Predicting the nominees and winners of all 23 categories

It's awards season again before the Oscars 2025
and the list of eligible films that could receive nominations and potentially win an Oscar shows the scope of greatness at 2,024 films. Before the 97th Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2025It is up to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to nominate five films in all 23 categories, with Best Picture being the only category to receive ten nominations. The 2024 Oscar winners saw Oppenheimer dominate the field, but there doesn't appear to be an overall leader when it comes to 2025 nominees and winners.

While Official Oscar 2025 nominations will be announced by January 17, 2025Preparing for this date leaves room to predict which films and creatives will be recognized in each category. Big budget fares like Gladiator II or Dune: Part Two have Oscar hopes in many categories, especially when it comes to recognizing Ridley Scott or Denis Villeneuve. There are also smaller, critically acclaimed indies like anora, Emilia Pérezand The Brutalist in good shape to win despite a major Oscar rules change. Each of these films and many others are among Screen speechThe nominations and predicted winners for the 2025 Oscars.

23

Best Photo

Winner: Anora

The Best Picture race for the 2025 Oscars is already forming a strong group of contenders for the top. anora, Conclave, Emilia Pérezand The Brutalist These are the four who appear to be in the best position to receive nominations. Anora has the Palme d'Or from Cannes 2024, as well as nominations from the Golden Globes, NBR, Gotham Awards, AFI and Film Independent Spirit Awards – which puts it in the lead when it comes to precursor recognitions. Still, the other three also have Golden Globe nominations and the expected nominations in other Oscar categories to put them near the top.

The biggest riser to this point is undoubtedly Evil. After its theatrical release Evil it won the NBR Best Film award and began climbing the prediction charts. The film is now expected to receive Oscar nominations in several below-the-line categories and possibly even emerge in the acting categories as well. With voters potentially looking for a more light-hearted film, Evil could perform well in preferential voting. Of course, if one film is growing so quickly, that also means others are falling.

Gladiator II is near the bottom of our Best Picture predictions at this point, as the film has lost its place among the 2025 Golden Globe nominees for Best Motion Picture – Drama. The film's more mixed reception and Scott's expressed interest in a third film also hurt its chances. Rather than replicating the success of the original 2000 Best Picture winner, Gladiator II could be lucky to end up among the nominees when all is said and done. If so, this could help more populist films like Dune: Part Two or Evil.

These are far from the only titles in the race for Best Film of 2025. Selection of Best International Feature Film in Brazil I'm still hereNetflix The piano lessonAmazon Nickel Boysand Jesse Eisenberg A real pain everyone has a realistic chance of securing a nomination. Luca Guadagnino Queer and Challengers could do well with voters, just like Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 or Maria after Angelina Jolie's rousing performance. The Academy could even bring animation back into the major category with The Wild Robot or Inside Out 2 or surprise when recognizing the horror when naming Nosferatus.

22

Best Director

Winner: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)

The 2025 Oscars could have some of Hollywood's biggest names among the nominees for Best Director. Denis Villeneuve was notably snubbed from the category in 2022 to Dunebut Dune: Part Two could be his chance to secure his first Best Director nomination since Arrival. However, at this point even Villeneuve's nomination chances appear to have diminished, as he lost the Golden Globe. Critics groups and WB's FYC campaign will try to keep it on the list and at the forefront of Oscar voters' minds.

Ridley Scott – our previous predicted winner in the category – has apparently already dropped out of the race for Gladiator II. His case was shaky at first as it was based more on the career aspect rather than the actual driving skills displayed in the sequel. Now that he is out of the expected nominees, The BrutalistThe film's director, Brady Corbet, is our likely 2025 Best Director Oscar winner. His 3-hour epic is an impressive demonstration of his skills and vision, and with the film's uncertain status of winning elsewhere, this could be a chance for the Academy to recognize a great achievement.

Jacques Audiard by Emilia PérezSean Baker by anoraand Edward Berger for Conclave are other names to watch out for as to who could win the Best Director award. This projected field notably lacks a woman nominee or a candidate of color, both of which have low nomination histories. Steve McQueen (Blitz), Coralie Fargeat (The substance), Payal Kapadia (Everything we imagine as light) and RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys) are some names that may arise. The same may be true for Jon M. Chu (Evil) and expanding the strong representation of Asian directors in recent years.

21

Best Actress

Winner: Angelina Jolie (Marie)

Best Actress is shaping up to be one of the most competitive categories at the 2025 Oscars. At the top of the race, there is a battle between Angelina Jolie (Maria) and Mikey Madison (anora) for who is the favorite to win. Right now, it's a tight race between the former Best Supporting Actress winner and the potential first-time nominee. Although the odds favor Mikey Madison winning the Oscar, Angelina Jolie is still our projected Best Actress Oscar winner in 2025. She has a strong narrative case and is bound to gain more momentum now that Maria is streaming on Netflix.

