Get ready for the Super Bowl for people who have crumbs in their bed and watch every television show and movie sideways with their head on their pillow and laptop 12 inches from their face. That’s right: get ready for The Oscars™!

There has been a lot of discourse and drama surrounding this year’s competition: Adrien Brody and the AI enhancement of his Hungarian accent in The Brutalist, K***a S***a G***n and all her heinous tweets jeopardizing the entire Oscar campaign for E****a P***z, Wicked being nominated for anything. 2024, at the very least, was an interesting year in cinema. It wasn’t up to par with 2023, the year in which my eye’s saw Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie, Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, The Boy and the Heron, and The Zone of Interest, to name a few. This year, however, might be the most entertaining year in cinema as of late. What it lacked in artistic merit, it made up for in unmitigated chaos and endless tabloid fodder. Instead of recapping all the drama, I want to use this time to dive into who I think are going to be the big winners at this year’s ceremony and who I think should be the big winners at this year’s ceremony, nominated or not. Without further ado:

Best Picture - Anora

Despite The Brutalist semi-sweeping the Best Picture category at most of the year’s awards ceremonies, I don’t think you can separate the AI drama from the minds of the Academy voters; it’ll be niggling at their consciences when they’re filling out their ballots. Now, I don’t think the AI enhancement of Adrien Brody’s Hungarian accent should be something that sullies the film in its entirety, and I don’t think it should have that much sway—if at all—in the decision to give The Brutalist its flowers, but I don’t think Academy voters will think the same way.

As a result, and in line with the recent momentum that Anora has been gaining, I think Sean Baker’s opus will take the crown—and deservedly so. Anora is not only a complete film with its stellar ensemble, expert writing, and crafty direction, but it also tells an important story about the humanization of and exploitation of sex workers, a topic that Baker is not foreign to. Anora is fast-paced, hilarious, heartfelt, and—for lack of a better word—epic. It would be a treat to see Baker win his first Academy Award in something this year.

Best Actor - Timothée Chalamet

Despite Adrien Brody semi-sweeping the Best Actor category at most of the year’s awards ceremonies, I don’t think you can—and I don’t think you should—separate the AI drama from the minds of the Academy voters. The case of The Brutalist is different; I don’t think one part of the lead actor’s performance being digitally modified should ruin the film as a whole, but I do think voters should take into consideration the use of AI enhancement when evaluating Brody’s performance.

The Best Actor award acknowledges and honors the craft that actors have toiled over in perfecting their roles, and if AI was used to help Brody’s performance, then he simply did not perfect his craft like, say, Timothée Chalamet did in A Complete Unknown. While I find A Complete Unknown a little stale and, at best, entertaining and fun, I cannot deny the work Timothée Chalamet put in to perfect this role. His guitar playing, his voice, his presence—everything is fulfilling for the viewer. The skill to capture an apocryphal figure like Bob Dylan while still incorporating your own artistic touches is no easy feat, and because of that—along with the AI drama tarnishing Brody’s award momentum—I expect Chalamet to dethrone Adrien Brody and become the youngest Best Actor winner in the history of the Academy Awards, cementing his place in acting history.

Best Actress - Mikey Madison

Mikey Madison is the embodiment of stardom. Her role of Anora in the eponymous film is so well executed that you don’t even realize she’s acting. I fully expected Mikey Madison to have a strong Brooklyn accent and New York City bravado, not a demure, valley girl aura and unbridled sweetness. Her performance in Anora is the type of perfection that is only actualized in viewing Madison off-screen; she became the role. Currently, Demi Moore is leading the category for most of the other awards ceremonies. However, because of the state of the Academy being a bunch of octogenarians who are scared of watching movies, I don’t expect them to award the lead actress in a stylized genre film, especially body horror. That being said—and still acknowledging my bias for Anora, Baker, and the entire ensemble—I do still think that Mikey Madison will shock the world and leave the Academy Awards with some shiny, new hardware.

Best Supporting Actor - Kieran Culkin

There is not much to be said. Kieran Culkin is the heartbeat of A Real Pain. The film, in my opinion, felt a little all-over-the-place, and nothing was resolved. Culkin brought an otherwise boring film to life. His humor, energy, and erraticism were infectious, and you cannot take your eyes off him. He commands the attention of everyone, both in the film and those viewing it. The case for Kieran Culkin is strong, and shockingly enough, I agree with all of the awards ceremonies in granting him this title. His momentum will continue into the Oscars, and he will walk away with his first Academy Award.

Best Supporting Actress - Zoe Saldaña

I don’t want to give this film any press, but this is what is going to happen. At the very least, Saldaña gave the best performance in the film (not saying much), and if E****a P***z has to be awarded anything, it is fitting for Saldaña to fill that shoe. I would love to see Isabella Rossellini win this award, but unfortunately, I don’t think her role in Conclave generated as much hype or screentime as Saldaña.

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There was something missing from this year’s Oscars™ ballot, but luckily, I can acknowledge it in this here column. Here is who I think should win the major awards this year:

Best Picture - Challengers

See here.

Best Actor - Josh O’Connor

See here.

Best Actress - Zendaya

See here.

Best Supporting Actor - Mike Faist

See here.

Best Supporting Actress - Zendaya

For Dune: Part Two.

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