\tDocumentary Feature: \u2018Ask E. Jean\u2019<\/p>\n
\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Abramorama\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Abramorama
Artisans: Ivy Meeropol (director, producer), Laura Bickford and Annabelle Dunne (producers)<\/p>\n
\n\tSitting at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and freshly relevant thanks to renewed headlines around President Donald Trump, Ivy Meeropol\u2019s documentary, which premiered at last year\u2019s Telluride Film Festival, tracks the cultural shift in how we treat women who accuse powerful men. It is a portrait of a woman who decided it is always the right time to speak truth to power.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tOriginal Song: \u2018Toy Story 5\u2019 (\u2018I Knew It, I Knew You\u2019)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Walt Disney Co.\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Pixar
Artisans: Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift<\/p>\n
\n\tIt\u2019s only June, but discounting Taylor Swift in this category would be a mistake. \u201cToy Story\u201d is the only franchise with a perfect best original song record, nominated for all four prior installments in 1995, 1999, 2010 and 2019, and a Swift-Antonoff chart-topper extends that streak with the genre\u2019s biggest current star attached. A nomination would be Swift\u2019s first. A win would leave her one Tony shy of competitive EGOT status, alongside the likes of Adele, Cher, Eminem and Lady Gaga, who are also waiting on Broadway. It will also help that the movie is undoubtedly the one to beat going into the fall.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tOriginal Score: \u2018Disclosure Day\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Niko Tavernise\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Universal Pictures
Artisan: John Williams<\/p>\n
\n\tGuys, it\u2019s 54-time Oscar nominee John Williams. End of sentence.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Invite\u201d and \u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tVisual Effects: \u2018Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: LUCASFILM\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Artisans: Jeff Capogreco, Trent Claus, Mark Dubeau, Kabir Verma (visual effects supervisors)<\/p>\n
\n\tA \u201cStar Wars\u201d movie has never missed a best visual effects nomination. Never. Even with a softer box office, it would be foolish to count this one out, at least this early in the game.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cDisclosure Day\u201d and \u201cThe Sheep Detectives\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tSound: \u2018Tuner\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Alan Markfield\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Black Bear
Artisan: Johnnie Burn<\/p>\n
\n\tThe great British sound designer can do it all. An Oscar winner for \u201cThe Zone of Interest,\u201d Johnnie Burn has made the notion of sound a central character across many of his outings such as \u201cUnder the Skin,\u201d \u201cThe Lobster\u201d and last year\u2019s one-two punch of \u201cBugonia\u201d and \u201cHamnet.\u201d In Daniel Roher\u2019s crowd-pleasing drama \u201cTuner,\u201d which doubles as proof that Leo Woodall is a star, he does it again, which in ways plays like a distant cousin to another Oscar winner for sound, \u201cSound of Metal\u201d (2020).<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Invite\u201d and \u201cMichael\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tMakeup and Hairstyling: \u201828 Years Later: The Bone Temple\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Sony Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Sony Pictures
Artisans: Flora Moody (hair designer\/makeup artist), David Darby (HOD sculptor\/lead concept designer)<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe Substance\u201d aside, it is criminal that this category hasn\u2019t become an annual home for the horror genre. Nia DaCosta\u2019s post-apocalyptic sequel, anchored by a ferocious Ralph Fiennes, brings the grit and grime to life through its zombies and satanic cults.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cDisclosure Day\u201d and \u201cMichael\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tFilm Editing: \u2018Send Help\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a920th Century Studios\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: 20th Century Studios
Artisan: Bob Murawski<\/p>\n
\n\tYou can file this one under \u201ca hope-diction,\u201d but Sam Raimi\u2019s survival horror thriller, featuring an awards-caliber Rachel McAdams, is one of the most purely fun movies of the year, January 30 dumping ground be damned. Much of the credit goes to Bob Murawski, the Oscar winner for \u201cThe Hurt Locker,\u201d whose rhythmic cutting keeps the audience on at the edge of their seats.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Invite\u201d and \u201cMichael\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tCostume Design: \u2018The Devil Wears Prada 2\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Macall Polay\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: 20th Century Studios
Artisan: Molly Rogers<\/p>\n
\n\tA massive box-office hit, the long-awaited sequel will push in categories like original song and maybe for its once-nominated star, Meryl Streep. In a movie built on fashion, costume designer Molly Rogers, inheriting the reins from previous nominee Patricia Field, is sure to be in the discussion by year\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cI Love Boosters\u201d and \u201cThe Sheep Detectives\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tCinematography: \u2018Wuthering Heights\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Warner Bros\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Warner Bros.
