2024 was a devastating year for Hollywood- from fires to repercussions of the writers strike, all hope was lost. Yet, studios, actors, and directors came together to produce some of the industry’s most iconic moments. From bizarre musical numbers in Emilia Perez to commentary on Donald Trump’s rise to power, this year has proved to be a powerhouse.
These are the Maroon and White staff’s picks of what will win (and what should win) at this year’s Oscars—in no particular order.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist:
Best known for being the youngest person ever to win the “Best Actor” Oscar in 2002 for his role in The Pianist, Adrien Brody started his career at a Performing Arts school, eventually acting in plays and television before moving onto an assortment of roles in Film Hollywood. He is nominated for his role as László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor and architect trying to make a life in America.
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown:
Timothée Chalamet first came into the starlight of Hollywood in his breakout role in Interstellar, quickly climbing up the ranks of Hollywood as an actor to pay attention to. Through roles such as Paul Atreties in Dune or Elio Perlman in Call Me By Your Name, Chalamet has already cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s biggest contemporary stars. Chalamet earned this nomination by playing the role of Bob Dylan in the biopic A Complete Unknown.
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing:
Colman Domingo is no stranger to the film industry, working as an actor, director, producer, and playwright. Beginning his career as a Broadway performer, he improved his resume through his dedication and impressive skills in supporting roles, earning his first leading role in 2024 as Bayard Rustin in Netflix’s Rustin. Since then, Domingo has won two Gotham awards for his role in Sing Sing, with an inspiring performance as Divine G—a man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave:
Best known as Voldemort in the Harry Potter films and Alfred in The Lego Batman Movie, Ralph Fiennes has been a prevalent face in the acting world for many years. Starting at the Royal National Theatre, he established his talent on the stage, eventually moving to the screen in 1991. Fiennes is nominated for his role as Cardinal Lawrence, a weary religious leader discovering the secrets of the catholic church in Conclave.
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice:
First gaining attention as the Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan has solidified himself as a fan-favorite in Hollywood. He has showcased his tremendous talent and acting range in his roles since he began in the 2000s. Stan is nominated for his role as Donald Trump in The Apprentice.
Our Pick: Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Our Prediction: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Yura Borisov – Anora:
Crowned the “Russian Ryan Reynolds,” Yura Borisov wowed the world with his role as Igor, a thug hired to keep an eye on Anora while she tries to save her marriage. He has garnered much attention from this role, with many praising his wonderful performance. Even as a supporting actor, he stole the show this awards season with eight major nominations.
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain:
With a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice award for his star-making turn in A Real Pain, Kieran Culkin has started the awards season off very strongly. Culkin has been acting since he was a very young child, appearing in Home Alone, Succession, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He is nominated for his performance as Benji Kaplan, a man reuniting with his estranged cousin while traveling to honor their grandmother.
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown:
Edward Norton is an actor, producer, director, and screenwriter, most known for his role as a depressed working-class man turned revolutionary in the cult-favorite Fight Club. Norton is an active force in the film industry. He is nominated for his role as Pete Seeger, a folk music activist who helped Bob Dylan get his big break in A Complete Unknown. Norton is often known to be an extremely hands-on actor, striving for pure authenticity. While playing the legend Seeger, Norton learned the banjo to do the folk hero justice.
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist:
Guy Pearce is an English-born Australian actor, known for his roles as a man with short-term memory loss searching for his wife’s killer in Christopher Nolan’s twisty film, Memento, and a book smart cop in a corrupt police Precinct in the acclaimed L.A. Confidential. Pearce has won several awards before, including an Emmy, but this year he is nominated for his supporting role as Harrison Lee Van Buren, László Tóth’s commissioner, in The Brutalist.
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice:
Jeremy Strong, known for his intense method of acting, started on stage in New York City, moving to TV and movies in 2008. Strong is renowned around the world for his intense acting methods and his role as Kendall Roy in Succession. He is nominated for his role in The Apprentice, in which he portrays Donald Trump’s mentor, Roy Cohn.
Our pick: Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Our prediction: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked:
After getting her start on Broadway in The Color Purple, Cynthia Erivo has dazzled audiences with her captivating voice and acting for several years.. She has built her strong fanbase through her raw acting and unfiltered emotions in films like Harriet and The Outsider. With a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy, this nomination is propelling her career to the next level, and would award her with EGOT status. She is nominated for her role as Elphaba in Wicked, a musical adaptation spectacular breaking box office records since its release in November.
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez:
Karla Sofía Gascón is a Spanish actress famous for her role in the comedy film We Are The Nobles. She gained recognition after her most recent movie and the reason for her nomination, Emilia Pérez. The highly controversial film and Gascón’s performance surprised and delighted audiences, earning her this nomination.
Mikey Madison – Anora:
Mikey Madison, known for her role in the Scream Franchise, started acting after her mom signed her up for a class at fourteen. She has appeared in many films and TV shows since then. However, none has been as impactful as her latest. In Anora, Madison plays a sex worker who gets her chance at a Cinderella story with a young rich man, although his family heavily disapproves of the match.
