Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025: ‘Wicked’ flies into visual effects top five [Updated Nov. 18]

If the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today, what would Gold Derby predict as the nominees and winners? Since our predictions center opened on July 1, 2024, more than 5,700 people have made their forecasts in 18 top categories. So who’s out front to claim these golden trophies, according to the Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025?

Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on Nov. 18, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, Aug. 6, Aug. 19, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 19, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 22, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, and Nov. 11.

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Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” in Best Visual Effects. The movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical is also predicted to receive nominations in Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Costume Design, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Best Sound.

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Gold Derby’s Academy Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, top 24 users who had the best accuracy scores last year, and the mass of Users who make up our biggest predictions bloc. We will continue to update the Oscar predictions center whenever new information is provided to us by the studios/campaigners. Track the awards races by exploring all of our charts and graphs.

BEST PICTURE

Predicted Nominees

1. “Anora” — 7/1
2. “The Brutalist” — 15/2
3. “Conclave” — 8/1
4. “Emilia Pérez” — 17/2
5. “Dune: Part Two” — 19/2
6. “Sing Sing” — 13/1
7. “Wicked” — 16/1
8. “A Real Pain” — 18/1
9. “Gladiator II” — 20/1
10. “Nickel Boys” — 20/1

Predicted Spoilers

“Blitz,” “September 5,” “The Substance,” “A Complete Unknown,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
See more Best Picture contenders …

BEST DIRECTOR

Predicted Nominees

1. Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”) — 4/1
2. Sean Baker (“Anora”) — 4/1
3. Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”) — 6/1
4. Edward Berger (“Conclave”) — 13/2
5. Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”) — 8/1

Predicted Spoilers

Ridley Scott (“Gladiator II”), RaMell Ross (“Nickel Boys”), Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”), Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”), Jon M. Chu (“Wicked”)
See more Best Director contenders …

BEST ACTRESS

Predicted Nominees

1. Mikey Madison (“Anora”) — 37/10
2. Karla Sofia Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”) — 9/2
3. Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) — 5/1
4. Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”) — 17/2
5. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) — 21/2

Predicted Spoilers

Demi Moore (“The Substance”), Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”), Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”), Amy Adams (“Nightbitch”), Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”)
See more Best Actress contenders …

BEST ACTOR

Predicted Nominees

1. Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) — 37/10
2. Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”) — 19/5
3. Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”) — 9/2
4. Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”) — 6/1
5. Daniel Craig (“Queer”) — 9/1

Predicted Spoilers

Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”), Paul Mescal (“Gladiator II”), Jesse Eisenberg (“A Real Pain”), John David Washington (“The Piano Lesson”), Nicholas Hoult (“Juror #2”)
See more Best Actor contenders …

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Predicted Nominees

1. Zoe Salda?a (“Emilia Pérez”) — 69/20
2. Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”) — 11/2
3. Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”) — 11/2
4. Ariana Grande (“Wicked”) — 15/2
5. Saoirse Ronan (“Blitz”) — 19/2

Predicted Spoilers

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“Nickel Boys”), Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”), Selena Gomez (“Emilia Pérez”), Margaret Qualley (“The Substance”), Joan Chen (“Didi”)
See more Best Supporting Actress contenders …

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Predicted Nominees

1. Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) — 19/5
2. Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”) — 9/2
3. Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”) — 5/1
4. Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”) — 6/1
5. Stanley Tucci (“Conclave”) — 12/1

Predicted Spoilers

Yura Borisov (“Anora”), Jeremy Strong (“The Apprentice”), Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Lesson”), Peter Sarsgaard (“September 5”)
See more Best Supporting Actor contenders …

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Predicted Nominees

1. “Conclave” — 7/2
2. “Sing Sing” — 9/2
3. “Nickel Boys” — 6/1
4. “Emilia Pérez” — 7/1
5. “Dune: Part Two” — 8/1

Predicted Spoilers

“The Room Next Door,” “The Piano Lesson,” “The Wild Robot,” “A Complete Unknown,” “I’m Still Here”
See more Best Adapted Screenplay contenders …

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Predicted Nominees

1. “Anora” — 7/2
2. “The Brutalist” — 4/1
3. “A Real Pain” — 5/1
4. “September 5” — 9/1
5. “The Substance” — 11/1

