Historically speaking, the winner of Best Makeup and Hairstyling often goes hand-in-hand with a lead acting win. Just last year the victory of The Whale here ultimately signalled Brendan Fraser’s win for Best Actor. The year before, it was The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Jessica Chastain. The Darkest Hour and Gary Oldman in 2017. The Iron Lady and Meryl Streep in 2011. And so on and so on. If you’re predicting Emma Stone to win Best Actress for Poor Things, does that mean it’s taking makeup and hairstyling too as it did at the BAFTAs?
It’s up against a formidable contender in Maestro. From the moment the first photos and trailer dropped featuring deeply aged Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, it seemed like a win in this category was all but done. And, with a pair of key wins from the Make-up and Hair Stylists Guild, it’s massively in the hunt. But now that Cooper and Mulligan are all but certain to lose Best Actor and Best Actress, does that damage the chances of Maestro here? Maybe, maybe not.
When this category doesn’t match a lead acting win, it often goes to a film with impressive makeup work focused on its leads. Think Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Vice, and Bombshell. Maestro has this factor. Poor Things does not. It’s supporting player Willem Dafoe’s transformation that likely netted Poor Things a nod here and that may not be enough to capture the Academy’s votes. It’s a tight race and maybe Poor Things does sweep a few technical wins like it did at the BAFTAs, but I’m sticking with Maestro.
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING PREDICTIONS:
1. Maestro (Netflix) – BAFTA, CCA, MUAH
Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell
2. Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures) – BAFTA, CCA, MUAH
Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
3. Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) – BAFTA, CCA, MUAH
Luisa Abel
4. Golda (Bleecker Street) – MUAH
Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue
5. Society of the Snow (Netflix)
Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé
Will win: Maestro
Should win: Maestro
Possible shocker: Oppenheimer
