Oscars 2023: See The New York Times’ predictions for best picture, actor and more

Tár, directed by Todd Field, it called “the intellectual favourite” that had a good chance of being nominated. It also predicted action drama Top Gun: Maverick to find a slot among the 10 nominees in the category.

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water would also make it to the list of Oscar nominations, according to The New York Times.

Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale and Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front would displace other favourites like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and RRR to find their place in the 10 nominees for the best picture category.

Rounding up the nominations, according to NYT, would be Triangle of Sadness, a black comedy marking Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s English language debut.

Best director

Steven Spielberg is the “safest contender” for the best director category at Oscars 2023, according to The New York Times. If nominated, this would be Spielberg’s ninth Oscar nomination.

Tár director Todd Field and the director duo behind Everything Everywhere All At Once -- Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan – would also find a spot on the nominees list.

Martin McDonagh would also find a place for directing The Banshees of Inisherin, NYT predicted.

Well-known names like James Cameron and Joseph Kosinski would face disappointment at the Oscars, the NYT said, instead predicting a surprise inclusion for Australian auteur Baz Luhrmann in the best director nominees list.

Best actor

The New York Times forecast the inclusion of five actors in the best actor nominations for Oscars 2023.

Brendan Fraser’s comeback performance in The Whale would earn him a spot, as would Colin Farrell’s performance in The Banshees of Inisherin.

Austin Butler’s critically acclaimed portrayal of Elvis Presley in Elvis would make him a strong contender in the best actor category, while Bill Nighy would also be nominated for his powerful performance of a bureaucrat battling a fatal illness in the 2022 film Living.

“Our fifth nominee will be Paul Mescal,” the New York Times projected, for his performance in Aftersun.

Best actress

Two shoo-ins in the best actress category would be Cate Blanchett for Tár and Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once, the New York Times predicted.

Viola Davis was nominated in the best actress category at the Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards for her role in The Woman King, and would almost certainly find a place in the Oscar 2023 nominations as well.

Another place would go to Danielle Deadwyler for her portrayal of Mamie Till-Bradley in Till.

“Finally, reserve a spot for the Fabelmans star Michelle Williams,” the publication said, guessing that Screen Actors Guild’s omission would only generate more interest in her.

Best supporting actor

“Both Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan from ‘Banshees’ ought to make the cut,” the New York Times opined.

The publication also predicted the inclusion of another pair of nominees from the same film - Paul Dano and Judd Hirsch, who both starred in The Fabelmans.

Everything Everywhere star Ke Huy Quan would cruise to an easy victory in the best supporting actor category, NYT predicted, but Ben Whishaw or Woody Harrelson could also be nominated.

Best supporting actress

It’s high time that Angela Bassett earns her second Oscar nomination, NYT said, this time for her portrayal of a grief-stricken monarch in Black Panther.

“Everything Everywhere co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu both made the SAG shortlist and ought to repeat here,” NYT added, noting that this would be the first Oscar nod for veteran actress Curtis if she is nominated.

Kerry Condon would earn a spot on the shortlist for her role in Banshees, but the fifth spot could go to any number of women - including Janelle Monáe for Knives Out.

Ultimately, however, Hong Chau would have an edge when it comes to the fifth spot on the nominees list for her role as Fraser’s caregiver in The Whale.