It is the biggest night in the movie business. The Academy Awards – better known as the Oscars – celebrates film every year and is the most coveted appreciation of talent and acting skill. The nominations have been announced for the best films of 2022, with the ceremony taking place in March.
We thought we would have a go at predicting who will win some of the most prestigious awards, so you can get a little help with your bet on Oscars night.
Best Picture
There is a very mixed, if a little mainstream, bag of films nominated in this category this year. Alongside box office smashes like Avatar: The Way of the Water and Top Gun: Maverick, there is also the critically acclaimed The Banshees of Inisherin and the much-hyped Everything Everywhere All at Once.
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But it does feel as though there is one film that stands out as a surefire winner. The Fabelmans is an autobiographical film from Hollywood royalty Steven Spielberg and it would surely be a surprise if any of the others get more votes than this one, no matter how good they are.
Best Actor
Last year’s award for best actor went to Will Smith for his portrayal of Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, in King Richard. But that has almost been forgotten after his infamous attack on Chris Rock. This year’s winner will hope to have a memorable night for more traditional reasons.
Brendan Fraser has gotten a lot of attention for his role in The Whale – and clips of spontaneous applause in theaters have gone viral. But The Banshees of Inisherin is a very award-friendly movie and that could be enough for Colin Farrell to pick up the award in what could be a very good night for Ireland.
Best Actress
After the #OscarsSoWhite scandal of a few years ago, there has been further controversy this year about the absence of black talent in the nominations – especially in the best actress category. Both Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler may have expected to have been named here.
The surprise nomination was Andrea Risborough for her performance in To Leslie. But it was not that unexpected, in the end, after a well-funded and celeb-heavy endorsement campaign. She will probably still come away empty-handed, however, with Cate Blanchett looking good for the Oscar.
Best Director
There was more controversy with an all-male list of nominations in the best director category. But it does look like a very interesting battle for the award. Steven Spielberg will undoubtedly get a lot of attention for the aforementioned The Fabelmans, but may not be able to claim both awards on the night.
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The winner here could be Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All at Once. This unique picture was able to capture the imagination of both the awards people, as well as more trendy and cool cinemagoers. That’s quite an achievement – and the Daniels may end up being rewarded for that.
Other Names to Look Out For
Avatar: The Way of the Water will undoubtedly win something for the visual effects but may not take too many other Oscars this year – alongside some of the other films that have enjoyed a whole raft of nominations, All Quiet on the Western Front being one of them. With the ongoing situation in Ukraine, horror of war movie seems very pertinent right now.
Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Banshees of Inisherin could also take home a haul of awards across the categories. On a night when the Oscars could be concentrated on just a few titles.
Whoever does end up winning, it is sure to be a glamorous and glittering occasion, as ever. After the last few years. It just feels nice to be able to get back to normal and enjoy these prestigious red-carpet occasions.