MJ's VIEW: What to look for during awards season.

With the Golden Globes nominations set to be announced Monday, December 9, I thought I'd stick my prognosticating neck out and make a few general predictions about who we might see recognized as the 2025 award season begins.

Of the movies already in wide release and/or via various streaming platforms, the buzz so far has centered on Conclave, Wicked, Anora (winner of the Palme D'Or @ Cannes), Emilia Perez (Grand Jury winner @ Cannes), Gladiator II, A Real Pain, Sing Sing, Maria, Moana and Dune: Part Two. Expect to see each of these recognized in one way or another, with Moana a likely animated film nominee, and the others acknowledged in acting, directing and/or writing.

Still awaiting Christmas or January releases in the US, but already viewed by the appropriate critics circles and guilds are A Complete Unknown, Queer, Babygirl, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys and The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodovar's first film in English). From this final group, only The Brutalist and Nickel Boys appear to have broader appeal in multiple categories beyond acting or picture.

Though first out of the gate, the Golden Globes are not strong predictors of the Oscars. For one thing, comedies and dramas are separated in some categories (ditto for the Globes TV nominations), which usually means most of the comedies never make the final Oscar cut. That trend is likely to be broken this year, as some of year's strongest films are comedies, and some of the biggest box office winners might not pass muster with the critics (re: Gladiator II).

BEST PICTURE

Some of this year's best films have blurred the lines of comedy and drama. In particular, Emilia Perez and Anora, both winners at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as Jesse Eisenberg's sad-funny A Real Pain, defy conventional notions of romance, humor and happy endings, fusing all in ways that are alternatingly unsettling and extremely satisfying. All three films are expected to be entered in the Musical/Comedy category. Ditto for Challengers, Luca Guadagnino's dramedy-sexmance about the world of professional tennis and The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's dark horror comedy about aging featuring a comeback performance from Demi Moore.

How far these last two will go beyond the Globes and maybe Critics Choice is anybody's guess right now, though Moore's status as a Hollywood icon and cinematic survivor is sure to play a role in her continued path forward.

At any rate (and with a reminder that I only pick movies and not TV awards, as the Globes and Critics Choice do), here are some thoughts on who I expect to be nominated tomorrow morning in some of the major film categories.

BEST PICTURE (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)

Emilia Perez

Anora

A Real Pain

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Challengers

Wicked

LONGSHOT: Between the Temples, but Nathan Silver's smart and touching screenplay has been getting some good recognition among critics, so here's hoping.

BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Adrian Brody, The Brutalist

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig, Queer

BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)

Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain

Glen Powell, Hit Man

Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Hugh Grant, The Heretic

And then, I don't know, possibly Gabriel LaBelle for Saturday Night.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Stanley Tucci, Conclave

Guy Pierce, The Brutalist

Yura Borisov, Anora

Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing

Denzel Washington, Gladiator II

BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)

Mickey Madison, Anora

Karla Sofia Gascon Emilia Perez

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Amy Adams, Nightbitch

Demi Moore, The Substance

LONGSHOTS:

Zendaya, Challengers

Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez

Wynona Ryder, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) Nicole Kidman, Babygirl

Angelina Jolie, Maria

Saoirse Ronan,The Outrun or Blitz

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths

LONGSHOTS: Julianne Moore and/or Tilda Swinton for The Room Next Door (Swinton is favored over Moore).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez

Selena Gomez, Emilia Perez

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson

OR

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys

LONGSHOT I'M HOPING FOR: Carol Kane, Between the Temples. Kane just won the New York Critics Circle award for Best Supporting Actress, so maybe the momentum will carry. If not here, then maybe with Critics Choice, SAG and, of course, Oscar. It's been 49 years since Kane was nominated for an Oscar (Lead Actress, Hester Street), and it's not only time, it's well-deserved. She gives the movie its luminosity.

BEST DIRECTOR

Edward Berger, Conclave

Sean Baker, Anora

Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez

Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

John M. Chu, Wicked

The Golden Globes have had a somewhat dubious history of late, with questions about the Hollywood Foreign Press' lack of diversity and questionable past nominees a point of contention among the film industry. Tom Cruise famously returned his Globe awards after information about the lack of diversity among members became public a few years ago, and some actors have boycotted the ceremony in protest of HFP's past behavior. Guess we'll see. It's still a long way to the Oscars on March 2, 2025, with more nominations forthcoming in the next few weeks, so I'm just getting warmed up.

Look for more commentary once the nominees start shaping up, especially some of the potentially overlooked performances, like Cillian Murphy in Small Things Like These.

And the nominees are....

The Golden Globes nominations will be announced live/streaming on CBS-Paramount+ tomorrow @ 8:15 EST/7:15 CST.