The 2024 Academy Awards promise to be a celebration of cinematic excellence, showcasing the diverse talent and creativity that have graced the silver screen over the past year. From breakout performances to groundbreaking storytelling, each category holds a trove of contenders vying for the coveted golden statuette. The race for Best Picture is often at the forefront of speculation, with films that resonate emotionally, socially, or artistically standing as prime contenders. This year, movies like ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘The Zone of Interest,’ ‘Anatomy of a Fall‘, ‘Past Lives‘ and more are battling against each other to win the night’s top prize. All the movies in the category are different from each other and that’s why this year’s Oscars are so special.
Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ has won every precursor prize and is poised to take home the most number of trophies at the 96th Academy Awards. It has received 13 nominations at this year’s event, just one shy of tying the record.
Meanwhile, the acting categories are a battleground of talent, where seasoned actors and rising stars are competing for the ultimate prize. From Cillian Murphy‘s haunting portrayal of J Robert Oppenheimer to Da’vine Joy Randolph’s stunning performance as the grieving mother, this year’s acting nominees didn’t leave any stone unturned to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Amidst the speculation and anticipation, predicting the Oscars involves a delicate balance of critical analysis, industry insights, and a touch of intuition. As the red carpet unfurls and the envelopes are opened, the 2024 Oscars will undoubtedly provide a night of suspense, surprises, and celebration for the extraordinary talent that has graced theaters throughout the year. Here are our final predictions in all the major categories for the 96th Academy Awards.
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Will Win: ‘Oppenheimer’
Could Win: ‘The Zone of Interest’
There seems to be no competition in this category. ‘Oppenheimer’ swept the entire awards season with the most number of accolades and won at every big event. So, it doesn’t come as a shock when every prediction list has ‘Oppenheimer’ as the winner in the list.
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![](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1320445-scaled.jpeg)
OPPENHEIMER, written and directed by Christopher Nolan
Best Director
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Will Win: Christopher Nolan, ‘Oppenheimer’
Could Win: Jonathan Glazer, ‘The Zone of Interest’
Jonathan Glazer did a fantastic job of giving viewers a different and haunting perspective of the Holocaust. However, it was Christopher Nolan who kept us on the edge of our seats with a 3-hour biopic. He made the aforementioned biopic the biggest film of the year and also the most important one.
![](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_6820.jpeg)
![](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_6820.jpeg)
Christopher Nolan (CBS/Golden Globes)
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Will Win: Cillian Murphy, ‘Oppenheimer’
Could Win: Paul Giamatti, ‘The Holdovers’
Cillian Murphy didn’t enter the race as the favorite. However, as time passed, it became clear that the guilds and critics associations realized how powerful his performance was. His wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, SAG Awards, and Critics’ Choice Awards have made him an undeniable favorite in this category.
Best Actress
Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Will Win: Lily Gladstone, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Could Win: Emma Stone, ‘Poor Things’
The Best Actress race this year is very interesting. The decision to have Gladstone in the Lead Actress category baffled everyone. But it seems the industry loved her work so much that it didn’t matter which category she was nominated in. Meanwhile, Emma Stone closely followed her and won several accolades for her performance in ‘Poor Things’. Although it’s pretty difficult to choose in this category, we’ll go ahead and predict Lily Gladstone as the winner. It would be a historical win for Gladstone and a welcome change as well.
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![](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_6821.png)
Lily Gladstone (CBS/Golden Globes)
Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Will Win: Robert Downey Jr.
Yep, here we don’t believe anyone else could take the trophy. By winning almost every award on the horizon, Downey Jr. has made it impossible to think of anyone else as the winner in this category. The actor took the world by storm by making a sort of comeback to more hard-hitting cinema. This is one of the few categories where the winner has already been chosen.
![Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss un ‘Oppenheimer’ (Universal)](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4546.jpeg)
![Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss un ‘Oppenheimer’ (Universal)](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4546.jpeg)
Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss un ‘Oppenheimer’ (Universal)
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Will Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, ‘The Holdovers’
Another category where no one needs to think about who to choose. Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s stunning performance in ‘The Holdovers’ took everyone by storm. Since the beginning of this awards season, Randolph has been one of the few names who have managed to win accolades from the smallest groups of critics. So, Randolph is surely taking the trophy home.
![](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/holdovers08312389-8ea165305d11443290ac6a96298d2b3d.jpg)
![](https://coastalhousemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/holdovers08312389-8ea165305d11443290ac6a96298d2b3d.jpg)
Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Paul Giamatti in ‘The Holdovers’ (Focus Features)
Best Original Screenplay
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall
David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, Maestro
Samy Burch, May December
Celine Song, Past Lives
Will Win: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’
Could Win: David Hemingson, ‘The Holdovers’
It’s a travesty that Justine Triet’s extraordinary ‘Anatomy of a Fall might not win many awards at the biggest night of Hollywood. However, the Screenplay category might turn out to be the one where Triet could triumph. Although she might face tough competition from Hemingson (‘The Holdovers’), ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is the predicted winner in this category.