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. Barbie, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Napoleon all have the four major precursor nominations in BAFTA, the Critics Choice Awards, and the Costume Designers Guild. Does that mean they’re all locked for an Oscar nom? The latter is probably slightly weaker given it’s not a major contender overall like its compatriots. But those lavish 18th-century designs and the fact Janty Yates is a previous winner should be enough to get Napoleon through.
That leaves one spot open. My heart thinks it could be Wonka or maybe even The Color Purple, but it’s probably going to Oppenheimer and the nomination sweep will really be on. Personally, I don’t find it all fair to nominate someone for mostly designing an array of generic men’s suits, but it didn’t stop The Irishman from being nominated in 2019.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN PREDICTIONS:
1. Barbie – Jacqueline Durran (Warner Bros.) – BAFTA, CCA, CDG
2. Poor Things – Holly Waddington (Searchlight Pictures) – BAFTA, CCA, CDG
3. Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West (Paramount Pictures / Apple Original Films) – BAFTA, CCA, CDG
4. Napoleon – David Crossman and Janty Yates (Sony Pictures / Apple Original Films) – BAFTA, CCA, CDG
5. Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick (Universal Pictures) – BAFTA
Alternate: Wonka – Lindy Hemming (Warner Bros.) – CCA