Awards season is often predictable. Last year, our crystal ball reading ahead of Oscars night was pretty much perfect – Oppenheimer cleaned up at every ceremony going, and it all started to get a bit Groundhog Day.
While it’s true some Oscars this year are all but dead certs, for others – and most excitingly, it’s the big ones – there are fairly large question marks. Which is much more fun.
Here’s the verdict from Sky News entertainment team journalists Katie Spencer, Claire Gregory, Bethany Minelle and Gemma Peplow– who will win, and who they think should win. Inspired by Conclave, we’ve held a secret(ish) ballot.
BEST FILM
Image: Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence in director Edward Berger’s Conclave. Pic: Philippe Antonello/Focus Features 2024
The nominees Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, Wicked
Who will win: Conclave – II; Anora – II Who should win: The Brutalist – I; Anora – III
“The best picture is a battle of head v heart for me. Conclave is great, but Anora is so fresh, exciting and unexpected as a best picture nominee I would love to see it take the top prize. I just don’t think it will beat those scheming priests.” Arts and entertainment editor Claire Gregory
“Conclave is solid, compelling and classy, with a great ensemble cast. I think the Academy may secretly have resented being made to sit through three-and-a-half hours of anything, even if The Brutalist is a cinematic masterpiece. But if it was me voting, The Brutalist should win – a masterful lesson in storytelling.” Arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer
“Anora is a rags-to-riches indie story with a twist and is worthy of all the plaudits it is getting. I think it will win and should win – it has a cracking cast, skilled direction, a propulsive storyline, and humour to boot. Even excessive Take That playtime didn’t take off the shine.” Arts and entertainment reporter Bethany Minelle
“A few years ago, Conclave, a thriller about the election of a new pope, would have had this in the bag over screwball anti-fairytale Anora, which follows a young sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. But, the Academy embraced the madcap Everything Everywhere All At Once in 2023 and after the seriousness of Oppenheimer last year, plus the momentum Anora has gained, I reckon voters could be in the mood for something a little less traditional again.” Culture and entertainment reporter, Gemma Peplow
BEST ACTOR
Image: Timothee Chalamet transformed into Bob Dylan for A Complete Unknown. Pic: Searchlight Pictures
The nominees Adrien Brody – The Brutalist Timothee Chalamet – A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo – Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes – Conclave Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Who will win: Adrien Brody – II; Timothee Chalamet – II Who should win: Colman Domingo – III; Adrien Brody – I
“Adrien Brody has put in the work here for his role in The Brutalist, and the fact that after three-and-a-half hours of screentime you are not sick of his face is down to his skill alone. He will win and should win – give the man his second Oscar already.” BM
“I’ve a hunch Timothee Chalamet’s SAG win reflects who the wider Academy has voted for. If you think back to previous winners it tends to be those who have acted AND done something extra, such as play the piano, endured hours of prosthetics, learned to dance etc. I reckon Timmy’s five years spent mastering the guitar, harmonica and sounding like Bob Dylan for his performance in A Complete Unknown will get him across the line.” KS
“I’m bored of the Adrien/Timmy debate and would frankly rather see Colman Domingo beat them both. For me, he’s one of the most consistently brilliant actors working today and Sing Sing deserves more attention than it’s got this awards season.” CG
“I also think Chalamet’s SAG win could be the indicator here. The Academy loves a transformation – see consecutive ‘real-life’ wins for Gary Oldman (Winston Churchill) in 2018, Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) in 2019, and Renee Zellweger (Judy Garland) in 2020. However, I vote Domingo; not least because his co-star Clarence Maclin, who plays himself in the prison drama Sing Sing, should also have been nominated in the supporting category. Sing Sing is a beautiful story of hope and redemption and Domingo’s is an understated but brilliant performance. He’s also always the best-dressed man at any ceremony, so his outfit will no doubt deserve its moment, too.” GP
BEST ACTRESS
Image: Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance. Pic: Mubi
The nominees Cynthia Erivo – Wicked Karla Sofía Gascon – Emilia Perez Mikey Madison – Anora Demi Moore – The Substance Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Who will win: Demi Moore – IIII Who should win: Demi Moore – I; Mikey Madison – III
“This one is too close to call. The Academy has traditionally loved a female ingenue – although Sky News research revealed last year that the age gap between male and female acting winners is definitely closing – which would favour Mikey Madison; and yet, Demi Moore’s real-life story arc has also won her a legion of supporters this year. Those arguments are a little reductive and should not take away from the real reasons why both would be worthy winners – for two very different but equally excellent performances – but it would be wrong to say performance is the only thing taken into account when it comes to voting.” GP
