As the glitz and glamor of Hollywood prepare to converge for the 96th Academy Awards, cinephiles are abuzz with anticipation over who will take home the coveted golden statuettes. With an eclectic mix of groundbreaking films and stellar performances gracing the silver screen in the past year, the race for Oscar glory promises to be nothing short of exhilarating. While some categories are a lock, there are still plenty of races that are far from a sure thing. Let’s delve into the crystal ball and make some predictions for the most prestigious categories at this year’s Oscars.

Here are my final predictions for this year’s Academy Award nominations:

Best Picture: Oppenheimer 

Best Director: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone (Poor Things)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:  Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Best Animated Feature Film: Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Best International Feature Film: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Best Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet & Arthur Harari)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Barbie (Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach)

Best Cinematography: Oppenheimer (Hoyte Van Hoytema)

Best Film Editing: Oppenheimer

Best Production Design: Poor Things

Best Costume Design: Barbie

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Maestro

Best Visual Effects: The Creator

Best Sound: Oppenheimer

Best Original Score: Oppenheimer (Ludwig Göransson)

Best Original Song: “What Was I Made For?” (Barbie)

Best Documentary Feature: 20 Days In Mariupol

Best Live Action Short Film: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Documentary Short Film: The Last Repair Shop

Animated Short Film: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko