With the Academy’s nominations announcement drawing closer by the day, it’s time to lay it all on the line with my final Oscar nomination predictions. We’ve long known Soul and Wolfwalkers are cemented in this race, especially after their total dominance of the Annie Award nominations. They both scored nominations at the Annie Awards, BAFTA, PGA, the Golden Globes, and the Critics Choice Awards (Soul won the latter two), so they’re both safely sitting as the frontrunners.
Onward hasn’t missed a beat all season and also nabbed nominations at all of the above, so it’s firmly in the top three. The Croods: A New Age has also performed strongly with nods from the Annie Awards, the Golden Globes, and PGA, so surely that’s solidifies its place in the top five. Over the Moon was nominated at the Golden Globes, PGA, and the Critics Choice Awards, but its shocking snub for Best Feature at the Annie Awards is a concern. It’s the most vulnerable here, especially after it was missing from the Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song.
Last year, the Academy stunned many when it ignored box office colossus Frozen II in this category, so there’s every chance one of these will suffer a similar fate. Both The Willoughbys (which nabbed a Best Feature nod at the Annie Awards) and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon are waiting in the wings to steal that fifth spot. While we’ve all suspected Over the Moon would be Netflix’s contender this year, perhaps it will be The Willoughbys instead.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE PREDICTIONS:
1. Soul (Disney)
2. Wolfwalkers (GKIDS/Apple TV+)
3. Onward (Disney)
4. The Croods: A New Age (Universal Pictures)
5. Over the Moon (Netflix)
Alternate: The Willoughbys (Netflix)