Season movie awards are nearing the climax as the Academy’s Oscars approach. The 95th ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with proceedings beginning in the late afternoon Pacific Time. The event unfolds over the weekend, extending into the early hours, and the traditional red carpet will be a focal point for fashion critiques starting late on the night before the ceremony.
Nine films vie for the Best Picture prize at this Oscars edition.
- No news from the front
- They Talk
- The Fabelmans
- Inisherin’s Banshees
- Triangle of Sadness
- Elvis
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- The Maverick of the Armed
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- TAR
The favorites to lift the statuette are Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans and the audacious Everything Everywhere All at Once, celebrated for its inventive scope and heartfelt storytelling.
Candidates for Best Director reflect the leadership behind five of the Best Picture contenders. The lineup includes:
- Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans
- Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness
- Todd Field for TÁR
- Martin McDonagh for Inisherin’s Banshees
The 95th Oscars continue to be a magnet for directors, with Spielberg once again a leading figure in forecasting outcomes.
Five actors will travel to Los Angeles to compete for the acting honors. Best Actress highlights include:
- Cate Blanchett for TÁR
- Ana de Armas for Blonde
- Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Michelle Williams for The Fabelmans
- Andrea Riseborough for To Leslie
With a strong slate, Ana de Armas and Michelle Yeoh are formidable contenders, but Cate Blanchett’s sustained excellence could drive a third Oscar in her collection.
The male acting category is competitive, with five nominees standing out as possible winners. Best Actor contenders are:
- Brendan Fraser for The Whale
- Bill Nighy for Living
- Paul Mescal for Aftersun
- Austin Butler for Elvis
- Colin Farrell for Inisherin’s Banshees
Colin Farrell’s acclaimed portrayal is firmly in the mix, yet Brendan Fraser’s return and Austin Butler’s iconic performance could shape the final outcome.
Five women have earned nominations for Best Supporting Actress:
- Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Stephanie Hsu for Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Hong Chau for The Whale
- Kerry Condon for Inisherin’s Banshees
Angela Bassett is widely favored to become the first Oscar winner from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though others in the category are strong competitors.
The Best Supporting Actor race features Ke Huy Quan, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Judd Hirsch as contenders. Ke Huy Quan’s laudable work in Everything Everywhere All at Once has garnered abundant praise and could secure the prize.
In the realm of screenwriting, the Best Original Screenplay field includes strong writers such as Martin McDonagh, Todd Field, Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans, Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness, and Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The ensemble remains a difficult forecast, though The Fabelmans has a pronounced following in this category.
Beyond the major categories, several other awards recognize technical and artistic achievement. Notable nominations include Best Production Design, Best International Feature, Best Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Original Song, Best Documentary, Best Original Score, Best Animated Feature, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Short Documentary, Best Animated Short, and Best Live Action Short. The field features a mix of longstanding favorites and new voices, reflecting the broad spectrum of contemporary cinema.
Among the production design nominees, Avatar: The Way of Water leads alongside Babylon and Elvis. The international film race includes No news from the front, Argentina, 1985, Silent Girl, EO, and Closed. The ceremony also highlights live-action categories and a range of technical achievements, underscoring the breadth of talent recognized by the Academy. [Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, awards archive].