film. Pic: Universal Pictures
At one point it seemed like a race between two horses Cillian Murphy to Oppenheimer and Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, but Murphy's recent victories at the BAFTAs and SAG Awards suggest the Peaky Blinders star will be victorious in the end. However, I can only hope that it's Giamatti who will eventually win the Oscar, not least because after the Golden Globes he was spotted at a local burger joint with his trophy in hand – I like the idea of his Oscar being treated similarly For a meal outside. Plus, Giamatti is one of those character actors who feel like one He should Do you have an Oscar now – perhaps Academy voters will feel the same?
Best Actress
Emma Stone (pictured in Poor Things) is joint favorite with Killers Of The Flower Moon's Lily Gladstone for Best Actress. Pic: Yorgos Lanthimos/Scout Pictures
Without a doubt, one of the toughest acting races, the two front-runners for Best Actress are Lily Gladstone for Killers Of The Flower Moon and Emma Stone For poor things. They've both won elsewhere this awards season and are both undeniably great in their roles. Gladstone has already made history as the first Native American actress to be nominated for an Oscar, so her win would be a big moment of progress, while Stone has won before which could put her at a disadvantage. I still think it could go either way.
Best director
Area of Interest director Jonathan Glazer is one to watch in this category – but can he beat the great Christopher Nolan? Image: A24
Christopher Nolan He never won an Oscar. I know this seems unlikely, and the team had to triple check that this was definitely the case when this year's nominations were announced. However, after this weekend, that statement will almost certainly no longer be true as the Inception and Dark Knight director must finally get his roses for Oppenheimer. If anyone were to cause discomfort, I'd look to fellow British director Jonathan Glazer, whose area of interest is disturbingly impressive – but the momentum is definitely with Nolan.
Best picture
Oppenheimer will likely clean up at the Oscars. Pic: Universal Pictures
Having won elsewhere, Oppenheimer looks likely to take home the night's top prize as well, and when he does he will have cemented himself as the rare beast of a box office hit and a cult hit. But the great thing about this year's Oscars is that there are no real misses on the Best Picture shortlist, they are all worth seeing and also prove that, despite the various challenges it faces, the film industry produces exciting and innovative work – and that work resonates with… Moviegoers. A win for both filmmakers and audiences.
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