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Predicting the Nominations For the 2020 Oscars | The Big Picture

January 10, 2020/ 96 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins

Two days before nominations morning, Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins read the PGA, WGA, DGA, and BAFTA tea leaves, then call all 24 Oscar categories they're willing to touch. Sean also talks to Destin Daniel Cretton about directing 'Just Mercy.'

120 films across 3 segments.

AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.

Where the Oscar race standsPGA, WGA, DGA, and BAFTA nominations, three weeks out

The Two Popes 2019

Off the PGA's ten and, thanks to WGA eligibility rules around screenwriter Anthony McCarten, unrecognized there too.

Richard Jewell 2019

Bombshell 2019

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood poster

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 2019

Uncut Gems 2019

Off the PGA, DGA, WGA, and SAG slates entirely, which the hosts call 'a shame.'

Darkest Hour 2017

Anthony McCarten's other awards-season script, cited amid the WGA eligibility confusion.

Booksmart 2019

The WGA original-screenplay surprise, in a category so loaded it may not carry over to an Oscar nod.

The Farewell 2019

Ineligible for the WGA screenplay awards over its largely non-English dialogue.

Atlantics 2019

Mati Diop's first feature, part of the DGA's unofficial first-timer slate.

Honey Boy 2019

Alma Har'el's first feature, also DGA-recognized.

Queen & Slim 2019

Melina Matsoukas's first feature.

The Peanut Butter Falcon 2019

Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz's first feature.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco poster

The Last Black Man in San Francisco 2019

Joe Talbot's first feature.

Bait 2019

British critic Mark Kermode called it the best British film of the decade; Sean wants someone to actually show it to him.

For Sama 2019

Heavy BAFTA support, notable given the overlap between BAFTA and Academy voters.

Oscar Nomination Predictionsfive nominees plus a wildcard apiece, across 15 categories

Best Cinematography

1917 Roger Deakins
Ford v Ferrari Phedon Papamichael
The Irishman Rodrigo Prieto
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Robert Richardson
Joker Lawrence Sher
The Lighthouse Jarin Blaschke

Best Film Editing

Ford v Ferrari Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
The Irishman Thelma Schoonmaker
1917 Lee Smith
Marriage Story Jennifer Lame
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Fred Raskin
Parasite Yang Jinmo

Best Original Score

Little Women Alexandre Desplat
Joker Hildur Guðnadóttir
Marriage Story Randy Newman
1917 Thomas Newman
Jojo Rabbit Michael Giacchino
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker John Williams

Best Original Song

Frozen II "Into the Unknown"
Harriet "Stand Up"
The Lion King "Spirit," Beyoncé
Rocketman "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
Wild Rose "Glasgow"
Toy Story 4 "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away"
Parasite "A Glass of Soju"

Best Documentary Feature

Best International Feature Film

Best Animated Feature

Best Original Screenplay

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Quentin Tarantino
Parasite Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won
Marriage Story Noah Baumbach
Knives Out Rian Johnson
The Farewell Lulu Wang
1917 Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman Steven Zaillian
Jojo Rabbit Taika Waititi
The Two Popes Anthony McCarten
Joker Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
Little Women Greta Gerwig
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster

Best Supporting Actor

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Tom Hanks
The Irishman Al Pacino
The Irishman Joe Pesci
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Brad Pitt
The Two Popes Anthony Hopkins
Just Mercy Jamie Foxx

Best Supporting Actress

Marriage Story Laura Dern
Hustlers Jennifer Lopez
Little Women Florence Pugh
Bombshell Margot Robbie
The Farewell Zhao Shuzhen
Jojo Rabbit Scarlett Johansson
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Margot Robbie

Best Actor

Joker Joaquin Phoenix
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Leonardo DiCaprio
Marriage Story Adam Driver
Ford v Ferrari Christian Bale
Rocketman Taron Egerton
Pain and Glory Antonio Banderas
Uncut Gems Adam Sandler
Dolemite Is My Name Eddie Murphy

Best Actress

The Farewell Awkwafina
Marriage Story Scarlett Johansson
Little Women Saoirse Ronan
Bombshell Charlize Theron
Judy Renée Zellweger
Us Lupita Nyong'o
Harriet Cynthia Erivo

Best Director

Parasite Bong Joon Ho
1917 Sam Mendes
The Irishman Martin Scorsese
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Quentin Tarantino
Joker Todd Phillips
Jojo Rabbit Taika Waititi

Best Picture

Destin Daniel Cretton on 'Just Mercy'

Destin Daniel Cretton on

Just Mercy 2019

Adapted from Bryan Stevenson's memoir. Cretton on Michael B. Jordan toning down his 'Black Panther'/'Creed II' physique, shooting the death-row cellblock with three synced cameras so the actors' shouted-through-the-wall friendships would read, and the one scene he and Brian dramatized beyond the facts (a courtroom reveal that was really just a fax).