“Like Academy members no doubt, I’m a sucker for the comeback narrative – and Moore winning an Oscar after being written off as a “popcorn” actress is too irresistible a story arc, even if deep down, while she’s excellent in The Substance, I’m not sure she really gives the best performance of the year.” CG
“Moore has to win for throwing everything she had at this role. Stripping off, grossing us out, donning prosthetics, getting elbows-deep in blood; she was not afraid to go there. Aside from that, I think cinema-goers and her peers are very happy to have her back again. But, Madison, for the last scene of Anora alone – without saying a word we see how damaged her character really is – she would be a worthy winner.” KS
“Madison was the surprise best actress winner at the BAFTAs, and at just 25 she’s proved herself an actress to be reckoned with. She deserves to follow up with an Oscar – although Moore is a force to be reckoned with.” BM
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Image: Kieran Culkin stars alongside director Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain. Pic: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures 2024
The nominees Yura Borisov – Anora Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce – The Brutalist Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Who will win: Kieran Culkin – IIII Who should win: Kieran Culkin – III; Yura Borisov – I
“Kieran Culkin is funny, charismatic and has picked up so much support this award season because people have enjoyed hearing what he has to say when he wins. That should not detract from the fact that he’s also brilliant in A Real Pain. So much of his character is about what’s going on inside his head and how he manages to bring out that inner turmoil is seriously impressive. For the record, Guy Pearce, Jeremy Strong and Edward Norton would also all be worthy winners for reminding us what brilliant character actors they all are.” KS
“Hopefully Pearce, Strong, Norton and Borisov have perfected their ‘I’m so happy for you’ faces by now, as Culkin is pretty much a dead cert. This is one of the most impressive shortlists in recent years, with all five actors demonstrating how incredible performances don’t always have to be the ones right in the spotlight.” GP
“I’ve changed my mind a few times about supporting actor this year but I think ultimately Kieran Culkin deserves the Oscar – and let’s face it, he’s bound to give the best speech.” CG
“One performance on the best supporting list stands out for me: Yura Borisov’s sensitive and understated portrayal of a henchman with a heart is a true support role and executed to perfection. He may not take the prize, but he deserves to.” BM
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Image: Zoe Saldana as Rita Moro Castro in Emilia Perez. Pic: Shanna Besson/Page 114/Why Not Productions/Pathe Films/France 2 Cinema
The nominees Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande – Wicked Felicity Jones – The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini – Conclave Zoe Saldana – Emilia Perez
Who will win: Zoe Saldana – IIII Who should win: Zoe Saldana – II; Felicity Jones – I; Ariana Grande – I
“Zoe Saldana should have been nominated for best actress and not supporting for her role in Emilia Perez, as she clearly has more screentime than anyone else in that movie. That said, she’s great in it so deserves a win – even if it is in the wrong category.” CG
“Saldana is the best thing in a bit of a ropey film. She’s well respected and I think the Academy will be giving her an Oscar for her career more generally, rather than Emilia Perez. But, I would vote for Felicity Jones, who took on such a physical role in The Brutalist, demonstrating the cost of the Holocaust on her character’s body; you believe the pain of her osteoporosis. Both frail and unbelievably strong at the same time.” KS
“Saldana is a great actress and gives a great performance in Emilia Perez, and following Karla Sofia Gascon’s fall from grace she’s likely to be the only cast member taking home a prize. One of the highest-grossing female lead actresses in history, and with work spanning an impressive range of genres, she will win and should win.” BM
“After cleaning up throughout awards season, this is Saldana’s to lose. I’m not a fan of Emilia Perez as a film (controversy aside, musicals are not for me, and this one is particularly jarring), but it would be a shame for Saldana to miss out due to the other noise surrounding it all. Having said that, I think Ariana Grande would be a deserving winner. Wicked was not for me (see above re musicals) but her performance is incredibly charismatic, and anyone who has seen her impeccable celebrity impressions will know she has real comedic chops. She shows them off perfectly in Wicked.” GP
BEST DIRECTOR
Image: Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in Anora. Pic: Neon
The nominees Sean Baker – Anora Brady Corbet – The Brutalist James Mangold – A Complete Unknown Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Who will win: Brady Corbet – II; Sean Baker – II Who should win: James Mangold – I; Coralie Fargeat – III
