And The Potential Nominees Are…
As Oscar season approaches, the speculation about the winners begins. While sports fans have fantasy leagues, film and TV buffs have nominee predictions. Specifically, who will be nominated for Best Actor/Actress In A Leading Role? We have our inside picks right here.
Ralph Fiennes
After the fame and popularity of the Harry Potter franchise, Fiennes might feel like an odd choice, but his performance in Conclave (Focus Features) makes a very solid case for his nomination this season.
Access Entertainment, Conclave (2024)
Mikey Madison
For her incredible role in Anora (Neon), Mikey Madison is a breakout star and is one of the top nominee predictions for leading actresses.
FilmNation Entertainment, Anora (2024)
Adrien Brody
Returning to the competition, Adrien Brody and his role in The Brutalist (A24) are up for consideration. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor early in his career, and we think it’s about time he earned another one.
Brookstreet Pictures, The Brutalist (2024)
Angelina Jolie
Likely one of the most prominent actresses of her generation, Angelina Jolie has won over 60 awards during her career. But she’s never won an Oscar. We’re hoping this changes after starring in Maria (Netflix), about legendary opera singer Maria Callas.
Colman Domingo
For his role in Sing Sing (A24), Domingo’s name appears on our top list for nomination consideration. He rose to prominence in the mid 2010s, but has yet to win an Oscar for his work.
Tilda Swinton
After a 40-year career, Tilda Swinton has an impressive resume of films and television series. This year, after starring in The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics), she could be up for Best Actress at the Oscars.
El Deseo, The Room Next Door (2024)
Paul Mescal
Irish actor Paul Mescal stars in Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures). As the first major film he’s starred in, Mescal is primed to be a breakout star to the world at large and possibly earn a nomination this upcoming Oscar season.
Paramount, Gladiator II (2024)
Nicole Kidman
The American-Australian actress and producer Nicole Kidman doesn’t miss in any of her roles, even in the earliest years of her career through to her most recent film, Babygirl (A24), which might earn her yet another Oscar nomination.
Daniel Craig
After starring in the popular film Knives Out (2019), Daniel Craig started down a new path with his career, veering away from the suave character James Bond. Now, we think he’ll be up for a nomination for his role in Queer (A24).
Karla Sofía Gascón
Karla Sofia Gascón has featured and starred in many Spanish soap operas, telenovelas, and films. Her most recent film, Emilia Pérez (Netflix), can make her one of the few transgender actors and actresses to have earned an Oscar nomination.
Why Not Productions, Emilia Pérez (2024)
Timothée Chalamet
Chalamet became a household name after Dune (2021), and now he has a chance to be back up for an Oscar nomination for his role in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
Veritas Entertainment, A Complete Unknown (2024)
Saoirse Ronan
Ronan has shown herself to be a talented actress since the beginning of her career. Her role in The Outrun (Sony Pictures Classics) is no different, and it’s no wonder she’s on our prediction list for an Academy Award nomination.
Brock Media, The Outrun (2024)
Jesse Plemons
While he’s somehow never been nominated for an Oscar, Plemons has a two-decade career to build on. Starring in two films this year, Plemons deserves a nomination particularly for his role in Yorgos Lanthimos's newest flick, Kinds Of Kindness (Searchlight Pictures).
Element Pictures, Kinds Of Kindness (2024)
Cynthia Erivo
In the spirit of returning to classic stories and adapting them with a twist, Erivo’s role as Elphaba in Wicked (Universal Pictures) is an excellent display of her talent and ability. This role could earn her an Oscar nomination.
John David Washington
Washington has been acting since the 90s, but his career really picked up steam after 2017. Now, after starring in The Piano Lesson, Washington has the potential to be up for an Academy Award.
Netflix, The Piano Lesson (2024)
Fernanda Torres
The Brazilian film, stage, and TV actress began her career in the 80s. She has an impressive backlog of films to go alongside what could be an Oscar-nominated role in I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics).
Arte France Cinéma, I’m Still Here (2024)
Sebastian Stan
Known primarily for his role as Bucky in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sebastian Stan has been around the acting scene for a while. He could be up for more than one nomination for his role in The Apprentice (Briarcliff Entertainment) and for his role in A Different Man (A24). Double the films means double the chance!
Killer Films, A Different Man (2024)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Marianne Jean-Baptiste has had a prolific and extensive career and even won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for 1996's Secrets & Lies. After her work in Hard Truths, we think Marianne Jean-Baptiste has worked her way to a potential nomination for Best Actress In A Leading Role.
Jharrel Jerome
Jharrel Jerome's breakout role was in Moonlight (2016), and despite winning more awards than he’s lost, has never been nominated for an Oscar. This could be the year where that changes, as he stars in Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios).
A Really Good Home Pictures, Unstoppable (2024)
June Squibb
For her role in Thelma (Magnolia) June Squibb is on our list for potential nominees this year. While the 95-year-old has been on the Hollywood acting scene since 1948, we think it’s time she saw more than just a nomination for Best Supporting Actress (which she got for 2013's Nebraska). Go June!
