It’s been a busy few weeks cramming in as many movie reviews as possible, not helped by the cinemas in the UK having been more or less shut for the best part of a year.

But who do we think will win the top awards at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony? Read on for reviewer Jason Day’s preferred winners (in black bold) and (in yellow) who he feels Oscar will choose to walk away with the most prized 13.5 inches of gold plated wonder. Yellow/bold means they both are in agreement! Our reviews are highlighted.

Best Picture

The Father.
Judas and the Black Messiah. Review.
Mank. Review.
Minari. Review.
Nomadland.
Promising Young Woman. Review.
Sound of Metal. Review.
The Trial of the Chicago Seven. Review. Based on how well it has done so far with cinema awards and how highly people tend to think of it, Nomadland will win. But I really quite liked Trial of. For me, it’s the best movie of the year so far. I really hope to see Nomadland soon!

Best Director

Another Round / Thomas Vinterberg.
Mank / David Fincher. Review.
Minari / Lee Isaac Chung. Review.
Nomadland / Chloé Zhao. Again, I haven’t seen this but, based on previous award wins and the buzz around the Oscars, I think Zhao will win, making her one of very few women to do so and the first woman of Asian heritage.
Promising Young Woman / Emerald Fennell. Review.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed / Sound of Metal. Review.
Chadwick Boseman / Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Review. The most actorly, impressive and deeply moving performance I have seen. The late Boseman has earned a posthumous Oscar.
Anthony Hopkins / The Father.
Gary Oldman / Mank. Review.
Steven Yeun / Minari. Review.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis / Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Review. – An awakward one for me to call. I haven’t seen two of these films and think McDormand will win. But Davis fires on call cylinders. As does Kirby, to be fair, though she is more subdued.
Andra Ray / The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
Vanessa Kirby / Pieces of a Woman. Review.
Frances McDormand / Nomadland.
Carey Mulligan / Promising Young Woman. Review.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen / The Trial of the Chicago 7. Review.
Daniel Kaluuya / Judas and the Black Messiah. Review. It has to be Kaluuya. I think this is his year.
Leslie Odom Jr / One Night in Miami…
Paul Raci / Sound of Metal. Review.
Lakeith Stanfield / Judas and the Black Messiah.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Baklalova / Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
Glenn Close / Hillbilly Elegy.
Olivia Colman / The Father.
Amanda Seyfried / Mank. Review.
Yuh-Jung Youn / Minari. Review. This is a fun performance and she did just scoop a BAFTA.