The 92nd Annual Academy Awards is this Sunday Feb. 9 at 8pmET on ABC. It’s the Earliest Oscars Ever – and a one-and-done situation. The show will go back to the end of February next year. So how will the scrunched awards season impact the grand finale?
There are locks in some of the major categories (all 4 acting ones). Others, like the Screenplays and Animated Feature, are coin flips. And the biggest one of them all is still very much up in the air.
Here are my Oscar Picks in all 24 categories:
Best Picture – “Parasite”
Best Director – Sam Mendes, “1917”
Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Best Actress – Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
Best Supporting Actor – Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Best Supporting Actress – Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Best Original Screenplay – Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin-Won, “Parasite”
Best Adapted Screenplay – Taiki Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”
Best Animated Feature – “Klaus”
Best Animated Short Film – “Hair Love”
Best Documentary Feature – “American Factory”
Best Documentary Short Film – “In the Absence”
Best International Feature – “Parasite”
Best Live-Action Short Film – “Nefta Football Club”
Best Costume Design – “Jojo Rabbit”
Best Production Design – “Parasite”
Best Cinematography – “1917”
Best Film Editing – “Parasite”
Best Makeup & Hairstyling – “Bombshell”
Best Visual Effects – “Avengers: Endgame”
Best Sound Editing – “1917”
Best Sound Mixing – “1917”
Best Original Score – “Joker”
Best Original Song – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”, “Rocketman”
“Parasite” will lead the way with 5 wins, followed by “1917” with 4 and “Jojo Rabbit” and “Joker” with 2 each. Unlike last year, when every Best Picture nominee won at least one Oscar, “Ford v. Ferrari”, “The Irishman”, “Little Women” will all be shut-out… unless The Academy chooses to reward them. It’d be Film Editing for “Ford”, Adapted Screenplay or Costume Design for “Women”. I’m still not sure where “Irishman” would get some love. And is it possible for “Parasite” to go 6 for 6? That means Bong Joon-Ho would also have to win Best Director.