Our 2023 Predictions For Every Oscars Category

The Nominees:
"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"

Who Will Win: "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

The domination of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is going to be a theme of the night, we predict. The movie did very well at every precursor ceremony, including the SAG Awards. There, it won in every category it was nominated in. Best picture seems like a lock.

The Nominees:
Cate Blanchett, "Tár"
Ana de Armas, "Blonde"
Andrea Riseborough, "To Leslie"
Michelle Williams, "The Fabelmans"
Michelle Yeoh, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Who Will Win: Michelle Yeoh

Best actress has been a two-person race between Yeoh and Blanchett all award season. We're picking Yeoh to take it home for two reasons: Blanchett has already won two Oscars (for "The Aviator" and "Blue Jasmine"), and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is set to sweep. It'll be a well-deserved win for Yeoh, who carries the film and has a long, storied career spanning three decades.

The Nominees:
Austin Butler, "Elvis"
Colin Farrell, "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Brendan Fraser, "The Whale"
Paul Mescal, "Aftersun"
Bill Nighy, "Living"

Who Will Win: Austin Butler

Fraser is, of course, extremely likable and has a strong comeback narrative, but many people have been highly critical of "The Whale" and its representation of fat people. It's also very rare for an actor to win for a film that wasn't nominated for best picture. The last time it happened was when Jeff Bridges won in 2009 for "Crazy Heart."

Farrell's performance in "The Banshees of Inisherin" could be the spoiler here, but ultimately, Butler will most likely take it for his highly lauded turn as Elvis — even if fans keep teasing him about his accent.

The Nominees:
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"

Who Will Win: Angela Bassett

This category seems to be the biggest toss-up of the four acting awards. While Bassett had a lot of momentum heading into award season, Condon won the BAFTA and Curtis won at the SAGs. Still, Bassett should probably come out on top here, winning her first Oscar — and the first acting Oscar for the MCU.

The Nominees:
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"

Who Will Win: Ke Huy Quan

Quan has won every precursor and has given touching, lovely speeches every time. He's a lock — to win and to make us tear up when he does.

The Nominees:
Martin McDonagh, "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Steven Spielberg, "The Fabelmans"
Todd Field, "Tár"
Ruben Östlund, "Triangle of Sadness"

Who Will Win: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

The "Everything Everywhere All at Once" sweep wouldn't make much sense without the directors taking home the top award. Kwan and Scheinert put together the multiverse film, and they'll be rewarded for it.

The Nominees:
"Turning Red"
"Marcel the Shell With Shoes On"
"Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio"
"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish"
"The Sea Beast"

Who Will Win: "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio"

These are five really great movies, and any would be a fantastic winner. But "Pinocchio" was del Toro's labor of love; he started working on it in 2008. It's an incredibly rich and complicated take on the story of Pinocchio, and the stop-motion animation is stunning, as is the music. Del Toro is an Oscars fave, and he'll come out on top here.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front," screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell
"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," screenplay by Rian Johnson
"Living," screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro
"Top Gun: Maverick," screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie; story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
"Women Talking," screenplay by Sarah Polley

Who Will Win: "Women Talking"

Polley, who also directed "Women Talking," masterfully adapted Miriam Toews's novel of the same name into a movie that's dynamic, thoughtful, and scorching. She also won this category at the recent WGA Awards.

The Nominees:
"The Banshees of Inisherin," screenplay by Martin McDonagh
"Everything Everywhere All at Once," screenplay by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
"The Fabelmans," screenplay by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner
"Tár," screenplay by Todd Field
"Triangle of Sadness," screenplay by Ruben Östlund

Who Will Win: "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

The "Everything Everywhere All at Once" sweep will continue to this category. But if someone were going to sneak in here, it could be McDonagh for "Banshees," which, despite eight nominations, good reviews, and the love of many fans, could be totally shut out at the Oscars.

The Nominees:
"Fire of Love"
"All the Beauty and the Bloodshed"
"All That Breathes"
"A House Made of Splinters"
"Navalny"

Who Will Win: "Navalny"

"Navalny," about the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and how he figured out who ordered it, should take the top prize — and not just because of its political timeliness. It has one of the most gasp-worthy scenes of the year.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front" (Germany)
"Argentina, 1985" (Argentina)
"Close" (Belgium)
"EO" (Poland)
"The Quiet Girl" (Ireland)

Who Will Win: "All Quiet on the Western Front"

"All Quiet on the Western Front" is the only film in this category to be nominated outside of the international category, making it by far the favorite here.

