The Oscars 2025 Race for Best Actress is positioned to be highly competitive as former winners, nominees and first-time hopefuls compete for the five available nominations. After the tight race in 2024 that ended in surprise when Emma Stone beat the presumed winner Lily Gladstone, the next crop of Best Actress contenders in 2025 could be just as tight. The category for rewarding an actress’ best lead performance is likely to have some crossover with the 2025 Oscars’ best picture nominees, even if male-centric films dominate the potential field.
This could put the Best Actress nominees in a completely different position than the 2025 Oscars Best Actor nominations. Some actresses in contention currently have leading roles in movies predicted to be outside the Best Picture lineup, even if they are ultimately recognized elsewhere among all Oscars 2025 nominations. Category jockeying is even still in play, with Two former Oscar winners from the same film confirmed to be competing in Best Actress now. With time remaining before nominations are announced on January 17, 2025, Screen Rants predictions for the nominees for Best Actress at the Oscars 2025 are below.
Actress |
Movie |
|
---|---|---|
1 |
Angelina Jolie |
Maria |
2 |
Mikey Madison |
Anora |
3 |
Saoirse Ronan |
The outrun |
4 |
Karla Sofia Gascón |
Emilia Perez |
5 |
Fernanda Torres |
I’m still here |
6
Others contending for the Oscars 2025 Best Actress
Former winners and nominees are still in contention
Although not currently in our predicted list of nominees, the Best Actress category for the Oscars 2025 still has many other contenders in the mix. The mentioned Oscar-winning co-stars are Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, who are the leads in Pedro Almodóvar The room next door. While the film put Almodóvar in the mix for the Oscars 2025 Best Director Award, Sony Pictures Classics decided to campaign both Swinton and Moore in Best Actress instead of putting one, Swinton, in Best Supporting. Whether that move works or splits their votes remains to be seen.
Nicole Kidman’s performances in Baby girl and Demi Moore in The substance Could also generate enough support to get nominated, as both boldly expose their physical appearances while delivering exceptional emotional work. It also wouldn’t be too surprising if Academy voters turned to former nominees like Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Emma Stone (Kinds of Kindness), Amy Adams (night beach), Florence Pugh (We live in time), and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard truths). Perhaps Lily Gladstone will even get in for it Fancy dance After her controversial loss in 2024.
5
Fernanda Torres – I’m still here
A potential first career Oscar nomination
Fernanda Torres could emerge as a best actress nominee for the Oscars 2025 thanks to I’m still here. Brazil’s entry for Best International Feature revolves around a family dynamic, but it’s Torres’ character that’s at the center. Early reviews pinpointed her exceptional performance as one of the best elements of the movieWhich is saying something for a film with a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the type of performance that should help make more audiences, including Oscar voters, familiar with the Brazilian star.
This would be Fernanda Torres’ first Oscar nomination, but the Brazilian actress has earned awards elsewhere during her long career. She has won best actress awards in different Brazilian festivals. Her greatest achievement was Winning Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986 for Love me forever or never. The academy’s growing international voting body could bring added support for Torres.
The Best Actress category has a relatively good track record of showing love to international performances
It is worth noting that the best actress category has a relatively good track record of showing love to international performances as well. Sandra Huller was nominated last year for Anatomy of a caseAnd Penélope Cruz was nominated in 2022 for Parallel mothers. There are also nominations for Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Isabelle Huppert (Everyone), and Marion Cotillard (Two days, one night) in the last decade. Torres could join the international wave in Best Actress, however No actress has won for a non-English speaking role since 2008 When Cotillard did it for La Vie en Rose.
4
Karla SofÃa Gascón – Emilia Perez
She is a standout in a Best Picture contender
Karla SofÃa Gascón is definitely in the running for a Best Actress nomination in 2025 yet Emilia Perez. While her co-stars Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez may be more well-known, Carla is ultimately the main one Emilia Perez As she plays the title role. And it’s the combination of Carla’s performance and Your connection to Emilia PerezS trans historyAs well as the film’s best picture contender status, which could propel her to her first Oscar nomination.
Karla SofÃa Gascón’s Oscar nomination would be historic if that happens. She would become the first openly trans person to receive an Oscar nomination. Elliot Page won the best actress Oscar in 2007 before he came out as a transgender man. The Academy and Hollywood have tried to become more inclusive and recognize the work of all members of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. The nomination would do just that since Karla SofÃa Gascón is a transgender woman.
