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Oscar Nominations 2021: The Final Predictions

by Diego Andaluz
written by Diego Andaluz
A collage of The Trial of the Chicago 7, Minari, and Nomadland, films that reach the top of our 2021 Oscar predictions.

The staple of the awards season, the Academy Awards (commonly known as the Oscars) bring with them a flurry of films hoping to strike gold. With schedules being shifted, films being removed from contention, and the entire season being delayed, this year looks to be one full of surprises, twists, and turns. Since our last report, the Critics Choice Awards have propelled new underdogs into the race after the chaos of the Golden Globes. What does this mean for the Academy Awards? Luckily, Awards Editor Diego Andaluz will guide the way and help you get a leg up on your Oscar predictions. What will the official nominations look like when announced on Monday, March 15? They always prove to be somewhat unpredictable, but let’s find out!

You can find the full list of nominee’s here for the upcoming SAG Awards set to take place before the Oscars on April 4 also right here on DiscussingFilm.

Best Picture

Frontrunners:

  1. The Trial of The Chicago 7
  2. Nomadland 
  3. One Night In Miami
  4. Mank

Likely Nominees:

  1. Minari
  2. Promising Young Woman
  3. Judas And The Black Messiah
  4. The Father
  5. Sound of Metal
  6. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Possible Spoilers:

  • News of The World
  • The Mauritanian
  • Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm

Other Possibilities: 

  • Da 5 Bloods
  • The United States vs. Billie Holliday
  • Soul
  • Hillbilly Elegy
  • Malcolm & Marie

Best Actor

Frontrunners:

  1. Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
  2. Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
  3. Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)

Likely Nominees: 

  1. Gary Oldman (Mank)
  2. Steven Yeun (Minari)

Possible Spoilers:

  • Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian)
  • Tom Hanks (News of The World)
  • Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round)
  • Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)

Other Possibilities: 

  • Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm)
  • John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie)
  • Lakeith Stanfield (Judas and The Black Messiah)
  • Kingley Ben-Adir (One Night In Miami)

Best Actress

Frontrunners: 

  1. Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)
  2. Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
  3. Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
  4. Andra Day (United States vs Billie Holliday)
  5. Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of A Woman)

Possible Spoilers:

  • Zendaya (Malcolm & Marie)
  • Amy Adams (Hillbilly Elegy
  • Rosamund Pike (I Care A Lot)

Other Possibilities:

  • Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead)
  • Kate Winslet (Ammonite)

Best Supporting Actress

Likely Nominees: 

  1. Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)
  2. Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian)
  3. Amanda Seyfried (Mank)
  4. Olivia Colman (The Father)
  5. Yuh Jung-Youn (Minari)

Possible Spoilers:

  • Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of A Woman)
  • Maria Bakalova (Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm)

Other Possibilities

  • Helena Zengel (News of The World)
  • Dominique Fishback (Judas And The Black Messiah)
  • Saorise Ronan (Ammonite)

Best Supporting Actor

Frontrunners:

  1. Daniel Kaluuya (Judas And The Black Messiah)
  2. Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of The Chicago 7)
  3. Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night In Miami)

Likely Nominees: 

  1. Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods)
  2. Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)

Possible Spoilers:

  • Alan Kim (Minari)
  • David Stratharin (Nomadland)
  • Jared Leto (The Little Things)
  • Frank Langella (The Trial of The Chicago 7)

Other Possibilities:

  • Bill Murray (On The Rocks)
  • Stanley Tucci (Supernova)

Best Director

Frontrunners:

  1. Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
  2. David Fincher (Mank)

Likely Nominees:

  1. Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of The Chicago 7)
  2. Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
  3. Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)

Possible Spoilers

  • Darius Marder (Sound of Metal)
  • Regina King (One Night In Miami)
  • Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round)
  • Florian Zeller (The Father)

Other Possibilities

  • Paul Greengrass (News of The World)
  • Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)
  • George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
  • Shaka King (Judas And The Black Messiah)

Other Categories

Original Screenplay:

  1. The Trial Of The Chicago 7
  2. Promising Young Woman
  3. Minari
  4. Mank
  5. Sound Of Metal

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Judas And The Black Messiah, Soul, Palm Springs

Adapted Screenplay:

  1. Nomadland
  2. One Night In Miami
  3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  4. The Father
  5. Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: News of The World, The White Tiger, The Mauritanian

Animated Feature:

  1. Soul
  2. Wolfwalkers
  3. Over The Moon
  4. Onward
  5. The Croods: A New Age

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: The Willoughbys, Shaun The Sheep: Farmageddon

Documentary Feature:

  1. Time
  2. All In: The Fight For Democracy
  3. Collective
  4. Crip Camp
  5. Welcome To Chechnya

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Boys State, 76 Days, My Octopus Teacher, The Truffle Hunters

International Feature:

  1. Another Round
  2. Quo Vadis Aida?
  3. Collective
  4. Two Of Us
  5. A Sun

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Night of Kings, I’m No Longer Here, La Llorona, The Man Who Sold His Skin, Dear Comrades

Editing:

  1. The Trial of Chicago 7
  2. Nomadland
  3. Promising Young Woman
  4. The Father
  5. Sound of Metal

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Mank, News of The World, Tenet

Cinematography:

  1. Mank
  2. Nomadland
  3. News of The World
  4. The Trial of The Chicago 7
  5. Judas and The Black Messiah

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Cherry, Malcolm & Marie, Tenet, Minari, I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Original Score:

  1. Soul
  2. Mank
  3. News of The World
  4. Tenet
  5. The Trial of Chicago 7

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Minari, The Midnight Sky, The Little Things

Production Design:

  1. Mank
  2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  3. News of The World
  4. Tenet
  5. The Father

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: The Midnight Sky, The Trial of The Chicago 7, Mulan

Costume Design:

  1. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  2. Mank
  3. Emma
  4. Mulan
  5. The United States vs Billie Holliday

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: News of The World, The Glorias, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, The Personal History of David Copperfield

VFX:

  1. Tenet
  2. The Midnight Sky
  3. Welcome To Chechnya
  4. Mank
  5. The One And Only Ivan

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Birds Of Prey, Mulan, Soul

Sound:

  1. Sound of Metal
  2. News of The World
  3. Mank
  4. Greyhound
  5. Nomadland

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Trial of The Chicago 7, Soul, Tenet

Makeup and Hairstyling:

  1. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  2. Mank
  3. Hillbilly Elegy
  4. Birds of Prey
  5. Pinocchio

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, The Glorias

Original Song:

  1. Seen (The Life Ahead)
  2. Speak Now (One Night In Miami)
  3. Fight For You (Judas and The Black Messiah)
  4. Hear My Voice (The Trial Of The Chicago 7)
  5. Turntables (All In: The Fight For Democracy)

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Husavik (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga)

See the nominees for the 2021 SAG Awards here!

Follow Awards Editor Diego Andaluz on Twitter: @thediegoandaluz

Diego Andaluz is a filmmaker and journalist who currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the DFCA and Awards Editor of DiscussingFilm. Based in New York City and Miami, Diego is a member of numerous critics organizations and has been featured in outlets such as Deadline, Indiewire, and People while covering festivals and awards ceremonies. As someone from a Latin-American background, he is passionate about spotlighting work from diverse voices across the globe.

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