Predicted Spoilers

“Hard Truths,” “Saturday Night,” “Blitz,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” “Challengers”
See more Best Original Screenplay contenders …

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Predicted Nominees

1. “The Brutalist” — 7/2
2. “Dune: Part Two” — 4/1
3. “Emilia Pérez” — 7/1
4. “Nickel Boys” — 8/1
5. “Maria” — 17/2

Predicted Spoilers

“Conclave,” “Nosferatu,” “Gladiator II,” “Wicked,” “Challengers”
See more Best Cinematography contenders …

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Predicted Nominees

1. “Wicked” — 71/20
2. “Dune: Part Two” — 9/2
3. “Gladiator II” — 5/1
4. “Maria” — 11/2
5. “Blitz” — 10/1

Predicted Spoilers

“The Brutalist,” “Nosferatu,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Conclave,” “The Substance”
See more Best Costume Design contenders …

BEST FILM EDITING

Predicted Nominees

1. “The Brutalist” — 39/10
2. “Dune: Part Two” — 9/2
3. “Anora” — 5/1
4. “Conclave” — 11/2
5. “Emilia Pérez” — 13/2

Predicted Spoilers

“September 5,” “Challengers,” “Gladiator II,” “Nickel Boys,” “Blitz”
See more Best Film Editing contenders …

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

Predicted Nominees

1. “The Substance” — 39/10
2. “Dune: Part Two” — 4/1
3. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” — 11/2
4. “Wicked” — 11/2
5. “Nosferatu” — 15/2

Predicted Spoilers

“A Different Man,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “The Apprentice,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
See more Best Makeup & Hairstyling contenders …

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Predicted Nominees

1. “Dune: Part Two” — 19/5
2. “Wicked” — 4/1
3. “Gladiator II” — 9/2
4. “The Brutalist” — 5/1
5. “Blitz” — 15/2

Predicted Spoilers

“Conclave,” “Nosferatu,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Megalopolis,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
See more Best Production Design contenders …

BEST SCORE

Predicted Nominees

1. “The Brutalist” — 19/5
2. “Conclave” — 4/1
3. “Emilia Pérez” — 6/1
4. “The Wild Robot” — 6/1
5. “Challengers” — 10/1

Predicted Spoilers

“The Room Next Door,” “Saturday Night,” “Gladiator II,” “Blitz,” “Wicked”
See more Best Score contenders …

BEST SONG

Predicted Nominees

1. “Emilia Pérez” (“El Mal”) — 4/1
2. “The Wild Robot” (“Kiss the Sky”) — 5/1
3. “The Six Triple Eight” (“The Journey”) — 13/2
4. “Emilia Pérez” (“Mi Camino”) — 7/1
5. “Sing Sing” (“Like a Bird”) — 8/1

Predicted Spoilers

“Moana 2” (“Beyond”), “Will and Harper” (“Harper and Will Go West”), “Piece by Piece” (“Piece by Piece”), “Mufasa: The Lion King” (“I Always Wanted a Brother”), “Blitz” (“Winter Coat”)
See more Best Song contenders …

BEST SOUND

Predicted Nominees

1. “Dune: Part Two” — 69/20
2. “Gladiator II” — 9/2
3. “Blitz” — 13/2
4. “Wicked” — 13/2
5. “Emilia Pérez” — 7/1

Predicted Spoilers

“Twisters,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “The Brutalist,” “The Substance”
See more Best Sound contenders …

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Predicted Nominees

1. “Dune: Part Two” — 17/5
2. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” — 9/2
3. “Gladiator II” — 5/1
4. “Twisters” — 8/1
5. “Wicked” — 17/2

Predicted Spoilers

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Alien: Romulus,” “Better Man,” “Deadpool and Wolverine”
See more Best Visual Effects contenders …

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Predicted Nominees

1. “The Wild Robot” — 82/25
2. “Inside Out 2” — 4/1
3. “Memoir of a Snail” — 9/2
4. “Flow” — 11/2
5. “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — 6/1

Predicted Spoilers

“Moana 2,” “Piece by Piece,” “Transformers One,” “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” “Despicable Me 4”
See more Best Animated Feature contenders …

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