We’re getting down to the nitty gritty with less than two months to go to the biggest show. The Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and SAG’s have made their nominations, and the Academy has released their shortlists of finalists in a few categories. Some of my predictions still hold strong, while a few have fallen flat. But the question remains, will the Oscars follow the momentum laid by the previous award circuit shows, or will they forge their own path? Only time will tell, but here are my final early Oscar predictions for the remaining categories.
So Let’s Begin with Makeup and Hair Styling
(We think) the nominees will be:
“Bombshell”
“Hustlers”
“Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”
“Joker”
Some people may scoff at this award, but what makeup and hair stylists do is actually extremely important to the truth of a film. If it’s set in a certain time, they have to have the right looks to fit the era, and if they don’t, it makes the film less believable. What also helps elevate these films above others is what the makeup and hair styling add to the films they’re in. Done well, they add a character on their own. Perhaps some movements or gestures don’t work right if the look isn’t right. That’s what they do, and they do it well.
Also in contention: “Downton Abbey”, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”, “Dolemite Is My Name”, “Judy”, “Little Women”
Moving on to Best Visual Effects
(We think) the nominees will be:
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Cats”
“The Irishman”
“1917”
The Academy released its shortlist of those films still in the running for a Visual Effects nomination with only ten films remaining, meaning they only have to cut that list in half. What stunned most people about the shortlist in this category was Ford v. Ferrari and Ad Astra suspiciously missing, but it may be due to just about every film in this category having a much larger scale than they do when it comes to VFX. If that’s the case, I’m looking at the film with the highest amount of scale to walk away victorious here.
Also in contention: “Gemini Man”, “The Lion King”, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Next, Let’s Look at the Contenders for Best Score
(We think) the nominees will be:
Alan Silvestri for “Avengers: Endgame
Hildur Guðnadóttir for “Joker”
Randy Newman for “Marriage Story”
Thomas Newman for “1917”
Michael Abels for “US”
What can only be described as a “nail-biter” category here. For me, it’s a dead-set 5-way tie. Each of these scores are easily on my top 10 of the year. Silvestri’s orchestra gives you all the feels throughout Endgame, and feels truly like a culmination, while Hildur’s Joker is hauntingly beautiful with classic strings. The Newmans both have emotionally charged films with heart wrenching scores to match, and Michael Abels’ score for US should haunt your dreams. I don’t know where to go with this one, but it will be the one where no one leaves angry as each composer is uniquely excellent in what they’ve brought to their films.
Also in contention: Alex Weston for “The Farewell”, Michael Giacchino fo “Jojo Rabbit”, Alexandre Desplat for “Little Women”, Theodore Shapiro for “Bombshell”, Edward Norton for “Motherless Brooklyn”
Finally, Let’s Look at the Competition for Best Original Song
(We think) the nominees will be:
“Speechless” from “Aladdin”
“Into The Unknown” from Frozen 2
“Stand Up” from “Harriet”
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”
“Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” from “Wild Rose”
The Academy’s shortlist has it whittled down to 15 songs, but these were the strongest contenders we believed when we listened to each of the nominees. These songs are about longing, about joy, about freedom. There are anthems and power ballads. It’ll be a joy just to watch all of these nominees get a chance to perform on the Oscar stage, but we think Cynthia Erivo goes home with the trophy on this night and becomes the youngest EGOT in history for her powerful uplifting song from the Harriet Tubman biopic.
Also in contention: “Catchy Song” from “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”, “Spirit” from “The Lion King”, “Daily Battles” from “Motherless Brooklyn”, “A Glass of Soju” from “Parasite”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn19xvfoXvk&w=1252&h=704]
And as we draw ever nearer to February 9th in the Dolby Theater, I’m curious as to what your choices for the nominees will be, and we’ll see how well we all did when the nominations officially roll in. Enjoy the Critic’s Choice Awards, The Golden Globes, The Screen Actors Guild, and stay tuned throughout all of awards season.
See you at the movies!
