The 2024 BAFTA Awards sent shockwaves through the film industry, with many winners leaving room for surprise at the upcoming Oscars. In a night marked by chaos and unpredictability, several categories offered tantalizing clues about the Academy’s choices.
The biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), or Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) will sweep all four major televised awards. While a SAG win would guarantee an Oscar victory, history shows that the Academy often favors populist favorites.
Meanwhile, the best director category is a game of mix and match, with Sean Baker (“Anora”) and Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”) vying for top honors. The likeliest scenario is that Baker takes director while his film loses best picture, or that Corbet wins director, allowing “Anora” to take the top prize.
In a category that’s always full of surprises, the sound category appears to be up for grabs. With Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked” in the mix, vote-splitting is a real possibility. If that happens, “Dune 2” could easily sneak through.
One area where the BAFTAs did provide clear guidance was in the documentary category. After four consecutive years of predicting a winner, the BAFTAs have broken their streak. With DGA and PGA also picking non-nominee “Porcelain War,” the documentary race is now more uncertain than ever.
While the BAFTAs sent mixed signals, they can’t change the ultimate outcome. One thing’s for sure – Oscar season is heating up, and the night’s surprises will be put to the test on March 11.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/film/awards/bafta-oscars-mikey-madison-conclave-surprise-winners-1236310332