Oscar Predictions 2024: From Cillian Murphy to Da’Vine Joy Randolph

The Nominees:

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Annette Bening, Nyad

PureWow Predicts:

Talk about a stacked category! Will Annette Bening finally nab her Oscar after 4 previous nominations? Can Emma Stone repeat her Golden Globes win thanks to her incredible performance in Poor Things? Was Carey Mulligan’s stunning transformation in Maestro enough to secure her the prize? Will dark horse Sandra Hüller surpass all the others? 

While the Best Actress statuette could go to any of these stars, we think Lily Gladstone will reign supreme, thanks to her showstopping performance as Mollie Kyle in Killers of the Flower Moon. Gladstone made history at the Golden Globes as the first indigenous Best Actress winner, and we think she’ll make history again as the first to win an Oscar too.

The Nominees:

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Bradley Cooper, Maestro

PureWow Predicts:

We already know that Cillian Murphy is a top contender, especially since he won the 2024 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture. But the real reason Murphy has kept audiences buzzing is due to his impressive transformation into J. Robert Oppenheimer. With a nod for Best Picture, Oppenheimer is an action-packed film that explores the life of the physicist, and a big reason the movie works is thanks to Murphy’s commitment to bringing the scientist to life. If history is any indication, we know the Oscars love awarding actors for playing historical icons (Jamie Foxx for Ray, Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody, Austin Butler in Elvis), so we're betting this is Murphy’s award to win.

The Nominees:

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie

PureWow Predicts:

Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a newer face in the entertainment industry, and we think she’ll make an even bigger name for herself with an Oscars win. In The Holdovers, the story centers on a history teacher who stays on campus during Christmas break to watch over the students with nowhere to go. Thanks to Randolph’s emotional performance as a grieving mother, Mary Lamb, she received her first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Although this is her first-ever Oscars nod, we predict she’ll take home the prize.

The Nominees:

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

PureWow Predicts:

In Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. portrays Louis Strauss, a trustee who worked alongside Oppenheimer at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and became the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission after World War II. It also helps that Downey Jr. won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture, which is a strong indicator that he could take home the Academy Award as well. With critics praising his performance in the historical film, it seems like a no-brainer for the Academy.

The Nominees:

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Past Lives
The Zone of Interest

PureWow Predicts:

There’s a case to be made for box office blockbusters like Barbie and Poor Things. Meanwhile, critics adored Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives. But, out of all these celebrated films, none stuck out more than Oppenheimer. With the most nominations of any movie at the 96th ceremony (13!), the action film drew attention unlike anything we’ve seen before, and all three of its stars (rightfully) got nods for their performances, including Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt. It even rivaled Barbie at the box-office, creating what became known as the Barbenheimer phenomenon, with thousands of fans heading to theaters to see both films. The movie also won five awards at the 2024 Golden Globes, including Best Drama, making it a worthy contender for Best Picture.