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2024, nicknamed the year of cinema, created films that have astonished audiences months after their release including “Dune Part 2” and “Wicked.”

Because of this, the 2025 award season has been highly anticipated.

As a religious movie watcher, I can’t wait to share my opinions on who deserves to take home an Oscar this year, and the controversial nominations.

Leading Actor   

Nominees: 

• Adrien Brody- “The Brutalist”
• Timothee Chalamet- “A Complete Unknown” 
• Colman Domingo- “Sing Sing”
• Ralph Fiennes- “Conclave” 
• Sebastian Stan- “The Apprentice” 

My Prediction:

Sebastian Stan- “The Apprentice”

My Thoughts:

Sebastian Stan had an incredible performance in “The Apprentice” as Donald Trump. He had the mannerisms, speaking patterns and the slyness of Trump down perfectly.

Leading Actress

Nominees: 

• Cynthia Erivo- “Wicked” 
• Karla Sofía Gascón- “Emilia Pérez” 
• Mikey Madison- “Anora” 
• Demi Moore- “The Substance” 
• Fernanda Torres- “I’m Still Here”

My Prediction:

Karla Sofía Gascón- “Emilia Perez” 

My Thoughts:

Before the Golden Globe Awards, where Zoe Saldana won a Golden Globe over Cynthia Erivo, I was a firm believer that Erivo had the Oscar in the bag. But now my mind has been changed. “Emilia Perez” is not worth the recognition, it’s simply a bad movie that missed the mark. The movie tells the story of a drug cartel leader wanting to transition to feel more like themselves, then completely hiding herself away. This movie is a slander to the transgender experience. The only reason the Academy nominated “Emilia Perez”, and the only reason it will win, is to seem progressive.

Supporting Actor

Nominees: 

• Yuri Borisov- “Anora”
• Kieran Culkin- “A Real Pain”
• Edward Norton- “A Complete Unknown” 
• Guy Pearce- “The Brutalist” 
• Jeremy Strong- “The Apprentice”

My Prediction:

Kieran Culkin-  “A Real Pain”

My Thoughts:

Culkins performance in “A Real Pain” was beautiful. The pain in his character was subtle and beautifully acted, a performance that invoked so much emotion, deserving of a win.

Supporting Actress

Nominees:

• Monica Barbaro- “A Complete Unknown,” 
• Ariana Grande- “Wicked” 
• Felicity Jones- “The Brutalist,” 
• Isabella Rossellini- “Conclave” 
• Zoe Saldana- “Emilia Pérez”

My Prediction:

Ariana Grande- “Wicked” 

My Thoughts:

Most of us remember her from “Victorious” and her incredibly high whistle notes, but her performance in “Wicked” gave the world a whole new lens to see Grande in, proving to viewers that she is much more than her past.

Best Picture

Nominees:

• “Anora”
• “The Brutalist” 
• “A Complete Unknown” 
• “Conclave” 
• “Dune: Part Two” 
• “Emilia Pérez” 
• “I’m Still Here” 
• “Nickel Boys” 
• “The Substance” 
• “Wicked”

My Prediction: 

“Wicked” 

My Thoughts: 

Put simply, Wicked needs to win. It was by far the most visually beautiful movie, with landscapes and set pieces so beyond our world.

This concludes my predictions for the Oscars, stay tuned for my opinions on the winners of this year!