“Nothing more complicated here than I’m a fan of James Mangold and I would love to see him win. I suspect it will go to Brady Corbet though as he has been doing well elsewhere and pulled off something pretty impressive in getting The Brutalist made – let alone getting audiences to sit for three-and-a-half hours to watch it.” CG
“Corbet stuck to his guns, making his film his way, refusing to compromise on his vision. It might be long but the pacing is perfect and Corbet is thoroughly deserving. But, not only did Coralie Fargeat refuse to water down her ideas for The Substance, she actually injected herself with a needle full of the fluorescent liquid to get the shots she wanted – and she personally manned a firehose to spray an entire theatre with fake blood. That’s what you call going the extra mile.” KS
“Sean Baker has been the darling of awards season so far and should follow up his growing pile of wins with his first Oscar for Anora. But, The Substance is a film that takes you to places you never thought you would see, pushing the limits so far you will question your sanity (or Fargeat’s). A fearless director, and the only woman to make it into the category this year, she deserves the win – and to become only the fourth woman in the Oscars’ 97-year history to take home the prize.” BM
“The Substance was not perfect; I felt Moore’s character, Elisabeth Sparkle, was underdeveloped, and the ending was a little too much for me. Having said that, Fargeat’s maximalist, stylised approach, with bold visuals and that pulsating, migraine-inducing score, genuinely made me feel – stress, mainly, and fearful anticipation for what was about to come. You are thinking about it long after it’s finished. For that reason, I would give this one to Fargeat – although I would not be disappointed to see Baker win, either (and he probably will).” GP
Check the Sky News website from Sunday event to follow the entire event on our Oscars live blog
Now, they have filed another motion to the court, saying it “should either grant a judgment of acquittal or, at a minimum, a new trial” on the prostitution-related offences.
In the new filing, Combs’s defence team said the US government had “painted him as a monster” ever since his arrest, but argued his two-month trial showed allegations of a “20-year racketeering enterprise and of sex trafficking multiple women… were not supported by credible evidence, and the jury rejected them”.
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4:43
How the Diddy trial unfolded
They also say that to their knowledge, he is “the only person” ever convicted of these charges for the conduct he was accused of in court.
“It is undisputed that he had no commercial motive and that all involved were adults,” the filing states. “The men chose to travel and engage in the activity voluntarily. The verdict confirms the women were not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted during the freak offs or hotel nights.”
They describe the prosecution’s evidence on the counts as “thin at best” and say the trial would have been “totally different” had the rapper only been charged with the prostitution-related offences and not the more serious counts.
“Sean Combs sits in jail based on evidence that he paid adult male escorts and entertainers who engaged in consensual sexual activities with his former girlfriends, which he videotaped and later watched with the girlfriends. That is not prostitution, and if it is, his conviction is unconstitutional,” the filing says.
Combs, one of the most influential hip-hop producers of all time, faces being jailed for several years after his conviction on the prostitution-related charges.
But he was cleared of the more serious charges that could have put him in prison for life – and the verdict was hailed a “victory” by his team.
Immediately after he was acquitted of those charges, his lawyers asked for his release on bond. The request was denied by Judge Arun Subramanian, who heard the trial, and said Combs at the time had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community”.
Ozzy Osbourne has taken his final tour of Birmingham – with his family experiencing the love of thousands of fans who turned out to see the heavy metal star come home.
“We love you, Ozzy!” came the shouts from the crowd as his cortege stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge in the city, a site that has become a shrine to the performer since his death at 76 last week.
His family and loved ones, including his wife Sharon Osbourne and their children Jack, Kelly and Aimee, spent several minutes taking in all the flowers, messages and other tributes left in an outpouring of love from fans.
Image: Jack, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne laid flowers. Pic: PA
Sharon was in tears as she took it all in. Supported by her children, she gave a peace sign to the crowd before returning to the procession vehicles.
Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper, tied with a purple ribbon – the traditional Black Sabbath colours. The flowers bearing his name in the hearse were also purple.
Before reaching the city centre, the cortege had travelled past Ozzy’s childhood home in Aston. Just a few weeks ago, he was on stage at Villa Park performing his final gig alongside many of the musicians his music had inspired, from Metallica to Guns N’ Roses to Yungblud.
