This year's Oscars, set to take place on Sunday, feature several tight races, with the best actor category being particularly unpredictable. Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) initially gained momentum, but wins for Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent), Michael B Jordan (Sinners), and Robert Aramayo (I Swear) have kept the field open. Michael B Jordan is currently seen as the frontrunner after his recent Actor Award win, which coincided with the early days of Oscar voting.
In the best picture category, political thriller One Battle After Another leads with top prizes from earlier awards and industry guild events, suggesting strong support for both the film and its director Paul Thomas Anderson. However, vampire horror Sinners, which broke the record for most Oscar nominations with 16, poses a significant challenge. Other films like Hamnet have won occasional prizes, but the race is essentially between these two.
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) is the closest to a guaranteed win in any major category, having dominated the best actress race throughout awards season. In supporting actor, Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) has gained momentum with Bafta and Actor Award wins, putting him on track for a third Oscar. The supporting actress category remains competitive, with Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), and Amy Madigan (Weapons) all having viable paths to victory.
