Isn’t it nice to have an awards ceremony that runs smoothly from beginning to end and focuses on the incredible films and talent involved? Thanks so much for not attending, Will Smith. This year’s Oscars has gone down swimmingly – a great show hosted really well by Jimmy Kimmel. The various presenting duos were all great, weaving in some light humour here and there and garnering some big laughs. The live performances of Best Original Song made for some huge highlights – especially the presence of Lady Gaga’s nuanced performance of “Hold My Hand” and the upbeat vibes of “Naatu Naatu“.
Speaking on the awards, Everything Everywhere All at Once went into the night with the most nominations and has walked away with the most wins – 7 in total including Best Picture and 3 out of 4 acting awards. It’s a well-deserved haul from a great film. All Quiet on the Western Front is leaving with 4 wins, including Best International Feature and Best Cinematography. It was also a night of firsts, with all 4 acting wins going to first-time winners, including Brendan Fraser for The Whale.
Big-budget cinema was also recognised with both Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick each bringing home a win.
While there were a lot of big winners, there were also some big losers (some of which were expected). The Banshees of Inisherin, The Fabelmans, Tár and Elvis all went home empty-handed despite having a strong presence in some key categories. Then there’s Angela Bassett who unfortunately will need to wait at least another year to get her first gold statue.
As for my own predictions, this was a rough year and a long drop from my successful 21/23 result in 2022. Of the 23 categories, I only got 17 correct. It’s not abysmal, but it could have been better had it not been for some really tight-race wins.
The winner will be highlighted in RED
My prediction will be highlighted in GREEN.
If you don’t see an option highlighted in GREEN that’s because my prediction is the same as the winner.
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
Despite beginning as a tight two-horse race, as the night went on it became more and more likely that Everything Everywhere All at Once would run away with the win. This film is a stunning work of art – it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a piece of creative brilliance that will now be remembered forever. It’s a fantastic win for a fantastic film to close out the night.
Actor in a Leading Role
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
Yes! Yes! Yes! Brendan Fraser deservedly takes home this award for his gut-wrenching and deeply emotional performance in The Whale. I love seeing this man succeed. What he does in this film is truly exceptional – it’s a heartwarming and heartbreaking role, much like his acceptance speech. It’s hard not to get emotional seeing this man finally win an Oscar.
Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Michelle Yeoh has stolen the hearts of many in her Oscars campaign and with her remarkable performance. With this win, three of the four acting awards have gone to Everything Everywhere All at Once, and deservedly so. Michelle Yeoh’s first Oscar win is a testament to her acting abilities in this film and beyond.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
This category had all signs pointing to Ke Huy Quan, so it’s no surprise he’s walking away with his first Oscar win. His kickass performance exhibited some fantastic dramatic and comedic prowess, even extending beyond that to the brilliant action sequences. It’s so touching to see this talented man be rewarded after he spent so long away from the acting scene. You can see from the emotion in his acceptance speech that this first-ever Oscar means a lot to him, so it’s beyond amazing to see him get the win.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
This was a surprise result, but honestly it was one of those awards that could have gone in one of many different directions. All nominees had a strong chance, but in the end it has gone to Jamie Lee Curtis, making this her first ever Oscar win – and long overdue I’d say. I still feel like Angela Bassett deserved it, and as a result my prediction may not have been correct, but Jamie’s performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once was great, so it’s a well-deserved win.
Directing
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tár
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
This win is a definitive precursor to the Best Picture award tonight. The Daniels bring everything in this film together and tie it in a nice little bow. The film is great and what they do to bring the story to life warrants this win.
