Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit THE OSCARS COLLECTIVEVisit each category, per the individual awards show from THE OSCARS HUBRevisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season THE ARCHIVELink to television awards is atTHE EMMYS HUB
DRAFT>>>PRE-SEASON>>>REGULAR SEASON>>>POST SEASON
2022 OSCARS PREDICTIONS:
BEST ACTOR
UPDATED: July 15, 2021
AWARDS PREDICTION COMMENTARY: The end of the pandemic has multiple movies from contenders hitting the ground simultaneously this upcoming awards season. Adam Driver has “Annette,” “The Last Duel” and “House of Gucci,” while Andrew Garfield is managing “Tick, Tick…Boom!” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Benedict Cumberbatch will navigate “The Power of the Dog” and “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,” and even Denzel Washington will be playing with both acting and directing this year with “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and “A Journal for Jordan.” And then there are the unknowns factors that will be making plays for overdue attention, most prominently Will Smith in “King Richard,” rumored to be his defining career moment possibly. Let’s see how it all shakes out.
Netflix
AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE:
Will Smith"King Richard" (Warner Bros)
–DIRECTOR: Reinaldo Marcus GreenSYNOPSIS: A look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard Williams.STARRING: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Dylan McDermott
Benedict Cumberbatch"The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
–DIRECTOR: Jane CampionSYNOPSIS: A pair of brothers who own a large ranch in Montana are pitted against each other when one of them gets married.STARRING: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Thomasin McKenzie, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Andrew Garfield"Tick, Tick...Boom!" (Netflix)
–DIRECTOR: Lin-Manuel MirandaSYNOPSIS: The story of Jon, an aspiring theater composer who is waiting tables in New York City while writing Superbia - which he hopes will be the next great American musical and finally give him his big break.STARRING: Andrew Garfield, Bradley Whitford, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, Judith Light, Joanna Adler, Noah Robbins, Robin de Jesus, Joshua Henry
Peter Dinklage"Cyrano" (MGM/United Artists Releasing)
–DIRECTOR: Joe WrightSYNOPSIS: Follows the life of Cyrano de Bergerac.STARRING: Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Ben Mendelsohn, Brian Tyree Henry, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Clifton Collins Jr"Jockey" (Sony Pictures Classics)
–DIRECTOR: Clint BentleySYNOPSIS: An aging jockey aims for a final championship, when a rookie rider arrives claiming to be his son.STARRING: Clifton Collins Jr., Molly Parker, Moises Arias
Courtesy of NETFLIX
NEXT IN LINE CONTENDERS:
Adam Driver"House of Gucci" (MGM/United Artists Releasing)
–DIRECTOR: Ridley ScottSYNOPSIS: The story of how Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Maurizio Gucci, plotted to kill her husband, the grandson of renowned fashion designer Guccio Gucci.STARRING: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons-
Denzel Washington"The Tragedy of Macbeth" (A24/Apple TV Plus)
–DIRECTOR: Joel CoenSYNOPSIS: A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife supports him in his plans of seizing power.STARRING: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Sean Patrick Thomas, Ralph Ineson, Brian Thompson
Michael B. Jordan"A Journal for Jordan" (Sony Pictures)
–DIRECTOR: Denzel WashingtonSYNOPSIS: 1st Sgt. Charles Monroe King, before he is killed in action in Baghdad, authors a journal for his son intended to tell him how to live a decent life despite growing up without a father.STARRING: Michael B. Jordan, Chanté Adams
Leonardo DiCaprio"Don't Look Up" (Netflix)
–DIRECTOR: Adam McKaySYNOPSIS: The story of two low-level astronomers, who must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet earth.STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Himesh Patel, Matthew Perry, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Chris Evans, Mark Rylance, Michael Chiklis
Bradley Cooper"Nightmare Alley" (Searchlight Pictures)
–DIRECTOR: Guillermo del ToroSYNOPSIS: An ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.STARRING: Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, David Strathairn, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, Holt McCallany, Clifton Collins Jr, Richard Jenkins, Tim Blake Nelson
STILLWATER, Matt Damon, 2021. ph: Jessica Forde /© Focus Features /Courtesy Everett Collection
Courtesy of Focus Features/Everett Collection
TOP-TIER AWARDS CONTENDERS:
Joaquin Phoenix"C'mon C'mon" (A24)
–DIRECTOR: Mike Mills
SYNOPSIS: An artist embarks on a a cross-country trip with his young nephew.STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman, Jaboukie Young-White
Justin Chon"Blue Bayou" (Focus Features)
–DIRECTOR: Justin ChonSYNOPSIS: As a Korean-American man raised in the Louisiana bayou works hard to make a life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past as he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.STARRING: Justin Chon, Alicia Vikander, Mark O'Brien, Emory Cohen