Jesse Eisenberg
After starring in A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures), Jesse Eisenberg might be nominated for Best Actor. Though I often confuse him with his role as Mark Zuckerberg, he continually comes back into the public eye in a variety of different roles.
Topic Studios, A Real Pain (2024)
Demi Moore
Demi Moore is another actress with an extensive resume of films, TV series, and documentaries. For her role in The Substance (Mubi), we think Moore deserves an Oscar nomination and predict she’ll be in one of those spots.
Working Title Films, The Substance (2024)
Gabriel LaBelle
This Canadian actor has potential to be up for an Oscar for his role in Saturday Night (Sony Pictures). Known first for his leading role as Sammy Fabelman in The Fabelmans (2022), LaBelle is primed to break out this upcoming year.
Columbia, Saturday Night (2024)
Zendaya
Zendaya’s name has been coming up more and more in recent years, after her initial foray into acting through the Disney Channel. For her role in Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios), Zendaya is proving that she’s worthy of a nomination and we predict she’ll get one.
Jude Law
Law’s acting career has spanned nearly four decades, but he’s never won an Oscar. But after his starring in The Order (Vertical Entertainment), this might change. We wish him luck this upcoming award season!
Pamela Anderson
Though she’s a popular household name, Pamela Anderson has been pulling her weight in the film and TV industry for decades. The Canadian-American model, actress, and author starred in The Last Showgirl (Roadside Attractions) and for that, we predict she’ll earn a nomination.
Utopia, The Last Showgirl (2024)
Andrew Garfield
The well-loved Spider-Man has always starred in films that challenge our expectations for the actor. This year is no different after he starred in We Live In Time (A24), which may earn him another Oscar nomination.
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2022 for Power of the Dog, but hasn’t yet won an Academy Award. We think she’ll be one of the underdog selections for her role in Civil War (A24).
Julianne Moore
Starring in the same film as Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore’s role in The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics) also exceeds expectations. We think the two friends could go head-to-head (in a kind and considerate way) and earn themselves nominations for the same film.
El Deseo, The Room Next Door (2024)
Monica Barbaro
While not her debut, Monica Barbaro has been brought into the spotlight after starring opposite Timothée Chalamet in the biographical drama of Bob Dylan’s life, A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures). Her role as Joan Baez has demonstrated her ability and could potentially bring about an Academy nomination.
Veritas Entertainment, A Complete Unknown (2024)
Zoë Chao
This up-and-coming actress has been launched into the spotlight alongside her co-star of Nightb—h (Annapurna Pictures), Amy Adams. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Annapurna Pictures, Nightbitch (2024)
Ryan Destiny
Ryan Destiny went all-in for her role in The Fire Inside, going as far as hiring a boxing coach to inform her performance. But the film faced several left turns, with the pandemic shut-down and production issues. Now that the film is finally out in the world, Destiny has set herself up for success, and, potentially, an Oscar nomination.
Fred Hechinger
Fred Hechinger is a triple-threat this year, starring alongside June Squibb in Thelma, starring in Gladiator II, and even the indie film The Nickel Boys. All of this work should pay off in some way, and we think it would be very rewarding to receive an Oscar nomination.
Paramount, Gladiator II (2024)
Ella Hunt
Saturday Night is a biographical film about comedy icon Gilda Radner. Ella Hunt honed her performance skills for the role, which depicts Radner as an off-duty comedian. We think she deserves some recognition for her efforts.
Columbia, Saturday Night (2024)
David Jonsson
Despite being a self-designated indie actor, David Jonsson recently starred in Alien: Romulus, the ninth instalment of the Alien series. He’s acted in film and TV, and could be a rising star for the upcoming awards season.
Josh Rivera
Josh Rivera not only starred in American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez but also The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes. But incredibly, one of his earlier roles was on the US tour of Hamilton. This actor is primed for some critical acclaim, and this Oscar season could be his time.
The Boston Globe, American Sports Story (2024-)
Drew Starkey
Not everyone gets to star opposite Daniel Craig in their upcoming film, as Drew Starkey did in Queer (A24). After finding his love of movies as a young person, Starkey might be the next heartthrob at the Academy Awards.
Toby Wallace
This year, the up-and-comer Toby Wallace has starred in The Bikeriders and Eden. The two films couldn’t be more different, and they are an ideal demonstration of Wallace’s range as an actor. Welcome to the big leagues, Toby Wallace, we hope you get credit where you deserve.
Elliott Heffernan
This young actor starred opposite Saorise Ronan in his debut film, Blitz (Apple Original Films). Considering this is his first film, Heffernan has set the tone for his career and potentially earned himself a nomination for the Oscars.
Florence Pugh
This actress recently starred in We Live In Time (A24), and after a series of very successful roles in very successful films, we think Pugh has set herself up for a potential nomination.
