Amid controversies about pre-taping eight important Oscars categories including Best Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, amongst others, (Let’s not forget the many, many nominees snubs!) to the inclusion of a new Fan Favorite category to possibly boost the dwindling numbers of the coveted award show, Oscars 2022 has been THE talk of the town! With the “one week to go” countdown commenced, the prediction game of who’s going to win is at an all-time high.
Before the Award Season 2022 began, there was a lot of unpredictability as to who will win the top honours at the 94th Academy Awards. However, thanks to the likes of Golden Globes, BAFTAs, SAG Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, etc. the concluding winners’ lists has more or less confirmed the big winners for the biggest night in Hollywood. While The Power of the Dog has mostly cemented itself for a Best Picture and Best Director Oscar win, even the acting categories are more or less signed, sealed and delivered. Unless The Academy has plans to take us by surprise, there won’t be many “Aha!” moments next Monday, IST, at least for the top honours.
Nevertheless, here is Pinkvilla’s prediction of who will win the big awards of the night at Oscars 2022:
Best Picture
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Will Win: The Power of the Dog
Should Win: The Power of the Dog
With a staggering 12 nominations and a clean sweep with Best Picture wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards, Jane Campion’s eye-opening Western The Power of the Dog is a shoo-in to take home the biggest win of the night, and deservedly so.
Best Director
Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
Will Win: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Should Win: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion, who is already an Oscar winner (Best Original Screenplay for The Piano), has already deservedly clinched the Best Director awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice Awards and Directors Guild of America Awards. Just like the Best Picture win, the Best Director nod is coming home to The Power of the Dog and if won, history will be made as it will be the first time that a female director has won Best Director at the Oscars for two consecutive years, following Chloé Zhao’s historic win with Nomadland at the 93rd Academy Awards.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom!
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Will Win: Will Smith, King Richard
Should Win: Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom! or Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
With Best Actor wins at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards, Will Smith will finally be winning his “overdue” Oscar for a heartwarming performance in King Richard as Venus Williams (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams’ (Demi Singleton) supportive father Richard Williams. If The Academy have a surprise trick up their sleeves, also in the running to win Best Actor could be Andrew Garfield, who won a Golden Globe for playing Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick… Boom!, or even Benedict Cumberbatch, who many believe delivered his best performance to date as Phil Burbank in The Power of the Dog.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Will Win: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Should Win: Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos or Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Adding another name to the “overdue” Oscar list, we have Jessica Chastain, who has already taken home the Best Actess honours, for portraying the eccentric evangelist-TV personality Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, at the SAG Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards. She’s the one most likely to win her first Oscar this year unless Nicole Kidman, who won the Golden Globe, or Kristen Stewart rain on her parade and take the Oscar for Best Actress instead for also playing famous real life personalities, Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos and Princess Diana in Spencer.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
Troy Kotsur, CODA
Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Will Win: Troy Kotsur, CODA
Should Win: Troy Kotsur, CODA
With Best Supporting Actor wins at the SAG Awards, BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice Awards and Independent Spirit Awards, we’re positive that Troy Kotsur is all set to make history as the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for his riveting performance as Ruby Rossi’s (Emilia Jones) father Frank Rossi in CODA.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Judi Dench, Belfast
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Will Win: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Should Win: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Anita from West Side Story is such a larger than life personality, that it comes as no surprise that Ariana DeBose will soon be following her predecessor Rita Moreno’s foot-tapping steps and clinching an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, with wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, SAG Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards already under her multi-hyphenate belt.
It will indeed be a spectacular night with many first time winners at the Oscars 2022!
Do share your predictions with Pinkvilla as to who you think will win big at the Oscars 2022 in the comments section below.
Oscars 2022 takes place on March 28 at 5:30 am IST. To check out the 94th Academy Awards‘ full nominations list, then head on to our ALSO READ link below.
Source:Pinkvilla.com