2023 Oscar Winner Predictions: FINAL

2023 Oscar Winner Predictions: FINAL

Posted

March 7, 2024

Wesley Lovell

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And with that, our coverage of the 96th Academy Awards comes to a near close. Beyond this, we’ll have a post for each category as it’s announced and then our post-awards commentary on Monday and/or Tuesday. Till then, here are our final predictions for the Oscars for the films of 2023.

KEY:

Appears on Four Lists
Appears on Three Lists
Appears on Two Lists
Appears on One Lists

Wesley Lovell Peter Patrick Tripp Burton Thomas LaTourrette

Introductions

Wesley Lovell: With a few minor changes here or there since our Path to Oscar series began, this is as final a set as I’m willing to put out there. If you want to read more detailed commentary on my perceptions of the various races, you can read this article here posted earlier this morning.
Pete Patrick: My final predictions are mostly the same as my first post-nomination predictions. I remain resolute in predicting an upset win Sandra Hüller for Best Actress, but my other predictions are pretty much the same as everyone else’s. The one major change for me is The Zone of Interest for Best Sound. I don’t agree with it, but it seems to be where things are headed. I also changed my initial predictions for winners in all three short film categories after seeing all the contenders and flipped the two Barbie songs between winner and runner-up. I think either my predicted winner or runner-up will win in every category except perhaps makeup, which would be a first!
Thomas LaTourette: Oscar night is shortly upon us, and Oppenheimer is set for quite a haul. It looks like it could take up to eight awards for the night, which would be the most of any film since the Academy moved to a set ten nominees for best picture. It has been more than 15 years since a film won that many Oscars, but it looks likely that Oppenheimer will match Slumdog Millionaire’s haul. While most of its awards are pretty firm, best actor might go a different way. Best actress is a toss up and could go to either Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone. Poor Things and Barbie will take awards for production design and costume design, but I am not sure which will win. Both screenplay awards are likewise a bit up in the air, and it is nice that the night will bring some surprises. It is good to go into the evening not knowing how everything will turn out. So get out your dressy clothes and get ready for a fun night that celebrates a good year in film.

Best Picture

Winner Predictions

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer WLPPTL
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Runner-Up Predictions

Anatomy of a Fall TL
Killers of the Flower Moon WLPP

Wesley Lovell: Individual category commentary was not required. Wesley provided that in his own .
Pete Patrick: Individual category commentary was not required. Pete opted not to separate individual thoughts.
Thomas LaTourette: This has become a slam dunk for Oppenheimer as it seems virtually impossible for any other film to win as best picture. It is not that it has dominated the field across the board, but when it comes to the awards that really matter it has practically swept them. There is zero chance anything but Oppenheimer wins.