There’s one name on everyone’s mind this Sunday: Oscar.
It’s almost the end of another awards season, and this one has been particularly grueling for cinephiles, even earning the title of the most toxic one in years. It had a little bit of everything, from scandals involving artificial intelligence (“The Brutalist”) and intimacy coordinators (“Anora”) to resurfaced instances of blackface (“I’m Still Here”) and racism and Islamophobia (“Emilia Pérez”).
But despite all the messiness, film fans are eagerly awaiting the results of the Academy Awards. While last year’s race seemed largely determined from the start (“Oppenheimer” took home seven Oscars), there’s still a few questions about who will win in a few key races this year. To help you fill out your Oscar ballot ahead of the big show, The Desert Sun’s cinephile Ema Sasic is providing her picks for who is most likely to win the coveted gold statue, and which nominees could emerge as dark horses.
What day is the Oscars 2025?
The 97th Academy Awards will air at 4 p.m. Pacific, 7 p.m. Eastern Sunday, March 2.
Where will the Oscars be streaming?
You can watch the Oscars live on ABC or stream them on Hulu.
Whos hosting the Oscars?
Conan O’Brien will be the host of the 2025 Oscars.
Without further ado, who are our predictions:
Best Picture contenders: ‘Anora’ and ‘Conclave’
Who will win: “Anora”
Who could win: “Conclave”
All signs point to Sean Baker’s “Anora” to take home the best picture prize. The film took the Cannes Film Festival by storm, winning the coveted Palme d’Or, and it recently won at the Producers Guild Awards, a big precursor for this category. So far this century, 17 of the eventual best picture winners won at the PGAs, giving a big boost to this indie marriage-gone-bad dramedy. However, “Anora” faces steep competition this year from the very-relevant “Conclave,” which recently won big at the BAFTAs and SAG Awards, and possibly “The Brutalist,” which is poised to win in other Oscar categories. I’m tentatively sticking with “Anora” because those guild wins are hard to ignore, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the other two sneaks in at the last second.
Best Director contenders: Sean Baker of ‘Anora’ and Brady Corbet of ‘The Brutalist’
(L-R) US director Sean Baker and US actress Mikey Madison pose with the Best Picture award for “Anora” in the press room during the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on February 7, 2025. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Who will win: Sean Baker, “Anora”
Who could win: Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
Baker may come out on top in the best director category as well. He recently won the honor at the Directors Guild Awards, which really should seal the deal. However, Corbet’s directing achievements for “The Brutalist” cannot be ignored. The epic 3 1/2 hour film he brought to life on a $10 million budget is an unbelievable feat, and he’s garnered a few directing awards along the way too (Golden Globe and BAFTA). It’ll be another nail-biter until the envelope is read.
Best Actress contenders: Demi Moore, Mikey Madison and Fernanda Torres
Demi Moore is photographed on the red carpet during the Palm Springs International Film Awards in Palm Springs, Calif., Jan. 3, 2025.
Who will win: Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Who could win: Mikey Madison, “Anora” or Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Ah, the best actress category. It’s always the most interesting race and, in recent years, an increasingly difficult one to call. This year is no different with three women with a great chance of winning the gold man. Demi Moore continues to collect trophies for her raw performance in “The Substance” (Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award and SAG Award), and I’d say she has the leg up in this category. But she’s not in the clear yet. There’s Mikey Madison, who delivered a towering performance in “Anora,” for which she received the BAFTA. If her film is destined to win best picture at the Oscars, voters may go for her here as well, especially because she’s the heart of the film. Let’s also not forget about Fernanda Torres and her powerful turn in “I’m Still Here.” She won at the Golden Globes, and it’s clear the Brazilian film has fans in the Academy, as it also received a surprise best picture nomination. For now, I’m putting my faith in Moore to take it home, even if the Academy isn’t always warm to horror films. However, considering that the past two best actress winners (Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and Emma Stone for “Poor Things”) were awarded for “wacky” roles, I choose to believe this plays in Moore’s favor.