The changes in the race for Best Actress came with Nicole Kidman (Image: Disclosure)Little baby) and Cynthia Erivo (Evil) earning more praise. As a former winner, Kidman's bold performance in the erotic thriller brought her back into contention for her sixth Oscar nomination overall. Meanwhile, Erivo is building momentum toward securing her second Best Actress Oscar nomination thanks to her powerful lead role as the eventual Wicked Witch of the West. Gascón is also still in the mix and could make history as the first openly transgender person nominated for an acting Oscar.

There is still room for the full list of nominations to fluctuate as well, such as Saoirse Ronan (Overcoming) and Fernanda Torres (I'm still here) dropped out of our rankings. Demi Moore (The substance) is gaining some recognition for her performance, but it's unclear if there is enough support to place her in the final group. Meanwhile, Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard truths) is also increasing. The race is not over yet The room next doorThe two lead performances from Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, but they need a big boost soon for that to happen.

20

Best Actor

Winner: Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Stranger)

The Best Actor category for the 2025 Oscars is also one in which many stars could be included. A24 Release The Brutalist and Queer in 2024 immediately made Adrien Brody and Daniel Craig strong candidates for nominations in 2025. Sing SingThe release helped Colman Domingo make a big impression on viewers, a year after securing his first Oscar nomination for Rustin. Meanwhile, Timothée Chalamet's 2025 Best Actor win could come from multiple films, with Dune: Part Two and A complete stranger with the aim of giving him his second nomination.

At this stage, our predicted Best Actor winner for the 2025 Oscars is Timothée Chalamet for A complete stranger. He is a former nominee in the category thanks to Call me by your namebut his transformational role as Bob Dylan looks like it could win him the victory he missed out on last time. After all, if Rami Malek could win an Oscar for playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian RhapsodyChalamet facing off against another iconic musician in a major biopic could also win him favor with voters.

Coming in behind Chalamet for now is Ralph Fiennes. He was twice nominated for an Oscar, but it has been almost 30 years since he was last recognized. The Academy has awarded the Best Actor Oscar to a first-time winner in each of the last three yearsa streak that could continue with a victory for Fiennes, Chalamet, Domingo or Craig. If the Academy chooses a more legacy angle in the voting, Fiennes could very well emerge victorious, as Chalamet would be one of the youngest Oscar winners in history.

19

Best Supporting Actress

Winner: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

The race for Best Actress at the 2025 Oscars is very competitive while notable established stars and rising names look to make their mark. Those in the strongest positions include Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez and Ariana Grande for Evil. Both received widespread praise for their performances in their respective musicals, including their Golden Globe nominations. It wouldn't be surprising if the category ended up coming down to one of them winning, but which one will come out on top is certainly up for debate.

Zoe Saldaña delivers career-best performance in Emilia Pérezand its acclaimed dramatic twist could earn extra praise after spending so much time with Marvel and avatar. It seems like a clear choice for her first Oscar nomination and has a strong narrative case to win, as well as being linked to a major Best Picture contender. However, she has been at the forefront of the race for some time, leaving room for Grande to arrive late. If it's true that Ariana Grande is EvilIf she had her best shot at winning an Oscar, she could overtake Saldaña in March.

After being one of the biggest snubs at the 2022 Oscars following her role in Until, Danielle Deadwyler is still a strong contender for a nomination, even though The piano lesson isn't getting as much awards season attention as expected. Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) and Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) could count on the support of their likely Best Picture-nominated films to enter the race. Others still in contention include Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez), Mônica Bárbaro (A complete stranger), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys) and Saoirse Ronan (Blitz).

18

Best Supporting Actor

Winner: Denzel Washington (Gladiator II)

Is the Best Supporting Actor win at the 2025 Oscars for Denzel Washington to lose? This is certainly how it continues to be after Gladiator IIlaunch. The nine-time Oscar nominee received his first Oscar in the category in 1990 for Gloryand his only other victory for Training day came in Best Actor. And with him repeatedly talking about retiring in the near future, time may be running out for the Academy to have Denzel joins elite group of three-time Oscar-winning actors. Recognizing him for Gladiator II It's something everyone could root for.

That being said, Denzel Washington hasn't locked down this category. Kieran Culkin (A real pain) is gaining a lot of support for winning her first Oscar, including an NBR win and a Golden Globe nomination. If he can surpass Denzel in a few more shows, the Oscar could be his too. Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing) and Edward Norton (A complete stranger) are among the other predicted nominees, with Norton's place appearing the most vulnerable. This leaves some hope for people like Stanley Tucci (Conclave), Yura Borisov (anora) or Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) to enter.