Javier Bardem"Being the Ricardos" (Amazon Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Aaron SorkinSYNOPSIS: Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.STARRING: Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Clark Gregg, Tony Hale
Matt Damon"Stillwater" (Focus Features)
–DIRECTOR: Tom McCarthySYNOPSIS: A father travels from Oklahoma to France to help his estranged daughter, who is in prison for a murder she claims she didn't commit.STARRING: Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin, Camille Cottin, Deanna Dunagan
Oscar Isaac"The Card Counter" (Focus Features)
–DIRECTOR: Paul SchraderSYNOPSIS: A gambler attempts to give guidance to a young man who is out for revenge against a mutual enemy.STARRING: Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Tiffany Haddish, Willem Dafoe
Jonathan Majors"The Harder They Fall" (Netflix)
–DIRECTOR: Jeymes SamuelSYNOPSIS: When an outlaw discovers his enemy is being released from prison, he reunites his gang to seek revenge in this Western.STARRING: Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Lakeith Stanfield, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Zazie Beetz, RJ Cyler
Timothée Chalamet"Dune" (Warner Bros)
–DIRECTOR: Denis VilleneuveSYNOPSIS: Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.STARRING: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem
Cooper Hoffman"Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project" (MGM/United Artists Releasing)
–DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas AndersonSYNOPSIS: Set in 1970s San Fernando Valley, the film follows a high school student, who is also a successful child actor.STARRING: Bradley Cooper, Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim, Skyler Gisondo, Benny Safdie
Toni ServilloThe Hand of God (Netflix)
–DIRECTOR: Paolo SorrentinoSYNOPSIS: Plot unknown. Set in Naples and said to be a very personal film.STARRING: Toni Servillo
Amir Jadidi"A Hero" (Amazon Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Asghar FarhadiSYNOPSIS: Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don't go as planned.STARRING: Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sarina Farhadi, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaie
Red Rocket
Courtesy of A24
ALSO IN CONTENTION:
Simon Rex"Red Rocket" (A24)
–DIRECTOR: Sean BakerSYNOPSIS: Mikey Saber is a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown, not that anyone really wants him back.STARRING: Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son
Ben Platt"Dear Evan Hansen" (Universal Pictures)
–DIRECTOR: Stephen ChobskySYNOPSIS: Film adaptation of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical about Evan Hansen, a high school senior with Social Anxiety disorder and his journey of self-discovery and acceptance following the suicide of a fellow classmate.STARRING: Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Colton Ryan, Danny Pino, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams
Anthony Ramos"In the Heights" (Warner Bros)
–DIRECTOR: Jon M. ChuSYNOPSIS: A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.STARRING: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Jimmy Smits
Jude Hill"Belfast" (Focus Features)
–DIRECTOR: Kenneth BranaghSYNOPSIS: A young boy and his working class family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.STARRING: Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Jude Hill
Tye Sheridan"The Tender Bar" (Amazon Studios)
–DIRECTOR: George ClooneySYNOPSIS: A boy growing up on Long Island seeks out father figures among the patrons at his uncle's bar.STARRING: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, Sondra James, Max Martini, Michael Braun, Matthew Delamater, Max Casella, Rhenzy Feliz, Ivan Leung, Briana Middleton, Daniel Ranieri
Ansel Elgort"West Side Story" (20th Century Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Steven SpielbergSYNOPSIS: An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.STARRING: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Ana Isabelle, Corey Stoll, Brian d'Arcy James, Rita Moreno
Matt Damon"The Last Duel" (20th Century Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Ridley ScottSYNOPSIS: King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.STARRING: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck
Nicolas Cage"Pig" (Neon)
–DIRECTOR: Miguel SapochnikSYNOPSIS: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin
Dev Patel"The Green Knight" (A24)
–DIRECTOR: David LowerySYNOPSIS: A fantasy re-telling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.STARRING: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson
Winston Duke"Nine Days" (Sony Pictures Classics)
–DIRECTOR: Edson OdaSYNOPSIS: A reclusive man conducts a series of interviews with human souls for a chance to be born.STARRING: Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong
Annette
Courtesy of Amazon Studios
MORE AWARDS CONTENDERS:
Benedict Cumberbatch"The Electrical Life of Louis Wain" (Amazon Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Will SharpeSYNOPSIS: English artist Louis Wain rises to prominence at the end of the 19th century for his surreal cat paintings.STARRING: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Toby Jones, Sharon Rooney
