The day has finally arrived to celebrate 2023’s fantastic slate of films. I took the majority of last year not writing reviews, but I was certainly enjoying them. Looking over the many films I saw in 2023 (74 to be exact), there is a lot to celebrate and praise. So just as I have done the past few years, here are my final predictions on what films walk away with each award. Just as with previous years, I will live-update this post with the actual winners as well.

Sound

The Creator, Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

Maestro, Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

Oppenheimer, Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell

The Zone of Interest, Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

The sound category is normally a hard one for me to have a good prediction for, but Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is by far and away the frontrunner for many of the technical awards. If I were to pick a dark horse to maybe win it I would probably lean towards The Creator, but the likelihood of an upset is incredibly low.

Winner: The Zone of Interest, Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

Original Score 

American Fiction – Laura Karpman

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — John Williams

Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson

Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson

Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix

Best Score is one of the many categories where Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was snubbed. Being a music person myself I personally think the best score behind Spider-Verse was American Fiction‘s by Karpman, but she hasn’t had a lot of momentum in this awards season. The two best predictions are between Göransson’s score for Oppenheimer and Robertson’s Killer’s of the Flower Moon.

Winner: Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson

Original Song 

“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot, music and lyric by Diane Warren

“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie, music and lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony, music and lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon, music and lyric by Scott George

“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Yet another category where Spider-Verse was snubbed. That aside, best song should be going to “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. Best song should go to the song that works best within the framework of the film and exemplifies the greatness of whatever scene it is used in, and “What Was I Made For?” was the emotional glue that allowed the fantastic Barbie movie to conclude as perfectly as it did.

Winner: “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Makeup and Hairstyling 

Golda, Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue

Maestro, Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell

Oppenheimer, Luisa Abel

Poor Things, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston

Society of the Snow, Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé

To me this category is a toss up between Maestro and Poor Things. I personally lean more towards Poor Things as the makeup and hairstyle blended perfectly into the films abstract, absurdist style, whereas Maestro‘s nomination is mostly for the incredible prosthetic work done to make Bradley Cooper appear almost exactly like a younger Bernstein.

Winner: Poor Things, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston

Costume Design 

Barbie – Jacqueline Durran

Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West

Napoleon – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick

Poor Things – Holly Waddington

Best costuming is a particularly though category this year. For me, it’s a toss up between Barbie and Poor Things.

Winner: Poor Things – Holly Waddington

Live Action Short Film

“The After,” Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

“Invincible,” Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

“Knight of Fortune,” Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

“Red, White and Blue,” Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

Normally I don’t predict the live-action short category because I never get to watch them, but if “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” doesn’t win I will be gobsmacked.

Winner: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

Animated Short Film 

“Letter to a Pig,” Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

“Ninety-Five Senses,” Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess

“Our Uniform,” Yegane Moghaddam

“Pachyderme,” Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

“War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,” Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Winner: “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,” Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Animated Feature Film 

The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Elemental, Peter Sohn and Denise Ream

Nimona, Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary

Robot Dreams, Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal

Both Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron and Lord & Miller’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were in my top 10 films of the year for 2023 (numbers 6 and 2 respectively), and it is baffling to me that neither were nominated for Best Picture. That said, I’m unsure as to how the academy is going to vote in this category this year. On one hand, Spider-Verse is filled with groundbreaking animation and is one of the greatest animated sequels ever made. On the other, The Boy and the Heron is a beautiful story told through a classic animation style that is rarely seen in film today.

Winner: The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Visual Effects

The Creator, Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould

Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould

Napoleon, Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

There is zero doubt in my mind that The Creator will be walking away with this award. The visuals in this film are near flawless and it’s even more stunning when considering the film’s low budget.

Winner: Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima

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

This category is yet another toss up between Barbie and Poor Things. Between the realization of Barbieland and Poor Things‘ surreal Victorian-era Europe, I cannot comprehend any of the other nominees taking this by surprise.

Winner: Poor Things, production design: James Price and Shona Heath; set decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek

International Feature Film 

Io Capitano (Italy)  

Perfect Days (Japan)  

Society of the Snow (Spain)  

The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany) 

The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

I unfortunately was unable to see all of these films this year, but considering The Zone of Interest is also nominated for Best Picture, I would say that’s the safest bet.

Winner: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall – Laurent Sénéchal

The Holdovers – Kevin Tent

Killers of the Flower Moon – Thelma Schoonmaker

Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame

Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

I think the clear winner here is Oppenheimer. Between the cuts in time, perspective, and foreshadowing, Oppenheimer succeeds as a film because of its phenomenal editing.

