Quendrith Johnson

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) sent out a notice to remind us entertainment journalists to use only their official list of nominees. Which begs the question, who flubbed the list previously? (Double-take not required, lol.)

But those are insider thoughts as the 94th Nominee Show from The Academy flickered onto small screens, from handhelds to tablets, this morning with about a 10 minute delay from the original 5:18 am PST call time for us on The West Coast. (You can watch the footage before viewing the score card below.)

Here in LA the anticipation is always backstage pitch, before the traditional coffee-fueled pre-dawn rush to be the first to sift through the glittering sands of affection from Academy members to find the gold between the lines.

So let’s mark-up this official list from the Academy, weighing in on the likely frontrunners, why not? We say semi-sweep possible from?

[Hint: A woman directing man’s best friend in the title.]

Nominations for the 94th Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Javier Bardem in "Being the Ricardos" - outstanding, relief, win less likely?
• Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Power of the Dog" - sweep material?
• Andrew Garfield in "tick, tick...BOOM!" - incredible, but memorable?
• Will Smith in "King Richard" - important performance, yet, tough field?
• Denzel Washington in "The Tragedy of Macbeth" - wow, but long shot to win?

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Ciarán Hinds in "Belfast" - always great, but win less likely?
• Troy Kotsur in "CODA" - wild card!
• Jesse Plemons in "The Power of the Dog" - fantastic, yet, hmm?
• J.K. Simmons in "Being the Ricardos" - hoping, but less certain?
• Kodi Smit-McPhee in "The Power of the Dog" - heavy favorite, wow!

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Jessica Chastain in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" - surprise, deserved, hmm?
• Olivia Colman in "The Lost Daughter" - always excellent, but less likely?
• Penélope Cruz in "Parallel Mothers" - surprise, good surprise, but?
• Nicole Kidman in "Being the Ricardos" - yes please, hoping!
• Kristen Stewart in "Spencer" - relief, but, hmm, Andrew, scandal?

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Jessie Buckley in "The Lost Daughter" - powerhouse, hoping!
• Ariana DeBose in "West Side Story" - wildcard!
• Judi Dench in "Belfast" - people unhappy it wasn’t Balfe, eek?
• Kirsten Dunst in "The Power of the Dog" - hoping, for sweep?
• Aunjanue Ellis in "King Richard" - yes please, hoping?

Best animated feature film of the year

• "Encanto" Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer - yes?
• "Flee" Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie - wow, strange double nominee here!
• "Luca" Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren
• "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht
• "Raya and the Last Dragon" Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho

Achievement in cinematography

• "Dune" Greig Fraser - yeah, nice, but, hmm?
• "Nightmare Alley" Dan Laustsen - odd look of this film might score?
• "The Power of the Dog" Ari Wegner - gorgeous, for sweep, maybe?
• "The Tragedy of Macbeth" Bruno Delbonnel - has a shot, seriously!
• "West Side Story" Janusz Kaminski - Kaminski is a fave, but?

[Caption as follows:]

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Joe Wright, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Haley Bennett, Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt attend the UK Premiere of "CYRANO" at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on December 07, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures & Universal Pictures ).

Achievement in costume design

• "Cruella" Jenny Beavan - usually clothing suspects?
• "Cyrano" Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran - something please!
• "Dune" Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan - a nod yes, a win less likely?
• "Nightmare Alley" Luis Sequeira - ghastly scary fun?
• "West Side Story" Paul Tazewell - hmm, nice but unlikely?

Achievement in directing

• "Belfast" Kenneth Branagh - uh, he is in a tough category?
• "Drive My Car" Ryusuke Hamaguchi - wildcard!
• "Licorice Pizza" Paul Thomas Anderson - yes, please, but tough field?
• "The Power of the Dog" Jane Campion - pow in the Power, likely?
• "West Side Story" Steven Spielberg - usual directing suspect, lolz?

