Oscar Nominations Preview

Nerd It Here Weekly

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Oscar Nominations Preview

The day before the nominees are announced, a few for your consideration.

Ryley Trahan and Deepak

Feb 06, 2022

Later this week, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 94th Academy Awards. But why wait until then? Deepak and Ryley are here to let you know who's likely to get recognized at this year’s Oscars.

Plus, we’re running a special Awards Season offer. You can join the Nerd It Here First community and listen to Ryley And Deepak talk about this year’s nominees instead of just reading about them! From now until the Oscars on March 27, you can get a year-long membership for 20% off!

Best Picture

“ I don’t know that tick…tick… BOOM! has the support… But with the new makeup of the academy they could decide they like Lin Manuel Miranda and a new musical over Steven Spielberg and the one that already won this award sixty years ago.”
-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

Belfast
Dune
Don’t Look Up
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Ryley’s Nominees

CODA
Drive My Car
Dune
Green Knight
Licorice Pizza
Pig
The Card Counter
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Director

“I think there’s going to be a lot of support for Coen… And Spielberg would be the first director nominated in six different decades… But I think it’s going to be Campion.”
-Deepak

Deepak Nominees

Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
Denis Villeneuve, Dune

Ryley’s Nominees

Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth
David Lowery, The Green Knight
Denis Villeneuve, Dune

Best Actor

[Nic Cage] only has one Cage-ism in the whole thing. He’s walking out of a house and unleashes a random scream at someone. Other than that he is so still… so contained… and it’s not what you expect.
-Ryley

Deepak Nominees

Nicolas Cage, Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield, tick… tick… BOOM!
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Ryley’s Nominees

Nicolas Cage, Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Dev Patel, The Green Knight
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Actress

“Alana Haim in Licorice Pizza, I adore. But ultimately I think the winner is Rachel Zegler who was the best part of West Side Story.”
-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
Jennifer Hudson, Respect
Rachel Zegler, West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Virginia Efira, Benedetta
Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
Rachel Zegler, West Side Story

Best Supporting Actor

“Kotsur has become, very quickly in the last few weeks, a heavy favorite for Supporting Actor. The only person who’s really in his way is Kodi Smith-McPhee who I think will probably win it.”
-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza
Mike Faist, West Side Story
Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
Troy Kotsur, CODA
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Ryley’s Picks

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza
Ralph Ineson, The Green Knight
Jared Leto, House or Gucci
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Lambert Wilson, Benedetta

Best Supporting Actress

“Katherine Hunter is incredible as The Witches in Macbeth. She’s a legend of the British stage. Her physicallity is incredible.
-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

Caitriona Balfe, Belfast
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Ruth Negga, Passing

Ryley’s Picks

Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Katherine Hunter, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Ruth Negga, Passing
Charlotte Ramping, Benedetta

Best Original Screenplay

“Original Screenplay is a lock for Paul Thomas Anderson and Licorice Pizza.”
-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

Being the Ricardos
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Licorice Pizza
Mass

Ryley’s Picks

Being the Ricardos
Don't Look Up
Licorice Pizza
Pig
The Card Counter

Best Adapted Screenplay

“What Coen brings to this Macbeth is… they are an older couple… and there is such a feeling of trust and commitment to this relationship they’ve been in most of their lives.”
-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

Dune
The Lost Daughter
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

Drive My Car
Dune
The Green Knight
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Cinematography

“There’s actually three black-and-white movies that could end up with Cinematography nominations: Macbeth, Belfast, and Passing.”
-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

Dune
The Last Duel
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

Dune
Licorice Pizza
The Green Knight
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Editing

“Don’t Look Up is a no-brainer Editing nominee, with all those different characters juggling all the different storylines.”
-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Dune
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

Benedetta
Dune
Licorice Pizza
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth

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Best Production Design

“Nightmare Alley is del Toro. It’s like nominating Meryl Streep for acting. You kind of have to nominate him [for Production Design].”
-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

Dune
Nightmare Alley
No Time to Die
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

Dune
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth

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Best Costume Design

“[West Side Story]’s a colorful lavish musical with colorful lavish costumes… I think it’s a slam dunk nomination and probably a slam dunk win.”
-Deepak