The techs we’re doing today are exactly what you see in the title. This is where the also rans for Best Picture get their various consolation prizes.
COSTUME DESIGN
Babylon
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
I usually go by guild winners to determine these and since Elvis took the CDG and the BAFTA, I believe this award belongs to Catherine Martin for her recreation of Elvis’s stage looks. Everything Everywhere is a possibility too, for the wild sci-fi stuff they had for the multiverses.
Winner: Elvis
Alternate: Everything Everywhere All at Once
MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
The Whale
So, this is another one that went to Elvis at both the guild and BAFTA awards, but I suppose there’s some chance for The Whale (and if you’re picking Brendan Fraser for Best Actor I would definitely go with The Whale here, because that movie likely takes this if he’s winning the Oscar).
Winner: Elvis
Alternate: The Whale
Dark Horse: The Batman
PRODUCTION DESIGN
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fabelmans
For this one I’m going with Babylon, because that is the one award where that film has managed to overcome its box office failure and poor reviews to somehow keep winning the precursor trophies for its sets, as it took both the guild and BAFTA awards.
Winner: Babylon
Alternate: Elvis (sometimes this is paired with costumes)
Dark Horse: All Quiet on the Western Front
CINEMATOGRAPHY
All Quiet on the Western Front
Bardo, False Chronicle and a Handful of Truths
Elvis
Empire of Light
Tar
Top Gun wound up snubbed here, despite having been considered the frontrunner for a while when it was winning all the critics awards for this category. So, technically this is an open race now, but I think All Quiet probably takes it? It won the BAFTA and wasn’t up for the guild award, which went to Elvis (which did beat Top Gun for that honor, which is interesting). It’s kind of a toss-up for this.
Winner: All Quiet on the Western Front
Alternate: Elvis
Dark Horse: Tar (unconventional choice but I wonder if this could come through here)
ORIGINAL SCORE
All Quiet on the Western Front
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
I personally like the Babylon score but I think this one will go to the BAFTA fave, All Quiet, as another tech win for the Brits favorite movie (even though that score only has like two notes). Otherwise this could really go to anyone- if they want to make sure The Fabelmans wins something, John Williams could win here for example. It’s a tough call.
Winner: All Quiet on the Western Front
Alternate: Babylon
Dark Horse: The Fabelmans
ORIGINAL SONG
“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
“Naatu Naatu” from RRR
“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman
“Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick
“This is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once
Ugh. This one is completely open, as the only good song here is the one from RRR, but I’m not convinced these people saw that movie (they should have, it was good). I’d like it to win, but I’m skeptical. Should I just follow my gut on this? I mean, the Academy does have a lot more international voters than it used to- maybe enough of them did see RRR and enough of the rest of them don’t care enough about this category to vote in it?
Winner: “Naatu Naatu” (going with merit and trust that RRR’s massive international box office success means enough Academy members saw it)
Alternate: “Hold My Hand” (another win for Top Gun, they like Lady Gaga, it makes some sense)
Dark Horse: “This is a Life” (I don’t even remember this song, but since EEAO is the BP frontrunner, I suppose this could be another award for it)