Winner: Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame

Documentary Feature Film 

“Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek

“The Eternal Memory,” Maite Alberdi

“Four Daughters,” Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha

“To Kill a Tiger,” Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim

“20 Days in Mariupol,” Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath

Winner: “20 Days in Mariupol,” Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath

Documentary Short Film 

“The ABCs of Book Banning,” Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic

“The Barber of Little Rock,” John Hoffman and Christine Turner

“Island in Between,” S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien

“The Last Repair Shop,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

“Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó,” Sean Wang and Sam Davis

Winner: “The Last Repair Shop,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Cinematography 

El Conde – Edward Lachman

Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto

Maestro – Matthew Libatique

Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema

Poor Things – Robbie Ryan

I think Hoytema’s work on Oppenheimer is the clear favorite going into the awards tonight. The only dark horse I see usurping expectations is possibly Killers of the Flower Moon.

Winner: Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema

Adapted Screenplay

“American Fiction,” written for the screen by Cord Jefferson

“Barbie,” written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach

“Oppenheimer,” written for the screen by Christopher Nolan

“Poor Things,” screenplay by Tony McNamara

“The Zone of Interest,” written by Jonathan Glazer

Strangely, this is a category that I think Oppenheimer is going to lose (despite its unique style of being written in first person). I think instead, this is either going to Poor Things or American Fiction. While Poor Things is my personal favorite between the two films, I think American Fiction has the stronger script and is my pick for this category.

Winner: “American Fiction,” written for the screen by Cord Jefferson

Original Screenplay

“Anatomy of a Fall,” screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

“The Holdovers,” written by David Hemingson

“Maestro,” written by Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

“May December,” screenplay by Samy Burch; story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik

“Past Lives,” written by Celine Song

Prior the plagiarism accusation that came to light yesterday, I would have immediately have given this award to The Holdovers. However, if academy voters were privy to the accusations made against Hemingson during voting, I think Past Lives is the favored script here. Personally, after reviewing the claims made against The Holdovers‘ script, I think the plagiarism claims are wildly grasped at, so I would personally still vote for its script.

Winner: “Anatomy of a Fall,” screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

Actor in a Supporting Role

Sterling K. Brown — American Fiction  

Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon  

Robert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer  

Ryan Gosling — Barbie

Mark Ruffalo — Poor Things

This is RDJ’s year. His performance in Oppenheimer was staggeringly good and is widely considered to be one of the best performances of the year. I do not see any possibility of him losing this award.

Winner: Robert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer  

Actress in a Supporting Role 

Emily Blunt — Oppenheimer 

Danielle Brooks — The Color Purple 

America Ferrera – Barbie

Jodie Foster — Nyad  

Da’Vine Joy Randolph — The Holdovers

Much like RDJ, Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s acting in The Holdovers is a career defining performance. She has swept throughout all of the awards circuit and I do not expect the Academy Awards to be any different.

Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph — The Holdovers

Actor in a Leading Role 

Bradley Cooper — Maestro

Colman Domingo — Rustin

Paul Giamatti — The Holdovers  

Cillian Murphy — Oppenheimer  

Jeffrey Wright — American Fiction

This year’s Best Leading Actor category is STACKED. Everyone is assuming that this will be Cillian Murphy’s year. I personally preferred both Giamatti and Wright’s performances in their respective films, but I have zero qualms with Murphy winning.

Winner: Cillian Murphy — Oppenheimer  

Actress in a Leading Role 

Annette Bening — Nyad  

Lily Gladstone — Killers of the Flower Moon  

Sandra Hüller — Anatomy of a Fall  

Carey Mulligan — Maestro

Emma Stone — Poor Things

Best Actress is a two horse race between Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone. This is a bit of a hot take, but I personally don’t see Lily Gladstone’s part as a lead role. Also, I think Emma Stone just had a meatier part and a part that required significantly more. Personally, this should definitely go to Stone.

Winner: Emma Stone — Poor Things

Best Director 

Justine Triet — Anatomy of a Fall 

Martin Scorsese — Killers of the Flower Moon 

Christopher Nolan — Oppenheimer  

Yorgos Lanthimos — Poor Things 

Jonathan Glazer — The Zone of Interest

While the foregone conclusion is that Oppenheimer is the film that will finally give Nolan his first Best Director Oscar, I believe the winner should be Lanthimos. Do I expect an upset to happen? Absolutely not.

Winner: Christopher Nolan — Oppenheimer

Best Picture

American Fiction, Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, producers

Anatomy of a Fall, Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, producers

Barbie, David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, producers

The Holdovers, Mark Johnson, producer

Killers of the Flower Moon, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, producers

Maestro, Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers

Oppenheimer, Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, producers

Past Lives, David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, producers

Poor Things, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, producers

The Zone of Interest, James Wilson, producer

Once again, the forgone conclusion is that Oppenheimer is winning Best Picture. That said, The Holdovers was may number 1 film of 2023, and Poor Things was my number 3. I would be elated if either of these films pulled an upset this year, but I see a near zero chance of it happening.

Winner: Oppenheimer, Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, producers