Every year, the Oscars nominate the best films for a slew of awards. As the public waits with bated breath to find out the official nominations, many people have taken it upon themselves to make their own predictions. The list below is my predictions for the official 2025 Oscars nominations in three categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Best Picture Nominations:
Conclave
Wicked
The Brutalist
Anora
I have long joked that the winner of Best Picture is always a film where everyone is depressed and angry, and the main character dies at the end. It is no secret that the Academy has a proclivity to select smaller and artsier films, so I highly doubt that a blockbuster like “Wicked” or “Gladiator II” will win the top prize. I predict the Oscars will “hold space” for “Wicked”, as it did for Barbie last year during the award show’s programming. But, like its predecessor, “Wicked”’s nomination would be more of a shout-out than an actual spot in contention for the award. I predict that “Anora,” a film about a Brooklyn sex worker who enters an unhappy marriage with the son of a Russian Oligarch, “Emilia Perez,” a film about a Cartel boss with gender dysphoria, “The Brutalist,” a film about a Jewish architect trying to find a new life after WWII, and “Conclave,” a film about the dark secrets uncovered during the selection of a new Pope will all be nominated. I also predict that Wicked stars Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande will show up in green and pink outfits respectively and do something that will become an instant internet meme.
Best Actor Nominations:
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Normally, the leads of the films that are nominated for Best Picture are also nominated for individual awards. Accordingly, two of the leading men for the films that I said would be nominated for best picture appear on my best Actor List: Adrien Brody and Ralph Fiennes for their work in “The Brutalist” and “Conclave,” respectively. I predict that Colman Domingo, Timothée Chalamet and Jesse Eisenberg will round out the Best Actor nomination list. Domingo’s film, “Sing Sing,” follows a group of prisoners who are members of the Rehabilitation Through Arts Program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The film, which critics have lauded as one of the best of 2024, stars all formerly incarcerated men, besides Domingo. Due to the impact and emotion of this film, it is poised to capture some awards during Oscars night. Chalamet’s film, “A Complete Unknown,” is a biopic of Bob Dylan. While many biopics struggle to capture the essence of the person they portray, Chalamet has no such problem. Should he take home the award, he would be the youngest winner of the Best Actor award ever! The final actor on the list, Jesse Eisenberg, stars in “A Real Pain” as an American Jewish man who travels to Poland with his cousin to reconnect with their family history. The film explores the family dynamics of the cousins who feel a sense of separation due to events in their lives.
Best Actress Nominations:
Mikey Madison – Anora
Cynthia Ervio – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Demi Moore – The Substance
Angelina Jolie – Maria
There will be a similar competition for Best Actress as there is for Best Actor. After leading the nominations for the Golden Globes, it is quite likely that Emilia Pérez will receive many Oscar nods including a nomination for Karla Sofía Gascón for Best Actress. It is also quite likely that Mikey Madison will see a nomination for her leading role in “Anora” and Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked.” In addition, I predict that Angelina Jolie will receive a nomination for her role in “Maria,” a biographical thriller about the life of opera singer Maria Callas. I also predict that Demi Moore will be nominated for her highly discussed role as Elisabeth Sparkle in the breakout hit “The Substance,” which follows an aging fitness guru (Moore) who uses a mysterious substance to create a younger, more perfect version of herself.
Many excellent films have been released this year, and it is a shame that not all of them can gain the recognition they deserve. I wish all of the films in contention the best of luck with their bids for these highly prized awards!