Image: Tributes to Ozzy can be seen all over Birmingham. Pic: Reuters
On a hugely emotional day, his presence could be felt throughout the city, with the star’s music playing in pubs and posters paying tribute: “Birmingham will always love you.”
For fans, this was a chance to say not just goodbye, but also thank you to a star who never forgot where he came from. His remarkable achievements from humble beginnings and continued love for his hometown, even when he lived thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, meant that for many, the loss feels incredibly personal.
Image: The Black Sabbath Bridge has become a shrine in recent days. Pic: Reuters
‘The Prince of Laughter – not Darkness’
Graham Wright, a roadie who worked with Black Sabbath in the 1970s and beyond, up to the Back To The Beginning reunion gig at Villa Park, told Sky News he would remember Ozzy not by his traditional nickname, the Prince of Darkness – but as the Prince of Laughter instead.
“It was a shock he left us so soon after [the show],” he said. “The show was tough for him but he was determined to say goodbye to his fans, that was the main thing. It was important for all four of [Black Sabbath] to get back together and do a farewell.
“The tears will be flowing today to see the Ozz man – the Prince of Laughter, not Darkness. He really was. We’ll all miss him.”
Image: Pic: Reuters
‘My mum used to say he was a lovely boy’
Chris Mason, general manager of The Brasshouse pub, which is next to Black Sabbath Bridge, said music by the band and Ozzy’s solo material had been played pretty much “on loop” since his death.
“I’m a metal fan and Ozzy being the godfather of the scene – if not for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, we wouldn’t have heavy metal,” he said. “This is what Birmingham is about, bringing people together, and Ozzy and Black Sabbath did that.
“He was Mr Birmingham and his family have brought him back.”
Mohabbat Ali, who used to live on the same street as Ozzy’s childhood home, said the property had become one of the focal points for tributes in the city.
Describing what it was like living near him, he said: “He played guitars, very loud at night sometimes, but my mum used to say he was a lovely boy.”
From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal
The sea of black was always a given – but this wasn’t about respecting funeral traditions. Ozzy himself had previously said he wanted his send-off, when it came, to be a celebration and not a “mope-fest”.
This was his final tour in the city that meant so much to him.
For fans, he meant so much to them.
For his family, the emotion was raw.
Sharon, his soulmate, has spent her life and career organising his shows, and it was clear how hard this day was for her.
After they left, fans flooded the streets to lay flowers.
Not since David Bowie has an artist’s death prompted such an outpouring of emotion. From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal – one of the most notorious figures in rock, but a man who remained as Brummie as can be.
‘A true legend who never forgot his roots’
Birmingham’s lord mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, also attended the procession and spoke of the city’s pride in Ozzy.
“What a great honour for us to have him here one last time,” he said. “The love for Ozzy – well, you can feel it in the air.”
The star put both Aston and Birmingham on the map, he said, and always took the time to get to know people.
Mr Iqbal said Ozzy sent him a letter after reading on the mayor’s website biography how he had struggled with dyslexia at school – something the star identified with.
“I’ve got the letter in a frame and it’s in my office… he was just a natural human being, down to earth. You wouldn’t have known he was a rock star – but he was a true legend, who never forgot his roots.”
Disgraced hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked a judge to release him on a $50m bond as he waits to be sentenced for prostitution-related offences.
Combs’s lawyer has argued that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn are dangerous and noted that others convicted of similar offences were typically released before sentencing.
“Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct,” Marc Agnifilo said in a court filing on Tuesday.
“In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of John, and certainly the only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend.”
A “John” in the US is a slang term for somebody who hires a prostitute.
A spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors have previously insisted he remains a flight risk and should therefore not be granted bail.
The 55-year-old, one of the most influential hip-hop producers of all time, faces up to a decade in prison after he was convicted earlier this month of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The charges relate to how he flew people around the US, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, for sexual encounters.
Image: Combs knelt at his chair and appeared to pray after the verdicts
Combs was cleared of three more serious charges – two for sex trafficking and one for racketeering conspiracy – following his landmark trial in New York.
A conviction on one of those charges could have put him in prison for life.
Immediately after he was acquitted of those charges on 2 July, Mr Agnifilo had asked that Combs be released on bond.
But Judge Arun Subramanian denied it, saying Combs at the time had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community”.
Combs is the latest celebrity inmate to be locked up at MDC Brooklyn, the only federal jail in New York City, joining a list that includes R Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell and cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.