Oscar Nominations 2024
The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards have been announced!
Today is an exciting day for film nerds everywhere! The nominations for the 2024 Oscars were announced this morning. Even for those of us who don’t care about award shows, the Oscar nominations are always hot topic for discussion. I’ve highlighted my personal picks in bold—not for who will win, but who I feel should win. I can’t wait to see the show to see how my picks turn out!
Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz host the announcement of the 96th Oscars® nominations, on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Image credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy Of A Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Past Lives
Poor Things
Oppenheimer
The Zone Of Interest
There are a lot of great films in this list, a testament to what a great year 2023 was for movies. You’ll recognize many in the list from our Best Films of 2023 roundup. I’d argue that Killers of the Flower Moon should take the award and likely will, unless we get an upset from Oppenheimer.
The Zone of Interest is a particularly powerful film; I saw it several days ago and I’m still haunted by it. Personally, I’d struggle deciding whether it should take the award over Killers of the Flower Moon. I think it’s more likely The Zone of Interest will take the Best International Feature award.
The only film I feel shouldn’t be on this list is Maestro. The praise for it is overblown and there have been far better biopics this year, such as Michael Mann’s Ferrari.
Will Win: Killers of the Flower Moon or Oppenheimer
Should Win: Killers of the Flower Moon
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
The Best Director category is stacked with towering giants of cinema. Everyone on this list deserves the award. Personally, I’d give it to Scorsese, though Lanthimos and Glazer come very, very close. Both of them made shocking, brilliant, rich films that are unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Will Win: Martin Scorsese
Should Win: Martin Scorsese
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
The only film I haven’t seen for this category is Nyad. My pick would be Lily Gladstone for her work in Killers of the Flower Moon, and I think it’s likely she’ll win. My second and third choices would be Sandra Hüller, who delivered tremendous performances in both Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, followed closely by Emma Stone, who gave a fantastic spoken and physical comedic performance in Poor Things. Carey Mulligan’s nomination in this category is the only one that Maestro deserved.
Will Win: Lily Gladstone
Should Win: Lily Gladstone or Sandra Hüller
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Colman Domingo - Rustin
Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction
If I had my way, this would be the year of Paul Giamatti. He was the best part of The Holdovers, and this would make up for his snub for Sideways. It’s likely that Cillian Murphy will take the award instead for Oppenheimer. In my estimation, Bradley Cooper in Maestro came off as an impersonation rather than a performance, and turned the movie into a vanity project; he should have rewritten it to focus on Carey Mulligan and taken a supporting role instead. I haven’t seen Rustin, but have heard great things about Colman Domingo’s performance.
Will Win: Cillian Murphy
Should Win: Paul Giamatti
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
America Ferrera - Barbie
Jodie Foster - Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers
I haven’t seen The Color Purple or Nyad. My pick would be Emily Blunt for Oppenheimer, though I would have personally nominated Florence Pugh instead for her tortured performance. Second for me would be Da’Vine Joy Randolph for her outstanding performance in The Holdovers. I have no idea who would actually take the award, though any award for Oppenheimer is probably a safe bet.
Will Win: Emily Blunt
Should Win: Emily Blunt
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
He won’t win, but I can’t overstate how much I loved Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things for gifting us with the funniest performance of the year—totally over the top, but he nailed it. I wouldn’t complain about Ryan Gosling getting awarded for his scene-stealing turn as Ken in Barbie. Sterling K. Brown is the surprise nomination for me in this list, and he’s totally deserving of the honor for his heartful, human performance that contrasts against Jeffrey Wright’s cutting cynicism in American Fiction. I’m going to guess that Robert De Niro or Robert Downey Jr. will get the award. De Niro was certainly excellent, but Robert Downey Jr. was the least interesting thing about Oppenheimer.
Will Win: Robert De Niro or Robert Downey Jr.
Should Win: Mark Ruffalo
Best Original Screenplay
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer - Maestro
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari - Anatomy of a Fall
David Hemingson - The Holdovers
Samy Burch - May December
Celine Song - Past Lives
Here’s another nomination for Maestro that it probably shouldn’t have gotten. The rest of the screenplays in the list present a very difficult choice. My pick is Anatomy of a Fall, though I can confidently say that the other remaining three are equally deserving. I think Anatomy of a Fall also has a very strong chance of actually getting the award. Asteroid City should have been nominated over Maestro.
Will Win: Hopefully anything but Maestro
Should Win: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for Anatomy of a Fall, since Asteroid City didn’t get a nod
Best Adapted Screenplay
Cord Jefferson - American Fiction
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach - Barbie
Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer
Tony McNamara - Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer - The Zone Of Interest
I’d give this one to Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest for his unconventional work, but I think a win is unlikely. Barbie is a strong contender, as is Oppenheimer. Cord Jefferson’s script for American Fiction may be the best thing about that movie. I think Poor Things is more remarkable for its direction and performances and likely won’t get the award.
Will Win: Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer or Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for Barbie
Should Win: Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Feature
The Boy And The Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Robot Dreams
I’ve only seen three of the nominees and one of those hasn’t been released in the US yet—Robot Dreams, which I’m very excited to see. Miyazaki’s multifaceted, semi-autobiographical The Boy And The Heron is deserving of the award, and likely will win. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t reach the heights of its predecessor. Though Nimona is a blast, it doesn’t touch the others on the list (that I’ve seen).