Best documentary feature - Flee might score here, others all undecided…

• "Ascension" Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell
• "Attica" Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry
• "Flee" Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
• "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein
• "Writing with Fire" Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh

Best documentary short subject… not enough data on this category

• "Audible" Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean
• "Lead Me Home" Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk
• "The Queen of Basketball" Ben Proudfoot
• "Three Songs for Benazir" Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei
• "When We Were Bullies" Jay Rosenblatt

Achievement in film editing

• "Don't Look Up" Hank Corwin - editing, hmm, not likely?
• "Dune" Joe Walker - possible, just in case?
• "King Richard" Pamela Martin - would be nice?
• "The Power of the Dog" Peter Sciberras - wow, sweep time?
• "tick, tick...BOOM!" Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum - yes, but maybe?

Best international feature film of the year… Flee, but Drive My Car? (Not enough data.)

• "Drive My Car" Japan
• "Flee" Denmark
• "The Hand of God" Italy
• "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom" Bhutan
• "The Worst Person in the World" Norway

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling - The Eyes of Tammy Faye, possible?

• "Coming 2 America" Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer
• "Cruella" Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon
• "Dune" Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
• "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
• "House of Gucci" Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• "Don't Look Up" Nicholas Britell - hmm, interesting, but?
• "Dune" Hans Zimmer - Zimmer always in, but not likely?
• "Encanto" Germaine Franco - interesting addition, but likely?
• "Parallel Mothers" Alberto Iglesias - wildcard!
• "The Power of the Dog" Jonny Greenwood - yes, please, sweep?

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) - tough to call song?

• "Be Alive" from "King Richard" Music and Lyric by DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
• "Dos Oruguitas" from "Encanto" Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
• "Down To Joy" from "Belfast" Music and Lyric by Van Morrison
• "No Time To Die" from "No Time to Die" Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
• "Somehow You Do" from "Four Good Days" Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

Best motion picture of the year - The Power of the Dog for the sweep?

• "Belfast" Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, Producers
• "CODA" Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, Producers
• "Don't Look Up" Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers
• "Drive My Car" Teruhisa Yamamoto, Producer
• "Dune" Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, Producers
• "King Richard" Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, Producers
• "Licorice Pizza" Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers
• "Nightmare Alley" Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, Producers
• "The Power of the Dog" Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, Producers
• "West Side Story" Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers

Achievement in production design - gonna say The Tragedy of MacBeth for Coen’s sake!

• "Dune" Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
• "Nightmare Alley" Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
• "The Power of the Dog" Production Design: Grant Major; Set Decoration: Amber Richards
• "The Tragedy of Macbeth" Production Design: Stefan Dechant; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
• "West Side Story" Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo

Best animated short film - not enough data for this category to call it.

• "Affairs of the Art" Joanna Quinn and Les Mills
• "Bestia" Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz
• "Boxballet" Anton Dyakov
• "Robin Robin" Dan Ojari and Mikey Please
• "The Windshield Wiper" Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Best live action short film - calling The Long Goodbye, timely, powerful?

• "Ala Kachuu - Take and Run" Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger
• "The Dress" Tadeusz Łysiak and Maciej Ślesicki
• "The Long Goodbye" Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed
• "On My Mind" Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson
• "Please Hold" K.D. Dávila and Levin Menekse

Achievement in sound - not enough background in sound to call this category.

• "Belfast" Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri
• "Dune" Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
• "No Time to Die" Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor
• "The Power of the Dog" Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb
• "West Side Story" Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy

Achievement in visual effects - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gets some love finally?

• "Dune" Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
• "Free Guy" Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick
• "No Time to Die" Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould
• "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver
• "Spider-Man: No Way Home" Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick

Adapted screenplay

• "CODA" Screenplay by Siân Heder - wildcard!
• "Drive My Car" Screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe - wildcard!
• "Dune" Screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth - hmm?
• "The Lost Daughter" Written by Maggie Gyllenhaal - wow up against Campion?
• "The Power of the Dog" Written by Jane Campion - Campion for the sweep?

Original screenplay

• "Belfast" Written by Kenneth Branagh - okay, but likely?
• "Don't Look Up" Screenplay by Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota - c’mon, seriously?
• "King Richard" Written by Zach Baylin - contention, but a win, hmm?
• "Licorice Pizza" Written by Paul Thomas Anderson - rhymes with chicken dinner?
• "The Worst Person in the World" Written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier - wildcard!

Feel free to mark-up this list yourself, and add any comments in your own margins. 

Mostly? Watch the finale of the nom/win guessing game March 27, 2022 on ABC. Visit the Oscars and find out about The Academy Museum too.

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