By Matt Neglia
Today is the last day of nomination voting for the 94th Academy Awards. For those voters who happen to stumble upon this site with their ballot still empty and are looking for contenders to put down, may I propose my picks down below? I may not have a nomination ballot myself, but these are the picks I would choose if I did. Keep in mind that some of my choices below are in line with the already announced shortlists for this year’s Academy Awards. Maybe someone will see these. Maybe not. Either way, here they are! The final nominations for the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on the morning of February 8th, 2022.
​Best Picture
Drive My Car
Dune
Flee
Licorice Pizza
Mass
Nine Days
The Power Of The Dog
Spencer
Titane
West Side Story
Best Director
Jane Campion – The Power Of The Dog
Julia Ducournau – Titane
Pablo Larrain – Spencer
Steven Spielberg – West Side Story
Denis Villeneuve – Dune
Best Actress
Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
Isabelle Fuhrman – The Novice
Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
Renate Reinsve – The Worst Person In The World
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
Best Actor
Nicolas Cage – Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power Of The Dog
Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick… Boom!
Hidetoshi Nishijima – Drive My Car
Simon Rex – Red Rocket
​Best Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
Ann Dowd – Mass
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
Ruth Negga – Passing
Martha Plimpton – Mass
Best Supporting Actor
Reed Birney – Mass
Colman Domingo – Zola
Jason Isaacs – Mass
Troy Kotsur – CODA
Vincent Lindon – Titane
Best Original Screenplay
C’mon C’mon
Mass
Nine Days
Titane
The Worst Person In The World
Best Adapted Screenplay
Drive My Car
The Last Duel
Passing
The Power Of The Dog
West Side Story
Best Animated Feature
Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
The Summit Of The Gods
Best Documentary Feature
Flee
President
Procession
The Rescue
Summer Of Soul
Best International Feature
Drive My Car
Flee
A Hero
I’m Your Man
The Worst Person In The World
Best Cinematography
Dune
The Green Knight
Spencer
The Tragedy Of Macbeth
West Side Story
Best Costume Design
Cruella
Dune
The Harder They Fall
Spencer
West Side Story
Best Film Editing
Dune
The French Dispatch
In The Heights
King Richard
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
​​​Coming 2 America
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci
Best Production Design
Dune
The French Dispatch
Nightmare Alley
The Tragedy Of Macbeth
West Side Story
Best Sound
​​​Belfast
Dune
No Time To Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Best Visual Effects
​​​Dune
Godzilla vs. Kong
No Time To Die
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Best Original Score
​Don’t Look Up
Dune
The French Dispatch
The Power Of The Dog
Spencer
Best Original Song
“So May We Start” – Annette
“Beyond the Shore” – CODA
“Dos Oruguitas” – Encanto
“Guns Go Bang” – The Harder They Fall
“No Time to Die” – No Time To Die
It’s definitely not as easy as you would think when you only have five slots (except for Best Picture). When you see as many films as I do throughout the year, some tough sacrifices need to be made. With that said, do you agree or disagree with my picks? What is one pick you hope Oscar voters keep in mind while filling out their nomination ballots? Let us know in the comments section below or on our Twitter account.
You can follow Matt and hear more of his thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter at @NextBestPicture