Cinematography
All Quiet on the Western Front
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Thoughts
Elvis
Empire of Light
Tár
As expected, James Friend’s exceptional cinematography gets the win here. All Quiet on the Western Front is a visual spectacle that brilliantly highlights the dread and despair of a WW1 battlefield through the way it’s shot alone. It’s undeniably beautiful and harrowing at the same time, so it’s great to see it get the gold.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Living
Top Gun: Maverick
Women Talking
Well well well, all that praise Women Talking was receiving wasn’t for nothing. It has come out on top in the category, beating out other big hitters. I’ve not seen the film so I can’t speak on Sarah Polley’s screenplay, but I can’t imagine it’s anything less than exceptional.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Tár
Triangle of Sadness
As much as I’d have loved The Banshees of Inisherin to win this, it makes sense that Everything Everywhere All at Once would bring it home. It’s a very well-written film, making sense of what is a beautifully chaotic script. I mean, it’s in the name – when when comes to originality in a screenplay, nothing is more original than Everything Everywhere.
Animated Feature Film
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red
No one can be surprised by this win. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a stunning display of stop motion animation that hopefully thrusts the medium further into the limelight. It’s a truly emotional and heartwarming narrative backed by the masterful filmmaking of Guillermo del Toro. It’s safe to say the right film won this one.
Film Editing
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
As is to be expected, Everything Everywhere All at Once has walked away with yet another win. The way Paul Rogers turned a chaotic multiverse into a brilliant cohesive story is fantastic. It’s a deserving win for the most-nominated film of the night.
Music (Original Score)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
This one was a given. All Quiet on the Western Front had such a memorable score that it’s instantly recognisable from the first note. It enhances the emotional impact of every moment of the film moreso than any of the other nominees. I love that it’s been recognised with a deserving win.
Music (Original Song)
“Applause”, Tell It Like a Woman
“Hold My Hand”, Top Gun: Maverick
“Lift Me Up”, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
“Naatu Naatu”, RRR
“This Is a Life”, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oh wow! Congratulations to RRR. After watching all of the live performances during the show, “Hold My Hand” is still my favourite song, but there’s no denying “Naatu Naatu” was an absolute jam. That live performance was exceptionally fun, so I’m glad to see it get recognised.
Sound
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Elvis
Top Gun: Maverick
The rightful winner comes out on top. Top Gun: Maverick is recognised for its truly phenomenal sound design and editing. The visceral nature of the flight sequences and booming fighter jet sounds are a testament to the talents of everyone who worked behind the scenes to bring them to life.
Visual Effects
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Top Gun: Maverick
Let’s be real, this one was a lock from the day Avatar: The Way of Water released. Every single shot in the film (aside from two) incorporated visual effects. It’s the best example of visual effects in film that I’ve ever witnessed. I’ve never seen an entirely non-existent planet look as real as this, so it’s a no brainer that James Cameron’s masterpiece would win this award.
Production Design
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fabelmans
Wow! This would have to be the biggest surprise of the night (to this point). I never would have thought All Quiet on the Western Front would take this one home. In terms of most to least likely, I thought it was fourth on that list behind Elvis, Avatar: The Way of Water and Babylon. But it seems that the late Oscars push and WW1 sets made a large enough impression on the Academy to get it the win. There’s no doubting the representation of the WW1 battlefield is real and gritty, so congratulations on the win.
Costume Design
Babylon
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Well, there goes one of Elvis‘ best chance at a win. Once again it’s Ruth E. Carter who has taken home this award, four years after winning for Black Panther at the 2019 awards. The costume design in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is exceptional, one of the elements that makes the visual identity of the film instantly recognisable.
Makeup & Hairstyling
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
The Whale
Well I love that this award has gone to The Whale. This is the film I wanted to win, I just didn’t think it was going to beat out Elvis, hence my prediciton. The makeup and prosthetic work in The Whale is spectacular – it’s incredibly realistic and enhances Brendan Fraser’s performance even further. Congratulations to all those behind-the-scenes talents.
Predictions in Additional Categories
Documentary (Feature)
All that Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
A House Made of Splinters
Navalny
Documentary (Short Subject)
The Elephant Whisperers
Haulout
How Do You Measure a Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Stranger at the Gate
International Feature Film
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)
Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)
Close (Belgium)
EO (Poland)
The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
Short Film (Animated)
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Flying Sailor
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Short Film (Live Action)
An Irish Goodbye
Ivalu
Le Pupille
Night Ride
The Red Suitcase
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