This post was updated Feb. 27 at 10:43 p.m.

The Academy eagerly awaits to fete this year’s sublime innovations.

Bringing the gold back to the Dolby Theatre, the 2025 Academy Awards will once again celebrate cinema’s most acclaimed works Sunday. From delicious dramas to riveting flicks, this year’s nominees highlight the vitality of the film industry.

Read on for the Daily Bruin’s golden predictions for some of the night’s most anticipated trophies.

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Best Actor in a Leading Role: Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing”

Colman Domingo’s sincere performance deserves songs of praise from the Academy.

In Greg Kwedar’s A24 prison drama “Sing Sing,” Domingo portrays the true story of John “Divine G” Whitfield, a wrongfully incarcerated member of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in upstate New York. The film follows Divine G as he leads fellow inmates through Rehabilitation Through the Arts – a program which offers prisoners a space to openly express themselves within the dismal confines of penitentiary walls. In the dramatization of a real 2005 RTA production, “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code,” Divine G and his cohort of thespians design a lively genre mashup that encapsulates Roman gladiators, Egyptian mythology and William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Throughout the production process, a surprising camaraderie is formed between Divine G and a newcomer to the group named Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, who – like 11 other cast members – plays himself.

Domingo’s raw, unwavering performance is a testament to the depths of his acting abilities and a homage to the poignant sentiment of “Sing Sing” as a whole, capturing a beautiful combination of humor, suffering and authentic storytelling. The 55-year-old actor is up against an intimidating lineup of nominees this year, most notably competing with Adrien Brody’s gut-wrenching performance in the postwar epic “The Brutalist” and Timothée Chalamet’s viral portrayal of singer Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” In truth, Emmy-winning Domingo might not have made the wide-ranging impact on moviegoing audiences that is needed to take home the Oscar on Sunday night. Despite this, his performance in “Sing Sing” undoubtedly rings with hope, stoicism, vulnerability and, most importantly, an impactful sense of respect for such a complexly orchestrated story.

There is no denying that Domingo belongs on center stage at the 2025 Oscars.

– Eleanor Meyers

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Demi Moore – “The Substance”

Demi Moore has the substance to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The 62-year-old is up for her first Oscar for her transformative work in Coralie Fargeat’s body horror tale “The Substance.” Moore’s haunting performance as Elisabeth Sparkle is spellbinding – a discarded Hollywood star whose desperation to reclaim her youth and sense of self-worth leads her to experiment with the titular drug to a devastating effect. In particular, Moore’s ability to evocatively carry extended sequences where Sparkle appears alone on screen – especially in several charged scenes where she is simply and pensively staring at her reflection in the mirror – display the win-worthy qualities of her bewitching, lived-in performance.

Moore will face tough competition from four actresses in fellow Best Picture nominees, including “Anora” starlet and British Academy Film Award winner Mikey Madison and “I’m Still Here” star Fernanda Torres, who took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama. Nonetheless, Moore remains the frontrunner thanks to her victories at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes for Best Actress in Musical or Comedy. The Oscars’ generally chilly reception toward horror films could hold Moore back, but the undeniable humanity of her performance – combined with a compelling narrative as she displays a previously unseen side of her acting prowess in an unforgettable manner – mean she may be destined to sparkle Sunday night.

With a strong chance at an Oscar triumph and one of the most emotionally affecting performances in recent memory, Moore needs not to be seen as a “popcorn actress” anymore.

– Reid Sperisen

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Kieran Culkin – “A Real Pain”

Kieran Culkin’s inevitable Oscar victory will be a real pleasure.

The Emmy winner is poised to earn the gold for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony for his portrayal of Benji Kaplan in “A Real Pain.” Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the comedy-drama follows the neurotic David (Eisenberg) and his outspoken cousin Benji on a trip to Poland in honor of their recently deceased grandmother. Culkin’s execution of Eisenberg’s extraordinary script is nothing short of legendary. He takes a beautifully nuanced approach to the character, balancing Benji’s infectious charm with his shadows of suicidal ideation, hopelessness and grief. Critics who claim Benji is too similar to Culkin’s own snarky persona have never understood a film less – his performance is a stark, authentic and heart-wrenching depiction of mental illness that only a genius could pull off.

