With the 94th Academy Awards right around the corner, critics and viewers continue to speculate who will take the trophies home. Here are four winner predictions from this year’s edition of the Oscars. 

Best Picture 

With ‘CODA’, Drive My Car’, ‘Don’t Look Up’, ‘Dune’, ‘King Richard’, ‘Belfast’, ‘Licorice Pizza’, ‘The Power of the Dog’, ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Nightmare Alley’ competing in the category, predictions suggest that Jane Campion’s ‘The Power of the Dog’ might take the Best Picture award home. 

Garnering 12 total nominations, several forecasters believe that the western psychodrama could bag the golden statuette, and  deservedly so.

Best Director

Competing with Belfast’s Kenneth Branagh, Drive My Car’s Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Licorice Pizza’s Paul Thomas Anderson and West Side Story’s Steven Spielberg, forecasters are inclined towards The Power of the Dog’s Jane Campion to win in the category.

The New Zealand-born filmmaker’s possible victory can be attributed to her momentous screenplay and impeccable direction.

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Best Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees of the category include Jessica Chastain for ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’, Olivia Colman for ‘The Lost Daughter’, Penélope Cruz for ‘Parallel Mothers’, Nicole Kidman for ‘Being the Ricardos’ and Kristen Stewart for ‘Spencer’.

According to predictions, Jessica Chaistain might take home the Oscar, placing it right next to her SAG statuette. While many believe Chaistan will win for essaying the role of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, forecasters are anticipating Kristen Stewart of being the most curious case for a spoiler. Excluded both from the SAG awards and BAFTAs, Stewart stands the slightest chance, as no actress has ever won an Oscar after not being nominated for a SAG. 

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees of the category include Will Smith for ‘King Richard’, Javier Bardem for ‘Being the Ricardos’, Benedict Cumberbatch for ‘The Power of the Dog’, Andrew Garfield for ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ and Denzel Washington for ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’.

According to forecasters, Will Smith is set to claim the throne without missing a single crowning moment at this year’s award shows. Recently winning a SAG award, Smith has managed to prove his versatility and his decision to shift from blockbusters to stories that leave people teary-eyed.