Oscar Watch: 2020 Academy Award Nomination Predictions


It’s that time again, people. For folks like me who write about movies for a living, Awards Season is like the Super Bowl and the gift that keeps on giving. With the nominees being announced on Monday, January 13, Oscar Watch is ready to reveal its predictions for who will hear their name called at that unholy hour of the morning for those of us on the west coast! We kid, we kid! For the Academy Awards, we’d stay up all night, get up early, whatever it takes.

Since I was 14-years-old, I have predicted the winners, but it has been in the last 20 years where I have taken it a step further and predicted the nominees. It hasn’t gotten any easier.

In fact, in the last couple years as they (thankfully) have diversified, it has been a bit more of a challenge to gaze into the cinematic crystal ball and figure out who exactly is going to score the most coveted nomination in Hollywood.

So, without further ado, sit back and get ready: It’s go time, people!

Best Picture:

The Irishman
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
1917
Parasite
Jojo Rabbit
Marriage Story
Little Women

Could be: Ford v. Ferrari, The Farewell, Bombshell, Knives Out, The Two Popes

Best Actor:

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Antonio Banderas, Pain & Glory
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Could be: Taron Egerton, Rocketman, Robert De Niro, The Irishman, Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems

Best Actress:

Renee Zellweger, Judy
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Could be: Awkwafina, The Farewell, Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

Best Supporting Actor:

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Song Kang Ho, Parasite

Could be: Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes, Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy

Best Supporting Actress:

Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell
Florence Pugh, Little Women

Could be: Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit, Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell, Annette Bening, The Report

Best Original Screenplay:

Knives Out
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Marriage Story
1917
Parasite

Could be: The Farewell, Booksmart

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Irishman
Little Women
Jojo Rabbit
The Two Popes
Joker

Could be: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Best Cinematography:

1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Joker
Parasite
The Lighthouse

Could be: Ford v. Ferrari, A Hidden Life

Best Costume Design:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Little Women
Rocketman
Dolemite is My Name
The Irishman

Could be: Downton Abbey, Jojo Rabbit

Best Film Editing:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Ford v. Ferrari
The Irishman
Parasite
1917

Could be: Joker, Uncut Gems, Jojo Rabbit

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

Bombshell
Joker
Rocketman
Judy
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Could be: Dolemite is My Name, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Downton Abbey

Best Production Design:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women

Could be: Parasite, Ford v. Ferrari, Joker

Best Score:

Joker
1917
Little Women
Marriage Story
Us

Could be: Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Frozen II

Best Song:

Into the Unknown, Frozen
I’m Gonna Love Me Again, Rocketman
Stand Up, Harriet
Glasgow, Wild Rose
Spirit, Lion King

Could be: Speechless, Aladdin, Catchy Song, Lego Movie 2

Best Sound Editing:

1917
Ford v. Ferrari
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker
Rocketman

Could be: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Joker, The Irishman

Best Sound Mixing:

1917
Ford v. Ferrari
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker
Rocketman

Could be: Joker, Ad Astra, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Visual Effects:

1917
The Irishman
The Lion King
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Could be: Alita: Battle Angel, Gemini Man

Best Animated Feature:

Toy Story 4
Missing Link
I Lost My Body
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Could be: Abominable, Weathering with You

Best Documentary Feature:

Apollo 11
American Factory
The Cave
The Biggest Little Farm
For Sama

Could be:One Child Nation, Maiden