Best Actress Oscars Predictions (November)

The race for Best Actress is going to be a bloodbath. It happens every year, but this season is going to be particularly brutal. There are at least 10 strong contenders for the five nomination slots. Pain is a certainty. The Gothams gave love to Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths). If they become our final Oscar five, you’d be hard-pressed to find any complaints.

But that would mean actresses like Angelina Jolie (Maria), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here) would be absent and that’s definitely something to complain about. And then there’s the case of Cynthia Erivo. Wicked is a bonafide smash and her performance has earned rave reviews. But is she this year’s Margot Robbie (Barbie) i.e. her film gets a tonne of nominations but not for its leading lady?

And then there’s Pamela Anderson, who also scored a Gotham nod for The Last Showgirl. The film will debut in mid-December, but Anderson earned strong reactions after its world premiere at TIFF. That Gotham nomination is a great start to her campaign. And what about Kate Winslet (Lee), who now seemingly has the support of Frances Fisher behind her campaign? Remember what Fisher did for Andrea Riseborough?

It’s going to be a brutal battle for those five spots. Strap yourselves in.

BEST ACTRESS PREDICTIONS:
1. Mikey Madison – Anora (Neon)
2. Angelina Jolie – Maria (Netflix)
3. Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
4. Nicole Kidman – Babygirl (A24)
5. Demi Moore – The Substance (MUBI)

IN CONTENTION
Amy Adams – Nightbitch (Searchlight Pictures)
Pamela Anderson – The Last Showgirl (Roadside Attractions)
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked (Universal Pictures)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths (Bleecker Street)
Julianne Moore – The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics)
Florence Pugh – We Live in Time (A24)
Saoirse Ronan – The Outrun (Sony Pictures Classics)
Tilda Swinton – The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics)
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics)
Kate Winslet – Lee (Roadside Attractions)