TV
Oscars: Who are the favourites?
It is just over a month until the 97th Academy Awards ceremony takes place and favourites for all of the major gongs are beginning to emerge.
Here we take a look at the leading contenders for each of the headline awards, with some of the entertainment business’ biggest names in the running.
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Best Picture
The final award handed out on the night will be the Academy Award for Best Picture, but as it’s arguably the most prestigious, it makes for a good starting point. The leading nominations for Best Picture often tend to set the tone for those nominated for individual awards.
That’s the case again this year as The Brutalist heads the Best Picture market at 4/6, while a host of people involved in the film will likely feature elsewhere in the ceremony, vying for other awards.
Three other films appear to be in with a chance, as Emilia Pérez (5/2), Conclave (10/3), and Anora (7/2) make up the rest of a runaway top four.
Best Actor
A film is only as good as its stars and with The Brutalist leading the way in the Best Picture race, it’s no surprise to see protagonist Adrien Brody heading the Best Actor market at 1/2.
With Brody a clear leader, it looks as though there are only two others in with a genuine chance at landing the award. First of those is Timothée Chalame (6/4) for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Third in the market at 7/2 is Ralph Fiennes, who stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in Conclave.
Best Actress
2024 featured some amazing female protagonist performances, making the Best Actress awards one of the closest contests. The two at the top of the market are tough to choose between, but it’s Demi Moore (10/11) who holds the edge at the moment for her portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance.
A close second in the betting at the moment is Mikey Madison (11/10) who has really come to the fore in her biggest role to date as the title character in Anora.
As it stands, these two are clear of the rest of the contenders. Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo leads the chase at 6/1, along with Karla Sofia Gascon (7/1), and Fernanda Torres (8/1).
Best Director
Best Director is an award that seems as though it should really go hand-in-hand with Best Picture, and that looks to be the case this year as The Brutalist director Brady Corbet is virtually a shoo-in for the award at 1/5
His closest competitor is Sean Baker, director of Anora, but even at 7/2 he looks a longshot to overturn Corbet.
Best Supporting
The best supporting actor and actress awards are a nice chance for those who weren’t the centrepieces of their films to gain some recognition. Both markets have clear favourites in two long odds-on shots who seem to already have one hand on their respective awards.
Kieran Culkin has been a television star since he first made a real breakthrough for his role in Succession, but it’s his portrayal Benjamin “Benji” Kaplan in A Real Pain which has shot him into 1/9 favouritism for this year’s Best Supporting Actor award.
The Best Supporting Actress market is headed by Zoe Saldana at 1/7, who impressed in her portrayal of Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Pérez. A star name in the running for the award is Ariana Grande for her role in Wicked; she sits second in the betting at 4/1.
