With 2024 kicking off,there are many different award shows to look forward to this year. The Golden Globes and the Emmys have passed, making the next award show the Oscars, being held on March 10th.  The Oscars, originally the Academy Awards, are held in Beverly Hills, California, to recognize excellence in cinema, on and behind the scenes. They are regarded as one of the most prestigious awards to win.The first-ever Oscar Awards were held on May 16th, 1929, also making it one of the oldest award shows. With so much to look forward to, why not watch or make predictions to see if your favorite picks are chosen? Some winners from last year include Brendan Fraser and Michelle Yeoh, who won Best Actor/Best Actress. Some of the awards given include Best Picture, Best Original Song, and Best Animated Feature, Even if you aren’t an Oscar Awards fan, or you’ve never watched them, that shouldn’t stop you from doing your research and hedging your bets on who will win. Here are my predictions on who will win the 96th Oscars

Best Director: Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is being nominated for Oppenheimer, which also won a Golden Globe award. Despite being nominated eight times, he has never won, but I think this is his year. Not only was Oppenheimer nominated in 13  categories, it was one of the highest-grossing films of 2023, giving Christopher Nolan an edge against his opponents. The way Oppenheimer was written and how well-received it was among the audience, I think Nolan has the public’s vote. A win would not be surprising, as he won an award at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards. I believe these factors are what give Christopher Nolan a chance at winning the Oscar Award.

Best Actor: Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy is being nominated for his work in Oppenheimer, for which he also won a Golden Globe Award. I think putting Cillian Murphy in the lead is his win at the Golden Globes this year and his comeback to acting, with his last big acting role being back in 2019. Murphy also lost a lot of weight for Oppenheimer, showing dedication to the role.The last thing giving Murphy an edge is he starred in a biopic. Biopics are very popular amongst viewers, and Leonardo DiCaprio even won the award in 2019 for his role in a biopic. I think his acting skills,charming personality, and Golden Globe make him perfect for the Oscar award 

Best Actress:Emma Stone

I believe Emma Stone will win best actress because, much like Christopher Nolan, Emma Stone won a Critics’ Choice Award for starring as the main character in Poor Things, for which she is also being nominated for the Oscar. I believe Emma Stone is the strongest nominee because not only does she have a lot of experience in the acting industry, Poor Things has $13 million in the box office despite being one of the last films to be released in 2023. Stone is known throughout the film industry for her work in comedies, and while Poor Things has some comedic elements, it’s a fantasy film with some horror elements. I believe that these factors make Emma Stone the front runner to win Best Actress.

I think that The Oscar Awards this year are going to be pretty close this year based on some of the other candidates from not only these three categories but from all of them. 2023 gave us some amazing movies, so it’s not shocking that it’s a pretty close race. The Oscars are unique in the sense that other people from that category pick the winner (ex. the actors vote on Best Actor) in some categories. If you plan on making an Oscars prediction, do your research and see if you recognize any of your favorite actors or movies are being nominated. The nominations list is still pretty new, so you still can bet on who you think would win them. The other awards not mentioned here include Best Feature Film, Best International Feature Film, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, and Best Story. In total, The Oscars give out 24 awards. The Oscar Award is one of the highest awards you can be given to someone in the entertainment industry because it’s meant to celebrate success, achievement and excellence in cinema.