Disclaimer: This article was written from March 12-17, 2022 and the Oscars have since aired. Read the full list of winners here.

These days, there are so many award shows, that it’s hard to keep track of it all. With the SAG Awards, Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, and so many more, there are lots of different ways that movies get recognized. And this is definitely well deserved. All the elements that make a great movie take so much time and effort. Everything from the writing, acting, and directing to the more subtle things such as music, editing, and cinematography, all are getting the recognition they deserve.

The awards season ends with a grand finale: the Academy Awards, one of the most prestigious awards that can be achieved. This year, the Oscars are taking place on March 27.

A fun tradition that I’ve enjoyed doing for the past few years is predicting who some of the winners will be. Since there are so many categories, I will be predicting who the winner of three categories will be: Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. First I will predict who I think will win but I will also say who I think should win and why.

Before I get to the predictions, here are the nominations for each category:

Best Actor
Nominations:
Will Smith, “King Richard”
Andrew Garfield, “tick, tick…BOOM!”
Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Actress
Nominations:
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”
Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”
Penélope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”

Best Picture
Nominations:
“Nightmare Alley”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune”
“Drive My Car”
“Belfast”
“Licorice Pizza”
“The Power of the Dog”
“West Side Story”
“King Richard”
“CODA”

And now for my predictions:

Best Actor

Who will win: Will Smith, “King Richard”
Who I would’ve picked to win: Will Smith, “King Richard”

Will Smith’s portrayal of Richard Williams, Venus and Serena Williams’ father, is spectacular. His performance was incredible and it earned him the Best Actor equivalent in the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice awards, and more. He is definitely the frontrunner in the final stretch of this award season marathon. If, in the slightest chance that the award doesn’t go to Will Smith, Andrew Garfield is also ahead in the running for his moving performance in Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical “tick, tick…BOOM!”

Best Actress

Who will win: Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Who I would’ve picked to win: Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”

Jessica Chastain was amazing as Tammy Faye and the movie was really interesting, powerful, and unexpectedly humorous at times. She won the Best Actress equivalent in both the Critics’ Choice and SAG awards. But, in my opinion, Kristen Stewart, who was incredible in “Spencer,” deserves the Academy Award. “Spencer” is Pablo Larraín’s “fabel from a true tragedy” (as it says at the start of the film) about Princess Diana and it is beautifully crafted in every aspect, especially Stewart’s acting. At first glance, you wouldn’t think of Princess Diana when you see Stewart, but she embodies the role wholeheartedly, and as the movie went on I forgot I was watching an actor. Unfortunately, it got snubbed for Best Picture, and the mixed reviews from people who were expecting a more biographical picture might have hindered Stewart’s chances for the win but I’m not losing hope for a surprise pull-through.

Best Picture

Who will win: “The Power of the Dog”
Who I would’ve picked to win: “Belfast” or “West Side Story”

“The Power of the Dog” has been favored to win the Best Picture award since before the nominations were announced, and picked up 12 nominations total, including Benedict Cumberbatch for Best Actor. While I really enjoyed this movie, I think that the race is closer than anticipated. Of the ten nominations, I could see the possibility of so many of them winning.

“The Power of the Dog” did win the Best Picture equivalent at both the Critics’ Choice Awards and BAFTAs, which could indicate a pattern that will repeat at the Oscars, but “CODA” won best ensemble cast at the SAG awards and cleaned up nicely in other categories there as well. “CODA” is the story of a deaf family with one hearing daughter, Ruby. It is a sentimental, funny, and emotional film that is definitely worth seeing and has gained a lot of Oscar buzz as the ceremony draws near.

“Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh’s semi-biographical movie is a front-runner as well, and I really liked this movie. It is told from a child’s perspective and portrays the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland in the late sixties. It’s a very engaging film and the story feels authentic and honest.

“West Side Story” is another movie that I could definitely see taking home the Best Picture award. A remake of the 1961 original, this movie was brilliantly done and the cast was incredible. Ariana DeBose, nominated for Best Supporting Actress (and I think she’ll win), stood out in my opinion, cast in Rita Moreno’s iconic role of Anita from the original, and did an impeccable job.

No matter who ends up winning any of these awards, all these movies were amazing. And with all the streaming platforms these days, ten Best Picture nominees definitely don’t represent all the amazing films out there.

If you’ve seen any of these movies (or have a favorite that got snubbed) comment on this article which film or actor you would have liked to see win!

Source:
“2022.” Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2022,
https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2022.