17

Best Original Screenplay

Winner: Anora

The Best Original Screenplay category still needs an Academy rating to be fully determined. Saturday night is currently trying to campaign for the categoryalthough there is a chance it could move on to Best Adapted Screenplay, which is arguably a tougher category. Still, Sean Baker's script for anora was widely praised and recognized for the way it deals with its sex worker story and balances romance, comedy and drama. If a twist is coming, Jesse Eisenberg's script for A real pain appears to have the strongest arguments for doing so.

Not knowing exactly where Saturday night will be shown, it is possible that it will even receive a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. About that, The Brutalist, Blitzand September 5th are among the films still seeking openings. Other candidates who seem risky and in need of a strong campaign include Hard truths, His three daughters, Didiand Challengers. It's possible that any of these titles could emerge as favorites to win if anora loses because of its potential Best Picture win.

16

Best Adapted Screenplay

Winner: Emília Pérez

Best Adapted Screenplay could be another chance for the Academy to honor Emilia Pérez if the film fails to win Best Picture. Jacques Audiard's film could strengthen its position in other categories if it manages to emerge as a favorite in this category. And although Audiard has received much praise in his filmography, an Oscar nomination for his writing has eluded him. Emilia Pérez It's a chance to fix this and win by holding off the other competitors.

The piano lesson Is there any Oscar pedigree associated with Virgil Williams? co-write the script after receiving a nomination for Stuck in the mud. But it is Conclave, Sing Singand Nickel Boys that are rising faster. ConclavePeter Straughan has an Oscar nomination in the category of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyplacing it in second place, as the work adapted from Robert Harris' book wins praise. Audiard and Straughan are the only Golden Globe nominees at this stage, further strengthening their positions.

15

Best Animated Feature Film

Winner: The Wild Robot

Best animated feature film could be The Wild RobotIt's the Oscar to lose. Pixar was thought to be in a strong position to win with Inside Out 2 and its emotional exploration of puberty, anxiety, and growing up. However, The Wild RobotThe reviews marked just the beginning of the praise for DreamWorks' animated film about motherhood, family and technology versus nature. The incredible love for the film and Its beautiful hand-painted animation style makes it feel like the pioneer in a category that Pixar used to dominate.

The list of Oscar nominations for Best Animated Film may still vary. Inside Out 2 must be present and keep the Pixar prompt sequence intact. Flow is a strong contender after being selected as Latvia's entry for Best International Feature Film and receiving praise elsewhere. There are also stop-motion features Memoirs of a Snail and Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revenge and the anime The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim that could be contested. Disney is trying to achieve Moana 2 in the mix after joining our Oscar nominees in the Golden Globes lineup.

14

Best International Feature Film

Winner: Emília Pérez

The Best International Feature Film category is subject to drastic changes as the Academy's selection process unfolds. For now, Emilia Pérez could be the favorite to win after France officially selected him. The film could copy All Quiet on the Western Front for being an international competitor with Netflix distributionwhere it takes a win here instead of Best Picture. If not, then Germany The seed of a sacred figfrom Brazil I'm still hereand Denmark The girl with the needle could fight for victory – which are among the 15 finalists for nominations.

13

Best Documentary

Winner: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Although we previously predicted that Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story would enter the Oscar race, it was left off the list of nominees for Best Documentary. There are now 15 nominated finalists in the category in 2025. Netflix appears to be in a good position to win the category one way or another.

The 2025 Best Documentary Oscar Winner Could Come Down to Daughters and Will and Harperboth beneficiaries of Netflix support. The first explores the relationships between incarcerated men and their daughters through a beautiful story worthy of 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. About that, Will and Harper has major star power with Will Ferrell and a timely story about his friend coming out as a trans woman who could win over voters.

12

Best documentary short film

15 finalists are confirmed

The Best Documentary Short Film category finally begins to take shape for the 2025 Oscars. On December 17, 2024, the Academy released the list of 15 finalists to be nominated in the category. The documentary short films in dispute are: Chasing Roo, Death in Numbers, Eternal Father, I'm ready, director, Incident, Instruments of a beating heart, Guardian, Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World, Once upon a time in Ukraine, The only girl in the orchestra, Planetwalker, The Quilters, Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr, A swimming lessonand Until he comes back.