Artisan: Linus Sandgren<\/p>\n
\n\tOscar winner Linus Sandgren (\u201cLa La Land\u201d) reunites with Emerald Fennell after \u201cSaltburn\u201d for her take on the Bront\u00eb classic, giving the adaptation a lush, painterly palette and gorgeously composed frames. The massive hurdle will be if the Academy will keep it in mind after a February release.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Invite\u201d and \u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tProduction Design: \u2018Backrooms\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: A24
Artisans: Danny Vermette (production designer) and Trevor Johnston (set decorator)<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter his YouTube series went viral, Kane Parsons turns years of world-building into a feature-length psychological horror, with Chiwetel Ejiofor among the stars. The eerie ambiance of those empty expanses and endless hallways could be one of the most distinctive design feats the Oscars have ever entertained. I wonder if they would be so cool.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Invite\u201d and \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tAnimated Feature: \u2018Hoppers\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: PIXAR\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Pixar
Artisans: Daniel Chong (director), Nicole Paradis Grindle (producer)<\/p>\n
\n\tObviously, the new chatter is surrounding \u201cToy Story 5,\u201d but remember, Pixar\u2019s comeback year opened with this original adventure featuring some fun-loving beavers. The animated gem delights with big laughs and a hopeful heart, featuring smart, wacky and morally complex themes that Disney doesn\u2019t really do elsewhere. We need more movies like this one. <\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u201d and \u201cToy Story 5\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tCasting: \u2018Leviticus\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Neon\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Neon
Casting Director: Nikki Barrett<\/p>\n
\n\tLook at Nikki Barrett\u2019s filmography: \u201cBring Her Back,\u201d \u201cThe Babadook\u201d and \u201cMad Max: Fury Road.\u201d You see a casting director with an eye for the distinct, exactly right faces that a director\u2019s world demands. For \u201cLeviticus,\u201d Adrian Chiarella\u2019s Sundance sensation, she finds her perfect leads in Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen, teenagers in a fanatic religious community who summon an entity to purge their homosexual desires. She nails it, and the film is better for it.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cI Love Boosters\u201d and \u201cObsession\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tAdapted Screenplay: \u2018Is God Is\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Amazon MGM Studios
Writer: Aleshea Harris (based on the play by Harris)<\/p>\n
\n\tAleshea Harris adapts her acclaimed play into a directorial debut brimming with storytelling ingenuity and stylistic verve. The revenge tale follows two sisters chasing justice after their father left them and their mother for dead, and Harris stages it with the confidence of a filmmaker who has been ready for years.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cThe Invite\u201d (Rashida Jones and Will McCormack) and \u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d (Drew Goddard)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tOriginal Screenplay: \u2018I Love Boosters\u2019<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Neon\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Neon
Writer: Boots Riley<\/p>\n
\n\tWith gorgeous, colorful costumes and sets, all set against one of the year\u2019s best soundtracks, \u201cSorry to Bother You\u201d director Boots Riley gives us his take on the fashion industry, with a stellar cast that includes Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige and Demi Moore. Who would have thought this idiosyncratic story would be so much fun? The writers can rally behind this one.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: \u201cObsession\u201d (Curry Barker) and \u201cI Swear\u201d (Kirk Jones)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tSupporting Actress: Pen\u00e9lope Cruz (\u2018The Invite\u2019)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: A24\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: A24
Role: Pi\u00f1a<\/p>\n
\n\tWith impeccable chemistry with her all equally brilliant co-stars Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Olivia Wilde, who also directs, Pen\u00e9lope Cruz makes magic on screen, which becomes another example for why she\u2019s one of our best working today. As a sex therapist who is part of a wild evening in a San Francisco apartment, she operates at a level she has not reached since \u201cParallel Mothers.\u201d It\u2019s part of a huge year for the \u201cVicky Cristina Barcelona\u201d winner, who also has the Cannes prizewinner \u201cLa Bola Negra\u201d coming to Netflix and Florian Zeller\u2019s \u201cBunker\u201d opposite husband Javier Bardem.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: Sandra H\u00fcller (\u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d) and Keke Palmer (\u201cI Love Boosters\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tSupporting Actor: Hugh Jackman (\u2018The Sheep Detectives\u2019)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Amazon MGM Studios
Role: George Hardy<\/p>\n
\n\tKyle Balda\u2019s comedy, adapted from the novel \u201cThree Bags Full,\u201d assembles an all-star voice cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston. The connective thread is Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman (\u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables\u201d) as shepherd George Hardy. This role could echo James Cromwell\u2019s path from \u201cBabe\u201d to a 1995 supporting nomination. With a respectable $126 million at the box office and Jackman\u2019s effortless likability, never a quality to take for granted, this one could strike a chord with a few voters.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: James Ortiz (\u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d) and Edward Norton (\u201cThe Invite\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tActress: Inde Navarrette (\u2018Obsession\u2019)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: \u00a9Focus Features\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Focus Features
Role: Nikki Freeman<\/p>\n
\n\tIf \u201cGet Out\u201d had Daniel Kaluuya, \u201cObsession\u201d has Inde Navarrette. The horror breakout lives and dies by its star as the co-worker and hypnotized love interest, with Navarrette delivering a physical and fearless turn. Destined to go down as one of the year\u2019s most notable breakouts, Navarrette could become a critics\u2019 darling, and with the massive box office still accumulating, Focus Features will be giving her a much-deserved push.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther considerations: Emily Blunt (\u201cDisclosure Day\u201d) and Olivia Wilde (\u201cThe Invite\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\tActor: Robert Aramayo (\u2018I Swear\u2019)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Graeme Hunter Pictures\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDistributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Role: John Davidson<\/p>\n