Will Win: The Boy And The Heron
Should Win: The Boy And The Heron
Best International Feature Film
The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany)
Io Capitano (Italy)
Perfect Days (Japan)
Society Of The Snow (Spain)
The Zone Of Interest (United Kingdom)
I’ve only seen two films from this list, both incidentally in German and both excellent. Even so, I think it’s a safe bet to say The Zone of Interest will win, since it’s unlikely it’ll take Best Picture. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen. I think Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days also has a chance since he’s never won an Oscar. It’s interesting to me that two of the movies in this category were in languages not native to their directors.
Will Win: The Zone of Interest or Perfect Days
Should Win: The Zone of Interest
Best Documentary Feature Film
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill A Tiger
20 Days In Mariupol
I haven’t seen any of these documentaries. I’m going to pick 20 Days in Mariupol for its timeliness.
Will Win: 20 Days in Mariupol
Should Win: ???
Best Documentary Short Film
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber Of Little Rock
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
I haven’t seen any of these, either. I’ll likely be going to see the compilation programs of all the shorts when they screen.
Will Win: ???
Should Win: ???
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue - Golda
Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell - Maestro
Luisa Abel - Oppenheimer
Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston - Poor Things
Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé - Society Of The Snow
I don’t know enough about makeup and hair, but if it was up to me Poor Things would get the award. Maestro has some impressive old age makeup and I think it’ll likely win.
Will Win: Maestro
Should Win: Poor Things
Best Original Score
Laura Karpman - American Fiction
John Williams - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Robbie Robertson - Killers of the Flower Moon
Ludwig Göransson - Oppenheimer
Jerskin Fendrix - Poor Things
I don’t completely remember the scores from these movies. All I know is that it’s criminal that Mica Levi’s dread inducing though its very sparsely used score for The Zone of Interest didn’t get a nomination. Since John Williams is on this list, I’d bet he’ll win for his astounding 54th nomination, second in number only to Walt Disney, who had 59.
Will Win: John Williams for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Should Win: Since Mica Levi wasn’t nominated for The Zone of Interest, it should be Jerskin Fendrix for Poor Things
Best Original Song
“The Fire Inside” - Flamin’ Hot (Diane Warren)
“I’m Just Ken” - Barbie (Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)
“It Never Went Away” - American Symphony (Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson)
“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” - Killers of the Flower Moon (Scott George)
“What Was I Made For?” - Barbie (Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell)
I’m going to guess that “I’m Just Ken” will take the award because of its ubiquity and crowd-pleasing musical number. I wouldn’t complain.
Will Win: “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
Should Win: “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
Best Sound
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
As you can probably guess from my running theme here, I didn’t think Maestro’s sound was remarkable. My pick would be The Zone of Interest. Its sound design is crucial to communicating the themes and rising dread and horror of the film. I think Oppenheimer will probably win, though.
Will Win: Oppenheimer
Should Win: The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Short Film
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
I haven’t seen any of these, either. My picks will have to wait.
Will Win: ???
Should Win: ???
Best Live Action Short Film
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Like the other shorts categories, I still need to see all of these. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar wins, especially since his excellent Asteroid City was completely snubbed.
Will Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Should Win: ???
Best Visual Effects
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
The only one I haven’t seen is Napoleon. If there was an award for stuntwork, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One should have won it. My pick is Godzilla Minus One for its amazing VFX done on what would be a shoestring budget. The Creator pulled off a similar feat, but Godzilla Minus One was jaw dropping. With its freshness in voters’ minds, I wouldn’t be surprised if Godzilla Minus One won.
Will Win: Godzilla Minus One
Should Win: Godzilla Minus One
Best Cinematography
Edward Lachman - El Conde
Hoyte van Hoytema - Oppenheimer
Matthew Libatique - Maestro
Rodrigo Prieto - Killers of the Flower Moon
Robbie Ryan - Poor Things
I’m going to stop shitting on Maestro. My personal pick would be Poor Things. I think Hoyte van Hoytema will win for Oppenheimer, though Killers of the Flower Moon’s Rodrigo Prieto has a chance.
Will Win: Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer
Should Win: Robbie Ryan for Poor Things
Best Editing
Laurent Sénéchal - Anatomy Of A Fall
Kevin Tent - The Holdovers
Thelma Schoonmaker - Killers Of The Flower Moon
Jennifer Lame - Oppenheimer
Yorgos Mavropsaridis - Poor Things
This is a tough category. I think Thelma Schoonmaker will take home her fourth Oscar (from her ninth nomination), though I could see several of the other editors easily taking the award since some voters might say she already has enough. I might personally choose Laurent Sénéchal for Anatomy Of A Fall.
Will Win: Thelma Schoonmaker for Killers Of The Flower Moon
Should Win: Laurent Sénéchal for Anatomy Of A Fall
Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran - Barbie
Jacqueline West - Killers Of The Flower Moon
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman - Napoleon
Ellen Mirojnick - Oppenheimer
Holly Waddington - Poor Things
Hollywood loves period film costume design. My pick would be Poor Things for its gorgeous costumes that are simultaneously period and futuristic sci fi. I think Barbie or Napoleon will take this one, though.
Will Win: Barbie or Napoleon
Should Win: Poor Things
Best Production Design
Barbie (Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer)
Killers Of The Flower Moon (Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis)
Napoleon (Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff)
Oppenheimer (Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman)
Poor Things (Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek)
Out of what’s up for the award, I think Barbie has the highest chance to win for the amazing job the team did translating the toy’s world to the screen. My personal pick is Poor Things for its gorgeous, idiosyncratic world that mashes Terry Gilliam, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Georges Méliès; it was one of the best looking films of the year.
Will Win: Barbie
Should Win: Poor Things
