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2019 Oscar Predictions

The following table provides predictions for the four main categories for the 2019 Academy Awards presented on February 24, 2019. The nominees are presented in order of expected probability to win, with the probabilities (in percentages) given in the second column. Eventual winners shown in bold.

Picture: There has never been such a tight race for the Best Picture Oscar. Four of the eight nominees have all-important Best Director nominations: The Favourite, Vice, Roma, and BlacKkKlansman, with 10, 8, 10, and 6 overall nominations, respectively. Producer's Guild and Golden Globe (Musical or Comedy) wins for Green Book put this movie in the mix too. Any of these five have a reasonable chance of winning, with the statistical model putting The Favourite on top, barely. However, don't rule out Golden Globe (Drama) winner, Bohemian Rhapsody, or even A Star Is Born or Black Panther with 8 and 7 overall nominations, respectively.
The Favourite 22%
Green Book 20
Vice 18
Roma 16
BlacKkKlansman 15
Bohemian Rhapsody 3
A Star Is Born 3
Black Panther 2
Director: Even if his movie doesn't win Best Picture, it is very likely that the director (and writer and producer) of Roma, Alfonso Cuarón, will win the Best Director Oscar. He's in a strong position as he's already won the Director's Guild and Golden Globe Director awards, and he has also been nominated before (winning for Gravity in 2013). Yorgos Lanthimos, Adam McKay, and Spike Lee have outside chances of winning, having directed Best Picture nominated films. Pawel Pawlikowski is a real long shot as his movie, Cold War, curiously hasn't been nominated for Best Picture.
Alfonso Cuarón for Roma 95%
Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favourite 2
Adam McKay for Vice 2
Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman 2
Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War <1
Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek has a very good chance of winning Best Actor in a Leading Role for his star-making performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. He's already won the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe (Drama) Best Actor awards. Malek's strongest competition comes from Christian Bale, who was previously nominated in this category for American Hustle (2013) and is the 2018 winner of the Golden Globe (Musical or Comedy) Best Actor award for his performance in Vice. Two-time nominees, Bradley Cooper and Viggo Mortensen, have a slim chance of causing an upset for their performances in A Star Is Born and Green Book, respectively. Willem Dafoe is also unlikely to win this year.
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody 92%
Christian Bale in Vice 5
Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born 1
Viggo Mortensen in Green Book 1
Willem Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate <1
Actress in a Leading Role: Glenn Close scores high for Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe (Drama) awards for her performance in The Wife. She has received three previous nominations for Lead Actress but has never won: Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), and Albert Nobbs (2011). She also had a remarkable run of three successive nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1982, 1983, and 1984, again failing to win. Her stiffest competition comes from Olivia Colman, who won the Lead Actress Golden Globe (Musical or Comedy) for her performance in The Favourite. Indigenous Mexican, Yalitza Aparicio, and global pop star, Lady Gaga, would be popular winners for the Best Picture nominated films Roma and A Star Is Born, respectively. Melissa McCarthy has a slim chance of causing an upset for her strong performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Glenn Close in The Wife 75%
Olivia Colman in The Favourite 16
Yalitza Aparicio in Roma 4
Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born 4
Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? 2

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