Your Necessary 2024 Oscars Viewing Guide

In preparation for tonight's Oscars, we at The Couch have provided a rundown of the major awards. Do not take this to mean we don't think highly of the nominees for the likes of Best Short Film and Best Production Design, but rather that they will likely receive less attention. In addition I am a fair bit less informed about those nominees than I am for the following 12 categories. This Oscars has quite a few apparent slam dunk categories tonight, including the biggest one of them all, and as a result, I am still fairly confident in these selections. That said, the night will still have the odd climactic race and/or unexpected result. More than one acting category, for example, is at their most competitive in years. Who knows who will take top honors? We'll find out shortly, at least! Fellow film nut Christian Becker has joined me in making predictions for these awards, as well as sharing the potential spoilers, and should-be winners. Enjoy, and happy viewing!

Best Original Song

• "The Fire Inside" - Diane Warren (from Flamin' Hot)

• "I'm Just Ken" - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (from Barbie)

• "It Never Went Away" - Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (from American Symphony)

• "Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)" - Scott George (from The Killers of the Flower Moon)

• "What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (from Barbie)

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	"What Was I Made For?"	"What Was I Made For?"
COULD WIN	"I'm Just Ken"	"I'm Just Ken"
SHOULD WIN	"I'm Just Ken"	"What Was I Made For?"
SNUBBED	"Camp Isn't Home" (from Theatre Camp)	"Dance The Night" (from Barbie)

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Best Original Score

• Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things

• Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer

• Laura Karpman, American Fiction

• Robbie Robertson, The Killers of the Flower Moon

• John Williams, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Ludwig Göransson	Ludwig Göransson
COULD WIN	Jerskin Fendrix	Jerskin Fendrix
SHOULD WIN	Ludwig Göransson	Ludwig Göransson
SNUBBED	Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse	Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest

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Best Sound

• Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic, The Creator

• Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic, Maestro

• Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

• Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O'Connell, Oppenheimer

• Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn, The Zone of Interest

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Oppenheimer	The Zone of Interest
COULD WIN	The Zone of Interest	Oppenheimer
SHOULD WIN	Oppenheimer	The Zone of Interest
SNUBBED	Barbie	Barbie

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Best Cinematography

• Edward Lachman, El Conde

• Matthew Libatique, Maestro

• Rodrigo Prieto, The Killers of the Flower Moon

• Robbie Ryan, Poor Things

• Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Hoyte van Hoytema	Hoyte van Hoytema
COULD WIN	Rodrigo Prieto	Rodrigo Prieto
SHOULD WIN	Hoyte van Hoytema	Hoyte van Hoytema
SNUBBED	Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie	Robert Yeoman, Asteroid City

.

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Best Original Screenplay

• Samy Burch, May December

• Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, Maestro

• David Hemingson, The Holdovers

• Celine Song, Past Lives

• Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Justine Triet and Arthur Harari	Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
COULD WIN	David Hemingson	David Hemingson
SHOULD WIN	David Hemingson	Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
SNUBBED	Alex Convery, Air	Wes Anderson, Asteroid City

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Best Adapted Screenplay

• Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie

• Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

• Cord Jefferson, American Fiction

• Tony McNamara, Poor Things

• Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Cord Jefferson	Cord Jefferson
COULD WIN	Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach	Christopher Nolan
SHOULD WIN	Cord Jefferson	Christopher Nolan
SNUBBED	Phil Lord, Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse	Andrew Haigh, All Of Us Strangers

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Best Supporting Actor

• Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

• Robert De Niro, The Killers of the Flower Moon

• Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer

• Ryan Gosling, Barbie

• Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Robert Downey, Jr.	Robert Downey, Jr.
COULD WIN	Ryan Gosling	Mark Ruffalo
SHOULD WIN	Ryan Gosling	Ryan Gosling
SNUBBED	Charles Melton, May December	Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

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Best Supporting Actress

• Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

• Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

• America Ferrera, Barbie

• Jodie Foster, Nyad

• Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Da'Vine Joy Randolph	Da'Vine Joy Randolph
COULD WIN	Emily Blunt	Emily Blunt
SHOULD WIN	Da'Vine Joy Randolph	Da'Vine Joy Randolph
SNUBBED	Julianne Moore, May December	Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It's Me Margaret

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Best Actor

• Bradley Cooper, Maestro

• Colman Domingo, Rust

• Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

• Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

• Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Cillian Murphy	Cillian Murphy
COULD WIN	Paul Giamatti	Paul Giamatti
SHOULD WIN	Cillian Murphy	Cillian Murphy
SNUBBED	Matt Damon, Air	Andrew Scott, All Of Us Strangers

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Best Actress

• Annette Bening, Nyad

• Lily Gladstone, The Killers of the Flower Moon

• Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

• Carey Mulligan, Maestro

• Emma Stone, Poor Things

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Lily Gladstone	Lily Gladstone
COULD WIN	Emma Stone	Emma Stone
SHOULD WIN	Emma Stone	Sandra Hüller
SNUBBED	Eve Hewson, Flora and Son	Natalie Portman, May December

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Best Director

• Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

• Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

• Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

• Martin Scorcese, The Killers of the Flower Moon

• Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Christopher Nolan	Christopher Nolan
COULD WIN	Martin Scorcese	Jonathan Glazer
SHOULD WIN	Christopher Nolan	Justine Triet
SNUBBED	Greta Gerwig, Barbie	Greta Gerwig, Barbie

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Best Picture

• American Fiction

• Anatomy of a Fall

• Barbie

• The Holdovers

• The Killers of the Flower Moon

• Maestro

• Oppenheimer

• Past Lives

• Poor Things

• The Zone of Interest

	CHRISTIAN	DANIEL
WILL WIN	Oppenheimer	Oppenheimer
COULD WIN	Poor Things	The Zone of Interest
SHOULD WIN	Oppenheimer	The Zone of Interest
SNUBBED	Air	May December