The race for gold is upon us. And no, I’m talking about the Olympic gold this February. I’m talking about the Oscar gold in March.

It’s that time of year when we can fully cherish last year’s cinematic endeavors. 

On Sunday, March 15th, Conan O’Brien will be the official host of the 98th Oscars on ABC. 

This is a year for celebration, as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners broke the record with 16 Oscar nominations, surpassing the record of 14 previously held by films such as All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land.

The Golden Globes kicked off awards season. This resulted in certain individuals being named the “front-runners” in various categories. 

However, the Golden Globes divide their film categories into two: Best Motion Picture, Drama, and Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. So, regardless of the hype surrounding an actor, especially after the Golden Globes, that does not mean they’ll be up to winning a prestigious Academy Award, as the Oscars narrow down the competition to only the best. 

The best sign of who will win an Oscar will be at the Actor Awards (formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards), which will take place on March 1st.

Even if they don’t win, that doesn’t mean these films, actors, directors, and writers should be praised any less. As their contributions to cinema deserve appreciation.  

To even be nominated, they must be selected by a jury of their peers who are active members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and are eligible to vote for the Oscars. Categories are broken down so only actors can vote for actors, directors for directors, etc. Although specific categories, such as Best Picture, allow all members to cast their vote. 

Once nominations have been made, the Academy does another round of voting before an individual can cast a vote. To vote, they must watch all the films nominated in that category. This is a new rule implemented this year, which should have been a no-brainer to begin with. 

I must admit, I have not seen all of these movies…yet. With that being said, I will give my way-too-early Oscar pool bet. Either I’ll look like a genius, or this self-proclaimed cinephile will look like a fool. 

Without further ado, it’s showtime, folks. 

Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees:

• Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
• Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
• Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
• Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
• Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)

I loved Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance in Sinner, and Leonardo DiCaprio is a legend, but I’d bet that Timothée Chalamet will take home his first Oscar this spring. 

His performance in A24’s Marty Supreme has everyone raving. Chalamet, portraying the titular character, Marty Mauser, strives to become a table tennis world champion. 

This is yet another nomination under his belt, making him the youngest person to receive three different best actor nominations. 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

• Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another)
• Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
• Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
• Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
• Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)

First off, look at this list of names and give them a round of applause. 

These gents never give a bad performance, and three of them are receiving their first-ever nominations. With that being said, I’m putting my chips down on Stellan Skarsgård. 

I have not watched a single bad Skarsgård performance. My favorite performance was his portrayal of Luthen Rael in the underappreciated masterpiece, Andor. 

In Sentimental Value, Skarsgård portrays an estranged, narcissistic father directing his comeback feature, starring his daughter. 

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees:

• Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
• Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
• Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
• Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
• Emma Stone (Bugonia)

On Oscar Sunday, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Emma Stone’s name read out as the winner of this category. 

Stone is always a safe bet.

Bugonia is one of those movies that didn’t get enough credit this award season. I really thought Stone’s costar Jesse Plemons was going to be nominated. 

However, I think Jessie Buckley will take home the gold for her portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, in Hamnet. I’m not afraid to admit I was unfamiliar with Buckley until last year. I’ve seen her in shows and movies, but I couldn’t remember her name. 

However, her magnificent performance in Hamnet gave me a reason to remember her. I can’t wait to watch her in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride this March as she tackles the role of Frankenstein’s better half. 

Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

• Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)
• Amy Madigan (Weapons)
• Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
• Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)

This is the tough category. 

I have it narrowed down between Amy Madigan and Teyana Taylor. And I’m going to go back to Oscar stereotypes and pick Teyana Taylor lifting her first Academy Award. 

It’s well-known that the Oscars usually don’t nominate horror performances. This year, they nominated a whole slew of them, including Madigan’s portrayal of Aunt Gladys. 

However, I believe this is a red herring to appease the masses. Hence, I believe that Teyana Taylor will win this category. 

Directing

Nominees:

• Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
• Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)
• Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) 
• Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value) 
• Ryan Coogler (Sinners) 

Ryan Coogler should win this award, but my gut says Paul Thomas Anderson will. 

Anderson has created some great films over the years, including There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza, and has yet to win a single Oscar in this category. 

I think this is the year the Academy will return the favor for all of his cinematic works over the years. 

Best Picture

Nominees:

• Bugonia
• F1
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Train Dreams

Finally, the Academy Award for Best Picture will go to… but before we say that, I would like you to admire this list. 

If you haven’t watched all these films (myself included), we need to make sure to give them a watch. Most of these have found a streaming home, so they are now easily accessible if you missed them in theaters. 

With my way-too-early guess, I have One Battle After Another taking home the Academy Award. I personally would love Sinners to win, but I have a feeling the Academy is going to shaft it in the major categories, only allowing it to win in original score and costumes. 

Of course, there are tons of other categories, such as two writing categories, original score, costumes, original song, and much more. To see the complete list of nominations, check out the AMPAS official website. 

Now we wait till March 15th to see if I’m goated at Oscar predictions or if I’m just a fool.