Final 2019 Oscar Nominations Predictions

Pencils down! It’s already that time of year again - Oscar nominations morning!

The 92nd Annual Academy Awards nominations will be announced by John Cho and Issa Rae on Monday morning in two segments beginning at 8:18am ET (you can view a live stream of the announcement via the Oscars website).

2019 featured some stellar films (a few of which will even be among the nominees!), though, as ever, the Academy will throw handfuls of nominations at movies we deem less than worthy (our annual Best of the Year lists will arrive early next month). And with the Oscars ceremony and awards season moved up earlier than usual this year, there’s bound to be some surprises once the dust has settled.

Read on for my final nominations predictions!

BEST PICTURE

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
The Irishman
Parasite
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Marriage Story
Little Women

Alternates: Ford v Ferrari, The Farewell, The Two Popes, Knives Out, Bombshell

As has been the case since 2011, there can be as few as five Best Picture nominees or as many as ten (depending on how the #1 votes pan out). Since the change, we've only ever had a lineup consisting of eight or nine films, and I’m most confident in the eight listed above, so I left it at that.

BEST DIRECTOR

Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood)
Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit)

Alternates: Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Todd Phillips (Joker), Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), Pedro Almódovar (Pain & Glory)

BEST ACTOR

Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood)
Antonio Banderas (Pain & Glory)
Robert De Niro (The Irishman)

Alternates: Taron Egerton (Rocketman), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes), Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari), Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name), Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Best Actor has been this year’s most crowded and competitive category, where there are still 10 men with an excellent shot at cracking this final five - only Phoenix and Driver are certain.

BEST ACTRESS

Renée Zellweger (Judy)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Lupita Nyong’o (Us)
Saoirse Ronan (Little Women)

Alternates: Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Awkwafina (The Farewell)

Though less competitive than Best Actor, there’s still a lot of wiggle room here beyond Zellweger’s assured comeback nomination.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)

Alternates: Song Kang-ho (Parasite), Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Margot Robbie (Bombshell)
Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers)
Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)

Alternates: Zhao Shuzhen (The Farewell), Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood), Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell), Annette Bening (The Report)

Much like Marina de Tavira’s shocking nomination here last year for Roma, this category seems ripe for a surprise inclusion (possibly one of the women from Parasite?) or omission (fingers crossed it’s not JLo!).

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Marriage Story
Parasite
Knives Out
The Farewell

Alternates: 1917, Booksmart, Pain & Glory, Uncut Gems, Bombshell, Us

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
The Two Popes
Joker

Alternate: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Parasite (South Korea)
Les Misérables (France)
Pain & Glory (Spain)
Atlantics (Senegal)
Beanpole (Russia)

Alternates: Honeyland (North Macedonia), Corpus Christi (Poland), Those Who Remained (Hungary), The Painted Bird (Czech Republic), Truth & Justice (Estonia)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Toy Story 4
Frozen II
Missing Link
I Lost My Body
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Alternates: Klaus, Abominable, Weathering With You

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Apollo 11
American Factory
For Sama
One Child Nation
Honeyland

Alternates: The Cave, The Biggest Little Farm, Maiden, The Edge of Democracy, The Apollo

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1917
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
The Irishman
Joker
Ford v Ferrari

Alternates: The Lighthouse, Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire

BEST FILM EDITING

The Irishman
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Jojo Rabbit

Alternates: Parasite, 1917, Marriage Story, Knives Out, Uncut Gems

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
The Irishman
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Joker

Alternates: Parasite, The Two Popes, Little Women

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Rocketman
Little Women
Dolemite Is My Name
Jojo Rabbit

Alternates: The Irishman, Downton Abbey, Joker

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1917
Little Women
Joker
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Marriage Story

Alternates: Jojo Rabbit, Us, Pain & Glory

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Into the Unknown” (Frozen II)
”(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (Rocketman)
”Stand Up” (Harriet)
”Spirit” (The Lion King)
”Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” (Wild Rose)

Alternates: “I’m Standing With You” (Breakthrough), “Speechless” (Aladdin), “A Glass of Soju” (Parasite)

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

Bombshell
Joker
Rocketman
Dolemite Is My Name
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Alternates: Judy, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, 1917, Downton Abbey, Little Women

BEST SOUND MIXING

1917
Ford v Ferrari
Rocketman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Joker

Alternates: Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Avengers: Endgame, The Irishman

BEST SOUND EDITING

1917
Ford v Ferrari
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Joker
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Alternates: Rocketman, Avengers: Endgame, The Irishman

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Lion King
The Irishman
1917

Alternates: Alita: Battle Angel, Gemini Man, Terminator: Dark Fate, Captain Marvel, Cats

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Brotherhood
Refugee
Little Hands
The Neighbor’s Window
A Sister

Alternates: Miller & Son, Saria, The Christmas Gift, Nefta Football Club

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Hair Love
Kitbull
The Physics of Sorrow
Dcera (Daughter)
Sister

Alternates: Hors Piste, Mind My Mind, Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days, He Can’t Live Without Cosmos, Memorable

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (If You’re a Girl)
Fire in Paradise
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Life Overtakes Me
After Maria

Alternates: Stay Close, The Nightcrawlers, St. Louis Superman, In the Absence, Ghosts of Sugar Land