The Nominees:
"Applause" from "Tell It Like a Woman," performed by Sofia Carson, written by Diane Warren
"Naatu Naatu" from "RRR," performed by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, written by M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose
"Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," performed by Rihanna, written by Rihanna, Ludwig Göransson, Ryan Coogler, and Tems
"Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick," performed by Lady Gaga, written by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
"This Is a Life" from "Everything Everywhere All at Once," by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski

Who Will Win: "Naatu Naatu"

Most of the songs on this list play over the credits of their respective movies. Not "Naatu Naatu," which soundtracks a thrilling, almost five-minute-long sequence in "RRR," where the leads — played by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava — sing, dance, and bring down the house. Many Oscars watchers were shocked that the Indian Telugu-language epic wasn't nominated in more categories, but it would be outrageous if it didn't win here.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front," Volker Bertelmann
"Babylon," Justin Hurwitz
"The Banshees of Inisherin," Carter Burwell
"Everything Everywhere All at Once," Son Lux
"The Fabelmans," John Williams

Who Will Win: "The Fabelmans"

Hurwitz's "Babylon" score is probably the favorite in this category, but we'll go out on a limb and predict Williams's work for "The Fabelmans." Williams and Spielberg's collaborations are some of the greatest in film history, and his work on "The Fabelmans" — a movie that will probably be shut out elsewhere — deserves to be honored.

The Nominees:
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
"Elvis"
"Babylon"
"Everything Everywhere All at Once"
"Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris"

Who Will Win: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Ruth E. Carter won her first Oscar in 2019 for "Black Panther," and she became the first Black person to win in this category. She's a lock to repeat this year for the movie's sequel.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
"The Batman"
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
"Elvis"
"The Whale"

Who Will Win: "Elvis"

This category is basically a toss-up, with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," "Elvis," or "The Whale" all probable winners. But "Elvis" has to transform Butler into Elvis at various ages and nail all the historical hairstyles on every person on screen, so we'll put it over the top.

The Nominees:
"The Banshees of Inisherin"
"Elvis"
"Everything Everywhere All at Once"
"Tár"
"Top Gun: Maverick"

Who Will Win: "Top Gun: Maverick"

It would be shocking if "Top Gun: Maverick" made it out of this year's ceremony with no awards, since it was a crowd-pleasing, box-office smash. It also took the top dramatic prize at the ACE Eddie Awards, which honor editing.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
"Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths"
"Elvis"
"Empire of Light"
"Tár"

Who Will Win: "Elvis"

"Elvis" cinematographer Mandy Walker took the top prize at the 2023 ASC Awards, and she became the first woman to win the award at the event. At the Oscars, no woman had ever been nominated in this category before 2017, and no woman has ever won. Walker could make history, and she'd deserve it.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
"Avatar: The Way of Water"
"The Batman"
"Elvis"
"Top Gun: Maverick"

Who Will Win: "Top Gun: Maverick"

"Top Gun: Maverick"'s planes and their roaring engines will help it soar above the rest here.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
"Avatar: The Way of Water"
"Babylon"
"Elvis"
"The Fabelmans"

Who Will Win: "Babylon"

The over-the-top Hollywood decadence of "Babylon" makes it the favorite here.

The Nominees:
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
"Avatar: The Way of Water"
"The Batman"
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
"Top Gun: Maverick"

Who Will Win: "Avatar: The Way of Water"

"Avatar 2"'s special effects are so overwhelming and all-consuming that many have wondered why it isn't considered an animated film. But director James Cameron's visual feast will triumph here, regardless.

The Nominees:
"An Irish Goodbye"
"Ivalu"
"Le Pupille"
"Night Ride"
"The Red Suitcase"

Who Will Win: "Le Pupille"

Shorts are always hard to predict, but "Le Pupille," from writer and director Alice Rohrwacher and produced by five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón, is our pick to pull ahead from the pack.

The Nominees:
"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"

Who Will Win: "My Year of Dicks"

"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" has a big campaign behind it from Apple, but "My Year of Dicks" has the people's love pushing it forward. I mean, who doesn't want to watch a short called "My Year of Dicks"?

The Nominees:
"The Elephant Whisperers"
"Haulout"
"How Do You Measure a Year?"
"The Martha Mitchell Effect"
"Stranger at the Gate"

Who Will Win: "The Elephant Whisperers"

"The Elephant Whisperers" follows an indigenous community as they take care of an elephant, and you can stream the short, animal-themed doc on Netflix.