This year’s Academy Awards are a week away and each category is stacked. From top names such as Christopher Nolan and Emma Stone and the biggest movies of the year up for awards, it’s sure to be an interesting ceremony. These are the Pomegranate’s picks for who deserves to win the night’s biggest categories and a little insight on who is likely to win.

Best Picture

Best Picture is awarded to the producers of a movie that showcases true excellence in the art of cinema. This year’s nominee list is packed with amazing films that showcase a wide variety of stories and talent. This year’s nominees are:

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

My pick for Best Picture is Oppenheimer. Fantastic acting, directing, writing, and production make Oppenheimer a grand piece of cinema. This film is packed with interesting dialogue and moving moments artfully delivered by talented actors and a great director. Oppenheimer delivers a thrilling take on J. Robert Oppenheimer’s storied, messy life and explores one of our country’s most interesting periods. Oppenheimer is a fantastic film and is the best picture of the year.

The favored winner is Oppenheimer as it has already swept many other award ceremonies, including the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs, and has been reviewed well by critics. Considering the stacked cast and the fact that it’s a Christopher Nolan movie, it’s an obvious choice for the Academy voters. Oppenheimer’s top competitor is likely Killers of the Flower Moon due to its meaningful story, great cast, and fantastic director (Martin Scorcese).

But, the Oscars have had a few unlikely Best Picture winners, so this category is sure to be interesting. Most of the movies in this category are very strong and any one of them could receive the win. Overall, critics expect Oppenheimer to win so it’s most likely going to be a big night for Christopher Nolan.

Best Actor

Best Actor is awarded annually to an actor who delivers a stand-out performance in their nominated role. This year’s nominees are:

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Colman Domingo, Rustin’

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

My pick for Best Actor is Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer. Of this year’s nominees, Cillian Murphy stands out. Murphy was simply perfect as J. Robert Oppenheimer and his performance set the mood for the film. Murphy is a fantastic actor, and he proves that in Oppenheimer. He gave one of the best performances of the year and he is the best actor.

Cillian Murphy is the clear favorite of critics for this year’s Oscars, and he is slated to be the big winner. None of the other nominees received as much praise for their role as Murphy did for Oppenheimer. The biggest competition comes from Paul Giamatti who gave a wonderful performance in The Holdovers. But, Oppenheimer and its titular character stand out above the rest.

Best Actress

Best Actress is awarded annually to an actress who gave a fantastic performance in the lead role of a film. This year’s nominees are:

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Emma Stone, Poor Things

My pick for Best Actress is Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon. Gladstone brought so much emotion and heart to her role and it made Flower Moon one of the best films of the year. For a film that deals with so much pain and drama, Gladstone was the perfect actress to tell such a heart-wrenching story. Lily Gladstone was the best actress of the year.

Lily Gladstone has received widespread acclaim for her role in Flower Moon giving her a good chance at winning Best Actress. Many hope for and expect her to win as it would make her the first Native American woman to win the category. Gladstone’s biggest competition is Emma Stone who has been heralded for her role in Poor Things. Stone has received an Oscar already, and many critics believed that Poor Things could give her another one. Both actresses were spectacular in their respective roles, and it’s hard to say which actress the Academy will favor.

Best Director

Best Director is awarded to a director or pair of directors who showed exemplary work in directing a feature film. This year’s nominees are:

Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

My pick for Best Director is Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer. Nolan is known for making great films, and his years of experience have accumulated into this film. Oppenheimer was an interesting, exceptional film, in large part due to Christopher Nolan.  He did a great job of telling Oppenheimer’s story and I do not doubt that Nolan deserves Best Director.

Oppenheimer is already being treated as Nolan’s grand opus, and due to its critical acclaim, he is sure to win Best Director. So many acclaimed directors don’t receive Oscars until years after some of their biggest films (Martin Scorsese didn’t win an Oscar until 2007). Considering Nolan’s substantial body of work but no Oscar wins, the Academy will give him Best Director this year.

Best Supporting Actor

No film can stand on just its lead character; they need a strong supporting cast. Best Supporting Actor is awarded annually to an actor who gives a great performance in a supporting role. This year’s nominees are:

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

My pick for Best Supporting Actor is Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer. Downey was simply electrifying as Lewis Strauss. His performance was one of the most enthralling parts of Oppenheimer and I couldn’t imagine it done by any other actor. Downey proved that he’s so much more than an action star with Oppenheimer and he was the best supporting actor of the year.

Due to Oppenheimer’s popularity as well as the acclaim that RDJ has received, the award is sure to go to him. Robert De Niro and Sterling K. Brown could provide some competition due to their roles being received well by critics and because both of them are well-established actors. But, Downey stands out among the nominees, thanks to his fantastic performance in one of the biggest films of the year. Robert Downey Jr. is the most likely winner.

Best Supporting Actress

This year’s nominees are:

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

America Ferrera, Barbie

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

My pick for Best Supporting Actress is Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers. Randolph was perfect in The Holdovers and brought the right emotion that the film needed. Randolph played her character just right, bringing another level of subtlety and sadness to an already terrific film. Da’Vine Joy Randolph deserved Best Supporting Actress.

If the Oscars are still in the Oppenheimer-mood, Emily Blunt is the likely winner. She’s one of the more well-known actresses among the nominees and she did a fine job with the material she had in Oppenheimer. Randolph would be the second most likely winner as she received critical acclaim for her role. But, the Academy might be more swayed by Emily Blunt, due to her star stature and involvement in Oppenheimer. We’ll just have to see if talent wins out over popularity.

Best Original Song

Best Original Song is awarded to the songwriters of a set of original music and lyrics written for a film. This year’s nominees are:

“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot by Diane Warren

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

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

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

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

My pick for Best Original Song is “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. “What Was I Made For?” was not only the perfect song for Barbie but on its own is a masterpiece in songwriting. It was a great mood-setter for the end of the film and helped convey the message of Barbie. Billie Eilish and Finneas deserve Best Original Song as their work stands out above the rest.

The pair will no doubt go home with the award, due to the attention the song has received and the fact that they have already won an Oscar (Best Original Song for No Time To Die).

Best Original Score

Scores can set the entire mood of the film and help convey the emotions we are supposed to feel. This year’s nominees are:

American Fiction, Laura Karpman

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Williams

Killers of the Flower Moon, Robbie Robertson

Oppenheimer, Ludwig Goransson

Poor Things, Jerskin Fendrix

My pick for Best Original Score is Oppenheimer by Ludwig Goransson. The score for Oppenheimer was spectacular and was exactly what the film needed. Ludwig Goransson helped convey the seriousness that this film conveyed and perfectly highlighted Oppenheimer’s story. Goransson is sure to win Best Original Score.

Best Animated Feature

Best Animated Feature is awarded to a full-length animated film that showcases artistry in the field of animation. Animation is a beautiful medium of art that can be utilized to create stories that can not be done through a live-action medium. This year’s nominees are:

The Boy and the Heron

Elemental

Nimona

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Robot Dreams

My pick for Best Animated Feature is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This film is just as great as its predecessor and includes the same beautiful, dazzling art style. The direction, voice acting, and writing were all fantastic. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a fantastic film that shows how beautiful and expressive animation can be. Thanks to Across the Spider-Verse being well received, and simply standing out from the other nominees, it’s sure to win Best Animated Feature.

The 2024 Academy Awards will be held on March 10 starting at 4:00 PM PDT and broadcast by ABC. The ceremony will take place at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Be sure to catch the show to see which films win!