When I caught wind of the fact that this year’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards were being hosted by Kristen Bell, I knew I had to watch! As a fan of both The Good Place and Nobody Wants This, there was no doubt in my mind that she would recognize some of the year’s best acting performances with grace. Soon after I turned on the TV, I realized that this was the final “major” award show leading up to what everyone’s been waiting for: The Oscars.
I definitely enjoy watching award shows, and after tuning in to both the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards in recent weeks, I feel as though Oscar winners are fairly difficult to predict this year, since many of the actors and their respective films have either gained major traction in a pop cultural sphere (I still hear Cynthia Erivo’s “Defying Gravity” riff on a regular basis), or have already come home with various awards this season (The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez swept this year’s Golden Globes). Despite all of this, I have finalized my guesses for 2025’s winners in five of the most significant categories:
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Timothée Chalamet
He claimed that he wants to be “one of the greats” during his inspiring acceptance speech at the SAG Awards. After being in some of the most talked-about movies of the last few years, I think his time has finally come!
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Cynthia Erivo
If Cynthia wins the Oscar, she will be included in the small yet extremely reputable group of individuals who have won an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Wicked smashed box office records, and rightfully so!
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Kieran Culkin
Kieran won both a Golden Globe and a SAG Award this year, so it’s certainly safe to say that he has a good chance of bringing home an Academy Award.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Zoe Saldaña
Similar to Kieran Culkin, Zoe also won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her performance as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia PĂ©rez. Those awards are definitely considered stepping stones to the ultimate victory of an Oscar!
Best Picture: The Brutalist
After dominating the Golden Globes (and since Adrian Brody is also nominated for Actor in a Leading Role), The Brutalist may leave the Oscars with this prestigious accolade. However, the film is up against Anora, Conclave, A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, The Substance, and Wicked, to name some of the most significant nominees. All of these films were wildly successful, making this category extremely competitive this year. We’ll see what happens!