It is that time of the year when some cream of the crop will leave a footprint of domination in the film industry. And the most prestigious of all, the Academy Awards, is just what will seal these pieces of filmmaking artistry as the ultimate victors. Yet it is Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer that is generating the most Oscar buzz. Although the competition is fierce every year, what makes the 96th Academy Awards truly special is its mosaic of diversity. While Colman Domingo made history by being the first Afro-Latino to grace the Best Actor nominee list, Celine Song became the first Asian woman to be recognized for Best Original Screenplay.

Additionally, three of the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture were directed by women this year. Also, there is Justine Triet, who broke new ground as the eighth woman ever nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. Despite this representation, the Oscar nominations failed to please everyone. This year, it was Greta Gerwig’s snub for Barbie‘s direction, which ignited heated discussions about the ceremony.

Netflix also shone brightly at the event. The streaming giant received 18 nominations across 10 different titles, with the exceptional film Maestro. Even among filmmakers, this year has a diverse lineup of contenders, from an independent filmmaker who has had just four projects to their name over 24 years, to the legend who got his 10th Oscar nomination this year. Nonetheless, it is the master of ceremonies, the host, who will inject entertainment into the proceedings amidst the fierce competition among contenders, holding it all together.

Emmy Award winner, Jimmy Kimmel is back as the host for the upcoming 2024 Oscars ceremony. This will be the late-night talk show host’s fourth time fronting the show. The Jimmy Kimmel Live star previously led the 2017, 2018, and 2023 telecasts. The star-studded Oscars event will hit the airwaves for live streaming on Sunday, March 10th, between 7:00-10:30 PM EDT or 4:00-7:30 PM PDT. Before the big show, there will be a 30-minute pre-show extravaganza airing from 6:30-7:00 PM EDT or 3:30-4:00 PM PDT. Afterward, viewers worldwide can catch the ceremony on ABC across 200 territories.

With tempers flaring over the fairness of the award ceremony, it is now time to find out who comes out on top at the 96th Academy Awards.

Best Film

Apart from the commercial success, Oppenheimer swept through the early awards season, including BAFTA, and the Golden Globes. This overwhelming success has made it the clear frontrunner in the list.

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper- Maestro (Netflix)

Colman Domingo- Rustin(Netflix)

Paul Giamatti- The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Cillian Murphy- Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) (WINNER)

Jeffrey Wright- American Fiction (MGM)

Cillian Murphy takes home his first Oscar home for his breathtaking portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer.

The frontrunner for Best Actor at the 2024 Oscars remains embedded within Oppenheimer, as Cillian Murphy has become a darling among critics’ circles throughout the awards season.

While the best actor category appears to have a clear frontrunner according to industry experts, the best actress category seems more open to debate in terms of the potential winner.

Best Actress

Annette Bening- Nyad (Netflix)

Lily Gladstone- Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)

Sandra Hüller- Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)

Carey Mulligan- Maestro (Netflix)

Emma Stone- Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures) (WINNER)
Emma Stone wins her second Oscar after La La Land with Poor Things.

Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone have both been locked in a tight race for the Best Actress award for their performances in Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things, respectively.

Best Director 

Justine Triet — Anatomy of a Fall

Martin Scorsese — Killers of the Flower Moon  

Christopher Nolan — Oppenheimer (WINNER)

Yorgos Lanthimos — Poor Things

Jonathan Glazer — The Zone of Interest 

Christopher Nolan wins his first Oscar ever Oppenheimer, after all these years.

This year, Christopher Nolan stands on the brink of history with his potential first-ever Oscar win for his blockbuster Oppenheimer.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction

Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer (WINNER)

Ryan Gosling — Barbie 

Mark Ruffalo — Poor Things

Actress in a Supporting Role 

Emily Blunt — Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks — The Color Purple

America Ferrera – Barbie

Jodie Foster — Nyad 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph — The Holdovers (WINNER)

 Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 96th Academy Awards. Randolph marked her first Oscar win which preceded her first-ever nomination with a wholesome speech thanking her team.

Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction–  Cord Jefferson (WINNER)

Barbie– Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach

Oppenheimer– Christopher Nolan

Poor Things– Tony McNamara

The Zone of Interest– Jonathan Glazer

Cord Jefferson took home his first Oscar home tonight.

Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall– Justine Triet and Arthur Harari (WINNER)

The Holdovers– David Hemingson

Maestro– Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

May December– Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik

Past Lives– Celine Song

Cinematography 

El Conde – Edward Lachman

Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto

Maestro – Matthew Libatique

Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema (WINNER)

Poor Things – Robbie Ryan

For the first time in years, the Oscar cinematography nominees are in sync with those honored by the American Society of Cinematographers.

Original Song 

‘The Fire Inside’ from Flamin’ Hot, music and lyrics by Diane Warren

‘I’m Just Ken’ from Barbie, music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

‘It Never Went Away’ from American Symphony, music, and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

‘Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)’ from Killers of the Flower Moon, music and lyrics by Scott George

‘What Was I Made For?’ from Barbie, music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (WINNER)
Billie Eilish takes home her second Oscar after ‘No Time to Die’ win in 2020.

Costume Design 

Barbie – Jacqueline Durran

Killers of the Flower Moon– Jacqueline West

Napoleon – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick

Poor Things – Holly Waddington (WINNER)

Holly Waddington took home for Oscar ever with her costume designing in Poor Things.

Barbie emerged as the frontrunner for its immersive brilliance in bringing Mattel’s fashion history to life.

Sound

The Creator, Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

Maestro, Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

Oppenheimer, Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O’Connell

The Zone of Interest, Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn (WINNER)

Original Score 

American Fiction – Laura Karpman

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny– John Williams

Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson

Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson (WINNER)

Poor Things– Jerskin Fendrix

John Williams, this year, broke the record as the oldest competitive nominee ever. However, Oppenheimer still dominates in the category.

Live Action Short Film

The After, Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

Invincible, Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

Knight of Fortune, Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

Red, White, and Blue, Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson, and Steven Rales (WINNER)

Animated Short Film 

Letter to a Pig, Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

Ninety-Five Senses, Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess

Our Uniform, Yegane Moghaddam

Pachyderme, Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, Dave Mullins and Brad Booker (WINNER)

Documentary Feature Film 

Bobi Wine: The People’s President, Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp, and John Battsek

The Eternal Memory

Four Daughters, Kaouther Ben Hania, and Nadim Cheikhrouha

To Kill a Tiger, Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim

20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath (WINNER)

Ukraine takes its first Oscar home with 20 Days in Mariupol.

Documentary Short Film 

The ABCs of Book Banning, Sheila Nevins, and Trish Adlesic

The Barber of Little Rock, John Hoffman and Christine Turner

Island in Between, S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien

The Last Repair Shop, Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers (WINNER)

Ben Proudfoot gets his second Oscar and Kris Bowers his first with The Last Repair Shop.

International Feature Film 

Io Capitano (Italy)

Perfect Days (Japan)

Society of the Snow (Spain)

The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany)

The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)  (WINNER)

UK’s third nomination and 9th non-English nomination for Best Film, The Zone of Interest takes the Oscar home.

Animated Feature Film 

The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki (WINNER)

Elemental, Peter Sohn and Denise Ream

Nimona, Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary

Robot Dreams, Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal

Makeup and Hairstyling 

Golda, Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue

Maestro, Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell

Oppenheimer, Luisa Abel

Poor Things, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston (WINNER)

Society of the Snow, Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé

Production Design 

Barbie, production design: Sarah Greenwood; set decoration: Katie Spencer

Killers of the Flower Moon, production design: Jack Fisk; set decoration: Adam Willis

Napoleon, production design: Arthur Max; set decoration: Elli Griff

Oppenheimer, production design: Ruth De Jong; set decoration: Claire Kaufman

Poor Things, production design: James Price and Shona Heath; set decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek (WINNER)
This is first Oscar win for James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek for Poor Things.

Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall – Laurent Sénéchal

The Holdovers – Kevin Tent

Killers of the Flower Moon – Thelma Schoonmaker

Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame (WINNER)

Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Jennifer Lame makes a clean sweep at the Oscars with her first nomination ever for Oppenheimer. This makes Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus’ second win for the night.

Visual Effects

The Creator, Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould

Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima (WINNER)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould

Napoleon, Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

The Godzilla Minus One team, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima got its first-ever nomination for Visual Effects this year and made a clean sweep at the Oscars.

What do you think about this year’s Oscar frontrunners? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!