Best Supporting Actress Oscars Predictions (January)

Two female supporting performances continue to dominate with the critics, with Youn Yuh-Jung and Maria Bakalova cleaning up every week. While there’s still a huge question mark hovering over Bakalova and whether she can be the rare comedic performer to snatch an Oscar nom, Youn’s nomination is firming, particularly if Minari begins to takeoff.

As we head into the nomination announcements for the televised portion of awards season, this particular race will likely prove to be the most uncertain, especially if Youn and Bakalova miss key nominations at the Golden Globes and SAG. And this will likely be where veterans like Glenn Close and Ellen Burstyn begin to shine.

As maligned as Hillbilly Elegy may be (26% on Rotten Tomatoes), Close is highly likely to nab nominations from the HFPA and her acting peers. And, let’s be honest, she could very well win both awards too. Much like Al Pacino and Paul Newman, we have to start preparing ourselves for the possibility of Close finally winning her Oscar for a terribly subpar film.

We could genuinely be looking at a situation where a different female actor wins this category at each major ceremony and we head into Oscar night without a clear frontrunner. As frustrating as that may be for prognosticators, at least it’s more interesting than last year where all four eventual acting Oscar winners won everything all season.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS PREDICTIONS:
1. Amanda Seyfried – Mank (Netflix)
2. Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman (Netflix)
3. Youn Yuh-Jung – Minari (A24)
4. Olivia Colman – The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
5. Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix)

MAJOR CONTENDERS:
Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Studios)
Candice Bergen – Let Them All Talk (HBO Max)
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix)
Olivia Cooke – Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
Dominique Fishback – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros.)
Jodie Foster – The Mauritanian (STX Films)
Nicole Kidman – The Prom (Netflix)
Saoirse Ronan – Ammonite (NEON)
Talia Ryder – Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus Features)
Charlene Swankie – Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)
Helena Zengel – News of the World (Universal Pictures)