Final Oscar Nomination Predictions | 94th Academy Awards

Oscar voters have submitted their ballots & now the waiting game begins! As another unpredictable awards season is nearing the finish line, the Academy Award nominations are right around the corner and will be announced at 8:18 AM (EST) on Tuesday.

Throughout the season, there have been surprises in terms of nominations and snubs, and the Academy is always known to throw some curveballs at pundits and cinephiles on nomination morning. This year should be no different, as there are expectations that one of the best performances may be snubbed, along with a surprise in the director category.

After all is said and done, I predict that Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will lead the nomination count with 11 nominations becoming only the 6th film to be nominated in every tech category in Oscar history; while one of the presumed Best Picture front runners, The Power of the Dog, is right behind with 8.

Related: Dune (2021 Movie) Review: A Visually Stunning Massive Work Of Art

Let’s not forget that the Academy has gone through a change over the past few years as it increased its membership to provide a more diverse voice in its nominations. In a year where there has yet to be a true front runner and with SAG, DGA, PGA, WGA, Critics Choice, and BAFTA nominations on the table, it’s safe to say that we are in for a wild ride come Tuesday morning.

How right or wrong will I be? We’ll find out on Tuesday!

Here are my predicted nominees and rankings for the 94th Academy Awards.

Best Picture

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Picture Oscar Nomination.

1. Belfast 
2. The Power of the Dog 
3. Coda 
4. Dune 
5. Licorice Pizza 
6. King Richard 
7. West Side Story 
8. Don’t Look Up 
9. Being the Ricardos 
10. Drive My Car 

Best Director

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Director Oscar Nomination.

1. Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
2. Denis Villeneuve – Dune
3. Kenneth Branagh – Belfast 
4. Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza 

Best Lead Actor

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Lead Actor Oscar Nomination.

1. Will Smith – King Richard 
2. Andrew Garfield- tick, tick…Boom!
3. Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
4. Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog 
5. Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos 

Best Lead Actress

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Lead Actress Oscar Nomination.

1. Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
2. Lady Gaga – House of Gucci
3. Olivia Coleman- The Lost Daughter 
4. Kristen Stewart – Spencer 
5. Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza 

Best Supporting Actor

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination.

• Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog 
• Troy Kotsur – CODA 
• Ciarán Hinds – Belfast 
• Jared Leto- House of Gucci 
• Bradley Cooper – Licorice Pizza 

Best Supporting Actress

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination.

1. Ariana DeBose – West Side Story 
2. Caitríona Balfe – Belfast 
3. Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard 
4. Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog 
5. Ruth Negga – Passing 

Best Original Screenplay

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar Nomination.

1. Licorice Pizza 
2. Belfast 
3. Being the Ricardos 
4. Don’t Look Up 
5. King Richard 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar Nomination.

1. The Power of the Dog 
2. Coda 
3. The Lost Daughter 
4. Drive My Car 
5. Dune 

Best Animated Feature

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Animated Feature Oscar Nomination.

1. The Mitchells vs. the Machines 
2. Encanto 
3. Flee 
4. Luca 
5. Raya and the Last Dragon 

Best Production Design

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Production Design Oscar Nomination.

1. Dune 
2. Nightmare Alley 
3. The French Dispatch 
4. West Side Story 
5. The Tragedy of Macbeth 

Best Cinematography

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Cinematography Oscar Nomination.

1. Dune 
2. Nightmare Alley 
3. The Tragedy of Macbeth 
4. The Power of the Dog 
5. Belfast 

Best Costume Design

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Costume Design Oscar Nomination.

1. Cruella 
2. Dune 
3. House of Gucci 
4. West Side Story 
5. Coming 2 America 

Best Film Editing

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Film Editing Oscar Nomination.

1. Dune 
2. Belfast 
3. The Power of the Dog 
4. Licorice Pizza 
5. Don’t Look Up 

Best Sound

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Sound Oscar Nomination.

1. Dune 
2. West Side Story 
3. No Time to Die 
4. Belfast 
5. Spider-Man: No Way Home 

Best Visual Effects

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Visual Effects Oscar Nomination.

1. Dune 
2. Ghostbusters: Afterlife 
3. Spider-Man: No Way Home 
4. No Time to Die 
5. Godzilla Vs Kong 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar Nomination.

1. Cruella 
2. House of Gucci 
3. The Eyes of Tammy Faye 
4. Dune 
5. The Suicide Squad

Best Original Score

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Original Score Oscar Nomination.

1. Dune – Hans Zimmer 
2. The Power of the Dog – Jonny Greenwood 
3. The French Dispatch – Alexandre Desplat 
4. Don’t Look Up – Nicholas Britell 
5. Being the Ricardos – Daniel Pemberton 

Best Original Song

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Original Song Oscar Nomination.

1. “No Time to Die” – No Time to Die 
2. “Be Alive” – King Richard 
3. “Dos Oruguitas” – Encanto 
4. Down to Joy” – Belfast 
5. Just Look Up – Don’t Look Up 

Best Documentary Feature

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar Nomination.

1. Flee 
2. Summer of Soul 
3. The Rescue 
4. President 
5. Procession 

Best International Feature

Here are my predicted nominees and ranking for the Best International Feature Oscar Nomination.

1. Drive My Car 
2. The Worst Person in The World 
3. A Hero 
4. Flee 
5. The Hand of God 

NEXT: The Power of the Dog Review: An Intense & Thrilling Western