Nominations for the forthcoming Academy Awards broke Jan. 23 and were met with a number of mixed reactions. Barbie-heads wondering how director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie could have possibly been left out, fans of Oppenheimer rejoicing for its whopping 13 nominations and everyone everywhere collectively asking what “Nyad” is. But the time for reflecting on what is or isn’t nominated is over, it is now time to predict who will win Hollywood’s most prestigious awards.

Best Supporting Actor: 

Winner: Robert Downey Jr. – “Oppenheimer”

This year’s best supporting actor category is as stacked as it’s ever been. With Robert De Niro reuniting with Martin Scorsese, delivering his best performance in decades in “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Mark Ruffalo giving a career best turn as the posh fiend Duncan Wedderburn in “Poor Things.” Not to mention Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Gosling stealing every scene in their respective films. But Robert Downey Jr. rises above the rest in his most impressive role to date. Already the winner of the Golden Globe and Critics Choice award this year for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss, the three time Oscar nominee would deservedly secure his first Academy Award for this subtle yet explosive performance as the villainous Strauss.

Best Supporting Actress: 

Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – “The Holdovers”

Moving on from one of the most competitive categories to maybe the biggest lock of the night and one of the best stories of the awards season. It is no secret that Da’Vine Joy Randolph is poised to win the Oscar for her breakout performance as Mary Lamb in “The Holdovers.” She’s swept every other major awards show and the Oscars will likely prove to be no different. In this perfectly intimate and tender role as a grieving mother, Randolph is the heart and soul of a wonderful film.

Best Actor: 

Winner: Cillian Murphy – “Oppenheimer”

The best actor bid has been a two-man race all year. No disrespect towards Jeffery Wright or Colman Domingo but they can’t compare to Cillian Murphy and Paul Giamatti’s performances. Giamatti’s turn as Paul Hunham in “The Holdovers” is finally making the world realize how brilliant he is. This joyful and touching character has won him a Golden Globe and Critics Choice award but those are probably all he’s going to get. 

Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer is nothing short of a behemoth; this all encompassing showcase is tuned to Murphy’s best traits. He wears every emotion on his sleeve and conveys about a thousand words through one look; it’s almost safe to say that his eyes in the film alone could win him this Oscar. Any other year would have been Giamatti’s, but it is a shame he ran into one of this generation’s best performances.

Best Actress: 

Winner: Lily Gladstone – “Killers of the Flower Moon”

The best actress race has been just as competitive with Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone both having an argument for the award. Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter is a symbol of freedom which Stone portrays perfectly. Within “Poor Things’s” 161 minute runtime. Stone goes from a blabbering infant to a fully formed and brilliant mind which she makes seem effortless. But Lily Gladstone’s win would mean so much more. In another very physical performance, her role as Mollie Kyle becomes the face of genocide in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” she captures the horror and pain of the crimes committed against her tribe so vividly. If Gladstone were to win the Oscar, she would be the first Native American actor to win an Academy Award, and there isn’t a better performance that would break that curse.

Best Director: 

Winner: Christopher Nolan – “Oppenheimer”

Best director is another award that seems all but decided, and it looks like Christopher Nolan will finally get his first Oscar. Nolan faces giants like Martin Scorsese and Yorgos Lanthimos, with first time nominees Jonathan Glazer and Justine Triet standing in his way.. Having been nominated five times and losing each time, this best director win would be long overdue for one of the finest modern filmmakers. 

Best Picture: 

Winner: “Oppenheimer”

The grand prize of the night could have a number of suitors. Could it go to either of the benchmarks in feminist cinema to be released this year: “Barbie” or “Poor Things?” Perhaps some of the more emotional entries like “The Holdovers” or “Past Lives” could take it. Maybe the best picture honor returns to Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon.” But the writing is on the wall for the year of Christopher Nolan to continue and for his opus “Oppenheimer” to sweep the Academy Awards. Having been the front runner all year, it’s almost becoming boring to say that “Oppenheimer” deserves to win best picture but it truly is that good. Sporting a deeply impactful true story that is becoming more timely by the day, brilliance on the screenwriting and directing side plus the phenomenal acting from its all-star cast, it’s hard to see any film this year matching the heights of “Oppenheimer.”