Nominations will be announced Monday morning for the 92nd Academy Awards, and while no clear motion picture front-runner has yet taken hold, films such as “1917,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story” are likely to snag multiple nods.
The nominations will be unveiled at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ headquarters in Beverly Hills, and live-streamed on the Academy’s various websites and social-media feeds. Actors Issa Rae and John Cho will read off the nominees in Oscar’s 24 categories.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “1917” have already collected Golden Globe awards — for best musical/comedy and best drama film, respectively — and are certain to be among Oscar’s best picture nominees. With their powerhouse casts and celebrated directors, “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story” are also sure to land on the best-picture list, and are also certain to be among the top nominees.
Other likely best-picture nominees include the Korean noir thriller “Parasite,” the gritty super-villain origin tale “Joker,” the World War II satire “Jojo Rabbit,” the big-screen adaptation of “Little Women” and the high-octane drama “Ford v. Ferrari.” The Fox News sex-harassment scandal story “Bombshell” is also an Oscar hopeful, along with the murder-mystery “Knives Out” and the family drama “The Farewell.”
Joaquin Phoenix is a lock for a best-actor nod for his haunting portrayal of the title villain in “Joker,” a role that has already earned him a Golden Globe for best drama film actor. Taron Egerton, who won a Globe for his portrayal of Elton John in the biopic “Rocketman,” is also a strong candidate for a nod. Adam Driver is virtually assured of a nomination for his role as the divorcing husband in “Marriage Story,” as is Leonardo DiCaprio for his portrayal of a once-big-name actor in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Robert De Niro, while earning accolades for his work in “The Irishman,” has been repeatedly passed over for major awards nominations thus far, dropping him into the category of longshot for an Oscar nod. Antonio Banderas could crack the list for “Pain and Glory,” as could Christian Bale for “Ford v Ferrari.”
Renee Zellweger appears to be the person to beat in the best-actress category, thanks to her acclaimed portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy.” Scarlett Johansson will easily score a nod for her work opposite Driver in “Marriage Story,” while Charlize Theron is a virtual lock for her role as Megyn Kelly in “Bombshell.” Other potential nominees include Lupita Nyong’o for “Us,” Cynthia Erivo for “Harriet” Saoirse Ronan for “Little Women” and Awkwafina for “The Farewell.”
Zellweger and Awkwafina both took home Golden Globes last Sunday.
The supporting actor and actress categories are likely to be respectively led by Brad Pitt for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and Laura Dern for “Marriage Story.”
“The Irishman’s” powerhouse pairing of Al Pacino and Joe Pesci should generate nods for both, while Tom Hanks is a sure bet for his role as Mister Rogers in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Hoping to round out the category will be Anthony Hopkins for “The Two Popes,” Song Kang Ho for “Parasite” and possibly Jamie Foxx for “Just Mercy.”
Johannson could be a double-acting nominee if she scores a supporting nod for her work in “Jojo Rabbit.” Jennifer Lopez is a lock for her role as a scheming stripper in “Hustlers,” while Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie are both potential nominees for “Bombshell.”
Martin Scorsese will assuredly add another best-director Oscar nomination to his resume for “The Irishman.” Golden Globe winner Sam Mendes will also earn a nod for “1917,” as will Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite” and Quentin Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Also hoping to land in the category will be Greta Gerwig for “Little Women,” Noah Baumbach for “Marriage Story,” Taika Waititi for “Jojo Rabbit” and Todd Phillips for “Joker.”
The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Feb. 9 — the earliest it has ever been held. ABC recently announced that the Dolby Theatre ceremony will again be held without a host, relying instead on musical performances and comedy routines to keep the show moving.