Best Actor contenders: Adrien Brody and Timothee Chalamet
Who will win: Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Who could win: Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
“The Brutalist” star Adrien Brody should make some room for a new Oscar on his awards shelf because all roads point to victory at this point. Already an Academy Award winner for “The Pianist,” Brody strikes gold again with his towering performance in “The Brutalist,” showing us a life journey unlike any other. If he does face competition in this category, it’s with Timothée Chalamet, who had a surprise win for “A Complete Unknown” at the SAG Awards. I personally wish Colman Domingo was more in the conversation for “Sing Sing,” one of the most moving films from 2024, but I’d also be happy with a Brody win.
Best Supporting Actress contenders: Zoe Saldana, Ariana Grande and Isabella Rossellini
Actress Zoe Saldana of “Emilia Perez” greets fans while stepping out to the red carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Awards in Palm Springs, Calif., Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
Who will win: Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
Who could win: Ariana Grande, “Wicked” or Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
After “Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofía Gascón’s controversial tweets were discovered, many wondered how that would impact her co-star Zoe Saldaña’s awards chances. Given that she’s won a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, SAG Award and BAFTA, I think it’s safe to say she’s going to win the Oscar next. Even though “Emilia Pérez” has had its fair share of criticism, most agree that Saldaña is electrifying and so deserving of her achievements. But if voters are turned off by the film entirely post-everything, they might look to Ariana Grande for “Wicked,” who has been nominated at every turn for her role as Galinda/Glinda, or maybe even Isabella Rossellini for “Conclave,” who finally got a nomination after decades of great work.
Best Supporting Actor favorite: Kieran Culkin
Kieran Culkin of “A Real Pain” accepts the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards in Palm Springs, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
Who will win: Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
“Succession” star Kieran Culkin has sailed through victory this season, picking up every major precursor award up to this point (Golden Globe, Critics Choice, BAFTA and SAG), so it would be foolish to bet against him. He’s not my personal pick for this category — Guy Pearce’s performance in “The Brutalist” was so enthralling, as was Jeremy Strong’s turn as cutthroat lawyer Roy Cohn in “The Apprentice” — but even I have to resign.
Best Animated Feature contenders: ‘The Wild Robot’ and ‘Flow’
Who will win: “The Wild Robot”
Who could win: “Flow”
“The Wild Robot” and “Flow” have been neck and neck this season. The former won at the Critics Choice and Producers Guild, the latter won at the Golden Globes and they both won their respective best animated feature categories at the Annie Awards. It’s not an easy race to call, but I’m going with “The Wild Robot” for now.
Best Original Screenplay contenders: ‘Anora,’ ‘The Substance’ and ‘A Real Pain’
Who will win: “Anora”
Who could win: “The Substance” or “A Real Pain”
“Anora” could emerge as victor in the original screenplay category on Sunday as well. Baker won the Writers Guild Award a few weeks ago, so another Oscar might be in his hands. Then again, many of the nominees in this category were not eligible for the WGA, so it might not be as clear cut after all. Other possible winners could include “The Substance,” which won the screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival, or Jesse Eisenberg’s BAFTA-winning “A Real Pain.”
Best Adapted Screenplay contenders: ‘Conclave’ and ‘Nickel Boys’
Who will win: “Conclave”
Who could win: “Nickel Boys”
I’m confident that “Conclave” will take home at least one Oscar, and it’s most likely in the adapted screenplay category. Peter Straughan’s catty script, adapted from Robert Harris’ novel of the same name, is biting, engrossing and just plain fun — who would have thought picking the next pope could involve all that? Straughan has won numerous awards already this season, so the Oscar seems imminent. His most likely competitors are “Nickel Boys” co-writers RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes. It’s a beloved film in the industry and won at the WGAs (“Conclave” was not eligible here”).
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Oscars 2025: When are the Oscars? And who will win an Academy Award?