11

Best Animated Short Film

15 finalists were announced

The Best Animated Short Film category is also taking shape after the Academy announced 15 finalists for nominations on December 17. Au Revoir Mon Monde, A bear named Wojtek, handsome men, George bottle, A crab in the pool, In the shadow of the cypress, Magical Sweets, Maybe elephants, My, Origami, Do you understand?, The 21, Stroll to marvel, The Wild Spiced Cloveand Yuck!.

10

Best Live Action Short Film

The list of 15 finalists is known

The Academy has narrowed the list of candidates for Best Live Action Short Film to 15 finalists. As announced on December 17, the finalists who will receive nominations and eventually win Oscars are: Anuja, Clodaugh, The compatriot, Crust, Pombal, Limit of Space, The ice cream man, I'm not a robot, The Last Ranger, A guarantee, The man who couldn't remain silent, The masterpiece, A Jaffa orange, Paris 70and Occupied room.

9

Best Original Song

Winner: Emília Pérez

The Oscar 2025 Best Original Song category could go to Emilia Pérez to “My Path”. The Wild Robot has a strong competitor with “Kiss the Sky”, as well as Sing Sing with “Like a bird”. Usual Oscar contender Dianne Warren lost a spot on the nomination listjust like Miley Cyrus' song from The Last Showgirl and any consideration for Lady Gaga's work in Joke: Folie à Deux. The Academy also selected “Tell Me It's You” over “I Always Wanted A Brother” by Mufasa: The Lion King.

That leaves some room for the predicted nominees to change. It seems that Lin-Manuel Miranda's chances of being nominated for Mufasa: The Lion King disappeared, while Moana 2The only chance of nomination is “Beyond”. Emilia Pérez could be in a good position to receive double nominations for Best Original Song, following with “Mi Camino” and “El Mal.” The last vacancy is currently scheduled for “Winter Coat” from Blitzbut “There's no love in Oklahoma” (Twisted), “Piece by Piece” (Piece by piece) and “The Journey” (THE Six Triple Eight) could also enter.

8

Best original soundtrack

Winner: The Brutalist

It was widely expected that Hans Zimmer would win another Oscar for Dune: Part Twobut this was made impossible by being deemed ineligible to compete based on the rules associated with franchise films. Zimmer's absence opens the race much wider, with Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist) ready to emerge as a leader. There's still room for this race to change drastically, but all five films secured Golden Globe nominations. While the Globes are not always predictive, they encourage the composers associated with each score.

7

Better sound

Winner: Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two can continue the first film's success in the below-the-line categories with a win for Best Sound. The sound team on Denis Villeneuve's sequel did an excellent job once again and should be recognized with at least one nomination. If another film wins the category, A complete stranger and Evil are two strong candidates thanks to its musical elements. Still, the same could be said of Emilia Pérezwhile Gladiator II could also gain recognition.

6

Best visual effects

Winner: Dune: Part Two

The Oscar for Best Visual Effects can often go to a film where the VFX is so good and so subtle that viewers don't completely notice, as opposed to a title that is clearly CGI-heavy. This should work on Dune: Part Twofavor of winning another Oscar in the same category as the original. Still, it would be good for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes win here since the Planet of the Apes films have never won the Oscar for Best VFX despite its notable displays of motion capture technology and performance.

Gladiator IIThe CGI looks a little shakier compared to the other two titles, while Mufasa: The Lion King has the results of the 2019 Oscar-nominated live-action remake to top. Box office hits like Alien: Romulus, Eviland Twisted could enter the race, although Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was left off the list for further consideration. At the moment, Civil War may gain an edge due to its continued use of visual effects to bring war-torn American history to life, with an Alex Garland film having won the category before with Ex-machine.

5

Best Film Editing

Winner: Anora

Best Film Editing can often be a precursor to the Best Picture winner, as approximately two-thirds of film editing winners win best film. This trend may continue with anora winning both categories as we predicted. The Brutalist could pull off a surprise here thanks to how well the editing helps the three-and-a-half-hour drama move along. Emilia Pérezthe edition also gained recognition, while Dune: Part Two wait to follow Dunevictory in the category. Given ConclaveA strong overall performance is expected, if it's going to steal Best Picture, a nomination or win here helps.

4

Best costume

Winner: Evil

Costume design could be a place for the Academy to recognize Evil at the 2025 Oscars. The costumes designed to bring the Oz characters to life are bright and detailed, and the Intricate designs should catch voters' attention. Dune: Part Two has a lot of great costumes worth celebrating, like Florence Pugh's Irulan costumes, so the additional work done in the sequel can be celebrated. The period-accurate costumes for Nosferatus and Blitz fits with the Academy's tendency to highlight less flashy work, while Beetle juice Beetle juice could get an Oscar nomination for its creative clients.