Admittedly, Culkin’s win might be partially boosted by teetering on the edge of category fraud: He has significantly more screen time than his fellow nominees, though the story is technically centered on David’s perspective. Regardless of this debate, his impeccable performance has proved him as beyond deserving of the victory sweep he’s conducted this season, which has included Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award wins – every major precursor to the Academy Awards. While his former “Succession” co-star Jeremy Strong has a few more trophies on his shelf overall, not even his nominated work in “The Apprentice” could ruin Culkin’s winning streak.

Love him or hate him, Culkin is destined to win his first Oscar in just a few days.

– Victoria Munck

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Best Original Screenplay: “Anora”

“Anora’s” Oscars triumph this Sunday will culminate the indie film’s meteoric rise to acclaim, mirroring Ani’s (Mikey Madison) rags-to-riches arc.

Nominated for six Academy Awards including the coveted Best Picture nod, Sean Baker’s “Anora” has become a standout frontrunner in nearly every top category, already receiving a plethora of nominations from every major guild. Written and directed by Baker, the gripping screenplay brings a raw depiction of a sex worker’s turbulent entanglement with the son of a Russian oligarch, exhibiting the relationship between wealth and exploitation. The independent film, led by Best Actress nominee Madison, reimagines the Cinderella story trope, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats until the very last frame.

Despite winning Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild Awards earlier this year – often a strong indicator of Oscar success – “Anora” faces heavy competition in the category with Coralie Fargeat’s horror film “The Substance” and Jesse Eisenberg’s underdog contender “A Real Pain.” The dark comedy has dominated in its other nominated categories, but the race for Original Screenplay has remained in high contention throughout this awards season. Regardless of its prior upsets, “Anora’s” humanist exploration of love and transaction through the lens of sex work is sure to earn Baker his first Oscar statuette this weekend.

While Anora may not have found her happily-ever-after, Baker’s story is bound to have a very different ending after Oscars night.

– Ruwani Jayasekara

Best Picture: “Wicked”

“Wicked” has more than earned its Oscar, and a snub would be “something bad.”

Two decades after the original musical’s Broadway debut, “Wicked” brought the beloved prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” into theaters. The movie-musical follows the story of an unlikely friendship between Elphaba and Galinda during their time as roommates at Shiz University. Chronicling Elphaba’s rise to infamy as the Wicked Witch of the West, “Wicked” delves into the complexities of friendship, morality and societal complicity. It is not just a whimsical fantasy but a deeply layered narrative about challenging a corrupt authority, disrupting the status quo and overcoming marginalization that builds on the textual foundations of L. Frank Baum and Gregory Maguire. With “Wicked,” producer Marc Platt and director Jon M. Chu transformed an intensely political source material into a highly accessible film for all ages, while managing to preserve the unmistakable whimsy of Victor Fleming’s and Stephen Schwartz’s respective Ozes. Platt and Chu’s vision shaped “Wicked” into a piece of media that is simultaneously informed by its predecessors and a product of 21st century ingenuity.

While critics of “Wicked” offer pessimistic expectations for the film’s likelihood of taking the Best Picture win, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s heartfelt lead performances are reason enough to be recognized. Along with the film’s phenomenal costumes, stunning visuals and dynamic choreography, “Wicked” reflects an unparalleled quality of perfection that is largely due to its thematic and visual harmony. Grossing more than $700 million worldwide, “Wicked’s” box office success and mainstream popularity should in no way overshadow the film’s cultural impact and artful execution. And, despite its stiff competition with “Anora” and fellow musical “Emilia Peréz,” “Wicked’s” performance quality maintains its superiority.

Wicked has already made history as the highest grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical. It would be absolutely “wicked” of the Academy to discount the film.

— Sydney Gaw