It will not be surprising if Gascón becomes the center of Emilia Perezs Oscar campaign
There is already some momentum for Karla SofÃa Gascón to get a Best Actress Oscar nomination and possibly win. She shared with her the best actress award of Cannes Film Festival in 2024 Emilia Perez Co-stars Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz. It has been confirmed that Gascón will be in the running for Best ActressWhile her other co-stars will run for Best Supporting Actress. This gives you a way to get even more attention. It will not be surprising if Gascón becomes the center of Emilia Perezs Oscar campaign.
3
Saoirse Ronan – The Outrun
Will she finally win her first Oscar?
The Oscars 2025 Best Actress race could be the place for Saoirse Ronan to finally win her first Oscar. She had her first Academy Awards moment with her nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2008 for atonement. After a few years without any awards recognition, Brooklyn started an incredible run for her. Saoirse Ronan was nominated for three Best Actress Oscars in five yearsAnd despite the acclaim of her performances Brooklyn, Lady BirdAnd Little womenShe did not win any of them.
Saoirse Ronan’s best actress Oscar nominations |
||
---|---|---|
Movie |
Year |
Lost to |
Brooklyn |
2016 |
Brie Larson (Room) |
Lady Bird |
2018 |
Frances McDormand (Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri) |
Little women |
2020 |
Renee Zellweger (Judy) |
The continued losses are a surprise because there is no debate about Saoirse Ronan being one of Hollywood’s most talented 30 and under stars. This is shown again in The outrun. Ronan delivers a physically and emotionally demanding performance That almost demands to be taken seriously as an Oscars contender. The outrun May not make any other marks at the Oscars 2025, but the Academy should once again recognize Ronan’s work.
The question for Saoirse Ronan is whether Oscar voters and the awards season campaigns will swing enough votes her way. Since this would be the fifth time Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar, It’s a powerful story that it’s time to finally make her an Oscar winnerEven if previous performances were arguably better. This should be the time for Saoirse Ronan to join contemporaries like Jennifer Lawrence, Brie Larson and Emma Stone as Oscar winners. The outrun Will need a great campaign to help you secure the victory.
2
Mikey Madison – Anora
A breakout role could lead to an Oscar
Mikey Madison is another strong contender for the Oscars 2025 best actress award. She doesn’t have previous awards pedigree like Saoirse Ronan, however Madison is the star of what may be the best picture frontrunner in Anora. The young actress has continued to rise through Hollywood in recent years, whether she is working with Quentin Tarantino or joining the scream Franchise. It was only after these films that she landed the lead role in Sean Baker’s Anora, which explores new love and marriage as a stripper.
The case for Mikey Madison’s Oscar nomination in 2025 is coming through Anoras position for the overall awards season. It’s our predicted winner for Best Picture at the moment, while Sean Baker is also a strong contender for the Oscars 2025 Best Director category. Potential to earn nominations elsewhere works in Madison’s favor, as her prominent role in the film could garner even more support as the season continues. AnoraIts wide release in theaters will help Better put you, too.
Although a nomination feels like a safe bet for Mikey Madison at the moment, whether she can ultimately win depends on how the season progresses. If Anora Maintains a strong hold throughout the entire awards process or if other contenders slip, she may become the favorite. Mikey Madison would be one of the youngest Best Actress winners in Oscars history If she finally does win.
1
Angelina Jolie – Marie
Jolie could win her second Oscar
Angelina Jolie is the current frontrunner to win the Best Actress Oscar in 2025. She is all but guaranteed to get a nomination for her performance in MariaPablo LarraÃn’s biopic about Maria Callas. The Academy often likes to reward performances in biopicsEven if it rarely resulted in winning the best actress category in the last decade. That should not matter how much for Maria Thanks to Angelina Jolie’s involvement and the career story around what reviews do is an excellent, transformative performance.
The Academy hasn’t had many opportunities to give Jolie an Oscar nomination in the past two decades
This would be Angelina Jolie’s third Oscar nomination in her career, but the first in over 15 years. She was last nominated in 2009 for changingWhich was her first nomination in Best Actress. She was previously nominated in and Won Best Supporting Actress in 2000 for Girl, interrupted;. The Academy hasn’t had many opportunities to give Jolie an Oscar nomination in the past two decades, however Maria Looks to be a movie that is worth the recognition.
It is also worth noting that Oscar voters have a soft spot for the lead actress in a Pablo LarraÃn movie Recently. Kristen Stewart was nominated for Spencer In 2022, while Natalie Portman was nominated for Jackie In 2017. Neither Stewart nor Portman managed to win the best actress category, so Jolie can break the trend if she finishes first in voting. Since her performance is Marias best shot in an Oscars 2025 nomination, it would take some unexpected developments for you to completely miss the category.