The 2023 Academy Award nominations are a week away. Over the last few weeks, we’ve had the Golden Globes, SAG Nominations, and the Critics Choice Awards and have shifted many things across the board. Today, I share my final 2024 Oscars Predictions for the Best Director category.

Best Director Nominations

1. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (Winner) (-)
2. Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon (-)
3. Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things (^)
4. Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest (^)
5. Greta Gerwig, Barbie (↓)

Outside look in: Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Alexander Payne (The Holdovers) and Celine Song (Past Lives)

Thoughts:

I had a slight change in my Best Director race with Yorgos Lanthimos sliding up from 5 to 3 and Greta Gerwig moving from 3 to 5. This is more or less a gut feeling of who I believe is more safe than the other. Glazer has picked up plenty of steam, but missing DGA was a bit of a suprise but at the same time it isn’t. 

Now, things can get a little sticky here because could we live in a world where Greta Gerwig misses Best Director leaving the door open for Alexander Payne and an all male Best Director race? Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if this happened. Many could see that Barbie is strong in many different categories, but maybe Direction isn’t where it is loved the most. I have Gerwig in, but think she is easily the weakest of the five in terms of being safe. 

For more expansive breakdown of the Best Director race, check out my video below.