Adam Driver"Annette" (Amazon Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Leos CaraxSYNOPSIS: A stand-up comedian and his opera singer wife have a 2 year old daughter with a surprising gift.STARRING: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg
Zachary Levi"American Underdog" (Lionsgate)
–DIRECTOR: Andrew Erwin, Jon ErwinSYNOPSIS: The story of NFL MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback, Kurt Warner, who went from stocking shelves at a supermarket to becoming an American Football star.STARRING: Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Ser'Darius Blain, Adam Baldwin, Bruce McGill, Dennis Quaid
Mahershala Ali"Swan Song" (Apple TV Plus)
–DIRECTOR: Benjamin ClearySYNOPSIS: When a loving husband and father is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he's presented with a controversial alternative solution to replace himself with a carbon copy clone.STARRING: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close, Awkwafina, Adam Beach
Simu Liu"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (Marvel Studios)
–DIRECTOR: Destin Daniel CrettonSYNOPSIS: Shang-Chi, the master of unarmed weaponry based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.STARRING: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng
Josh O'Connor"Mothering Sunday" (Sony Pictures Classics)
–DIRECTOR: Eva HussonSYNOPSIS: A maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.STARRING: Odessa Young, Josh O'Connor, Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Sope Dirisu, Glenda Jackson
Clint Eastwood"Cry Macho" (Warner Bros)
–DIRECTOR: Clint EastwoodSYNOPSIS: A one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder takes a job to bring a man's young son home and away from his alcoholic mom. On their journey, the horseman finds redemption through teaching the boy what it means to be a good man.STARRING: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam, Eduardo Minett
Andrew Garfield"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" (Searchlight Pictures)
–DIRECTOR: Michael ShowalterSYNOPSIS: An intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker.STARRING: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio
Michael Gandolfini"The Many Saints of Newark" (Warner Bros)
–DIRECTOR: Alan TaylorSYNOPSIS: A look at the formative years of New Jersey gangster, Tony Soprano.STARRING: Michael Gandolfini, Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom, Jr., Jon Bernthal
Tom Hanks"Finch" (Apple TV Plus)
–DIRECTOR: Miguel SapochnikSYNOPSIS: On a post-apocalyptic earth, a robot, built to protect the life of his creator's beloved dog, learns about life, love, friendship and what it means to be human.STARRING: Tom Hanks, Caleb Landry Jones, Skeet Ulrich
Swan Song
Chris Stephens
ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS (UNRANKED):
Coming soon…
AWARDS CATEGORY HISTORY (Best Director)
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. The most awarded films in Oscar history are “Ben-Hur,” “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” at 11 statuettes. The most nominated films in Academy history are “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land” at 14. “La La Land” is the only film of the three to have lost best picture. The biggest Oscar “losers,” meaning most nominated and walk away with zero awards, are 1977’s “The Turning Point” and 1985’s “The Color Purple” at 11 each. Daniel Day-Lewis has the most wins in this category with three, while Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Fredric March, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn and Spencer Tracy all have two. Tracy and Sir Laurence Olivier have the most nominations in this category, with nine. Henry Fonda is currently the oldest winner at 76 for “On Golden Pond,” while Richard Farnsworth is the oldest nominee at 79 for “The Straight Story.” Adrien Brody is the youngest winner ever for “The Pianist” at 29, while Jackie Cooper is the youngest nominee ever for “Skippy” at 9.
2022 Academy Awards Predictions
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Production Design
- Best Cinematography
- Best Costume Design
- Best Film Editing
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling
- Best Sound
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Original Score
- Best Original Song
- Best Documentary Feature
- Best International Feature
- Best Animated Short
- Best Documentary Short
- Best Live-Action Short
2021 Oscars predictions are here.
About the Academy Awards (Oscars)
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. Since 1927, nominees and winners are selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). 17 branches are represented within the near 10,000 person membership. The branches are actors, associates, casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentary, executives, film editors, makeup and hairstylists, marketing and public relations, members-at-large, members-at-large (artists’ representatives), music, producers, production design, short films and feature animation, sound, visual effects and writers.
- The date for the 94th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2022