Demi Moore – The Substance:
Having been in the film industry since 1981, Demi Moore is not new to the acting world. Although she only won her first award—a Golden Globe—earlier this year, she has been a powerful force in show business, never giving up her determination. She is nominated for her part in the critically acclaimed film, The Substance. In it, Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, the star of an aerobics show, struggling with the effects of aging on her career. The Substance shocked the world, becoming Mubi’s highest-grossing box office release.
Fernanda Torres—I’m Still Here:
Fernanda Torres, a Brazilian actress and writer known for her dramatic and comedic roles, began acting at sixteen. She helped Brazilian cinema rebuild after the dictatorship era. In I’m Still Here, Torres plays a mother and wife trying to figure out what happened to her missing husband while keeping her family intact.
Our Pick: Mikey Madison, Anora
Our Prediction: Mikey Madison, Anora
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown:
Known for her breakthrough role in Top Gun: Maverick, Monica Barbaro is an ex-ballerina turned actress. She’s nominated for her role as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan’s ex-girlfriend. For her role in A Complete Unknown, Barbaro learned to play the guitar and sing for five months, setting her apart by her determination and work ethic, earning her this nomination.
Ariana Grande – Wicked:
From Broadway to Nickelodeon and popstar to movie star, Ariana Grande is truly a quadruple threat to stan culture. Following her lifelong love of the musical on Broadway, Grande got the opportunity to play Glinda in the Wicked movie, causing lots of fanfare. She is nominated for her amazing portrayal of the well-loved character Glinda, the main character Elphaba’s frenemy.
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist:
Felicity Jones, known for her role in Star Wars: Rogue One, has appeared in many films since her 2006 debut. With many awards under her belt, there is no sign of Jones slowing down her career. She is nominated this year for The Brutalist, in which she plays László Tóth’s wife and Holocaust survivor Erzsébet Tóth, who is struggling with the changes occurring in her life and her past experiences.
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave:
Isabella Rossellini is an Italian-born actress and model, known for her partnership with Lancóme and her role in Blue Velvet. Rossellini won this nomination through her hard work and dedication throughout her many years in the acting and modeling industry. Rossellini plays Sister Agnes in Conclave, a nun working at the Vatican during the tempestuous process of picking a new pope.
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez:
Zoe Saldaña is an American actress known for her roles in multiple major franchises, including Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy. She has already won 3 awards for her work as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Pérez, solidifying her iconic role as one most appreciated. Her role is a lawyer enlisted by a cartel leader to help the cartel leader disappear and transition into a woman.
Our Pick: Ariana Grande, Wicked
Our Prediction: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
BEST PICTURE
Anora – Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker, Producers:
A young female escort has a chance encounter with the son of a powerful Russian oligarch. She soon finds herself at the center of a chase to get the marriage annulled.
The Brutalist – Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, D.J. Gugenheim and Brady Corbet, Producers:
Escaping postwar Europe, a brilliant architect immigrates to America with his family to rebuild his family.
A Complete Unknown – Fred Berger, James Mangold, and Alex Heineman, Producers:
As a young Bob Dylan rises to fame, he is conflicted in his musical interests versus what the world expects of him.
Conclave – Tessa Ross, Juliette Howel, and Michael A. Jackman, Producers:
As the Vatican is in search of a new Pope, Cardinal Lawrence uncovers the clandestine affairs of the Roman Catholic church.
Dune: Part Two – Producers: Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapoint, and Denis Villeneuve:
Following the fall of his family’s control of the planet Arrakis, Paul Atredies unites with the Fremen to take back his honor and the fate of the universe.
Emilia Pérez – Pascal Caucheteux and Jacques Audiard, Producers:
The musical journey of a lawyer tasked with assisting a retiring cartel boss who fulfills a life-long desire to transition into a woman.
I’m Still Here – Maria Carlota Bruno and Rodrigo Teixeira, Producers:
The Paiva family is torn apart by military rule as Ruben Paiva goes missing.
Nickel Boys – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Joslyn Barnes, Producers:
A young boy’s dream of attending college is diminished as he is sent to a boarding school in the racially segregated south.
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat and Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Producers:
An aging star wanting to save her career receives an offer to make the perfect version of herself through… THE SUBSTANCE. When things begin to turn sour, the star’s life begins to spiral in exceedingly unpredictable ways.
Wicked – Marc Platt, Producers:
Elphaba and Glinda’s journey through Oz that ends in becoming the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
Our Pick: A Complete Unknown
Our Prediction: Emilia Perez
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Flow– Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, and Gregory Zalcman:
Following a flood covering all of earth, a housecat embarks on a journey for a home. Along the way, she befriends a wide variety of animals.
The Wild Robot– Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann:
A robot is stranded on an island and must survive by befriending the island’s native animals.
Memoir of a Snail– Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney:
After melancholic snail collecting, Grace Pudel is separated from her twin brother and falls into a series of misfortunes.
Inside Out 2– Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen:
Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust’s everyday operations are inturipted by the arrival of a new emotion: anxiety.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl- Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham and Richard Beek
Follows Gromit’s growing concern as Wallace becomes over-dependent on his invention.
