Later this week, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 94th Academy Awards. But why wait until then? Deepak and Ryley are here to let you know who's likely to get recognized at this year’s Oscars.

Plus, we’re running a special Awards Season offer. You can join the Nerd It Here First community and listen to Ryley And Deepak talk about this year’s nominees instead of just reading about them! From now until the Oscars on March 27, you can get a year-long membership for 20% off!

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Best Picture

“ I don’t know that tick…tick… BOOM! has the support… But with the new makeup of the academy they could decide they like Lin Manuel Miranda and a new musical over Steven Spielberg and the one that already won this award sixty years ago.”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Belfast

* Dune

* Don’t Look Up

* King Richard

* Licorice Pizza

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Nominees

* CODA

* Drive My Car

* Dune

* Green Knight

* Licorice Pizza

* Pig

* The Card Counter

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Director

“I think there’s going to be a lot of support for Coen… And Spielberg would be the first director nominated in six different decades… But I think it’s going to be Campion.”

-Deepak

Deepak Nominees

* Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

* Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

* Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth

* Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

* Denis Villeneuve, Dune

Ryley’s Nominees

* Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

* Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

* Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth

* David Lowery, The Green Knight

* Denis Villeneuve, Dune

Best Actor

[Nic Cage] only has one Cage-ism in the whole thing. He’s walking out of a house and unleashes a random scream at someone. Other than that he is so still… so contained… and it’s not what you expect.

-Ryley

Deepak Nominees

* Nicolas Cage, Pig

* Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

* Andrew Garfield, tick… tick… BOOM!

* Will Smith, King Richard

* Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Ryley’s Nominees

* Nicolas Cage, Pig

* Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

* Dev Patel, The Green Knight

* Will Smith, King Richard

* Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Actress

“Alana Haim in Licorice Pizza, I adore. But ultimately I think the winner is Rachel Zegler who was the best part of West Side Story.”

-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

* Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

* Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

* Lady Gaga, House of Gucci

* Jennifer Hudson, Respect

* Rachel Zegler, West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

* Virginia Efira, Benedetta

* Lady Gaga, House of Gucci

* Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza

* Rachel Zegler, West Side Story

Best Supporting Actor

“Kotsur has become, very quickly in the last few weeks, a heavy favorite for Supporting Actor. The only person who’s really in his way is Kodi Smith-McPhee who I think will probably win it.”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza

* Mike Faist, West Side Story

* Ciarán Hinds, Belfast

* Troy Kotsur, CODA

* Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Ryley’s Picks

* Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza

* Ralph Ineson, The Green Knight

* Jared Leto, House or Gucci

* Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

* Lambert Wilson, Benedetta

Best Supporting Actress

“Katherine Hunter is incredible as The Witches in Macbeth. She’s a legend of the British stage. Her physicallity is incredible.

-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

* Caitriona Balfe, Belfast

* Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

* Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

* Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

* Ruth Negga, Passing

Ryley’s Picks

* Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley

* Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

* Katherine Hunter, The Tragedy of Macbeth

* Ruth Negga, Passing

* Charlotte Ramping, Benedetta

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Best Original Screenplay

“Original Screenplay is a lock for Paul Thomas Anderson and Licorice Pizza.”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Being the Ricardos

* Belfast

* Don’t Look Up

* Licorice Pizza

* Mass

Ryley’s Picks

* Being the Ricardos

* Don't Look Up

* Licorice Pizza

* Pig

* The Card Counter

“What Coen brings to this Macbeth is… they are an older couple… and there is such a feeling of trust and commitment to this relationship they’ve been in most of their lives.”

-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

* Dune

* The Lost Daughter

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Drive My Car

* Dune

* The Green Knight

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Cinematography

“There’s actually three black-and-white movies that could end up with Cinematography nominations: Macbeth, Belfast, and Passing.”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Dune

* The Last Duel

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Dune

* Licorice Pizza

* The Green Knight

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Editing

“Don’t Look Up is a no-brainer Editing nominee, with all those different characters juggling all the different storylines.”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Belfast

* Don’t Look Up

* Dune

* The Power of the Dog

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Benedetta

* Dune

* Licorice Pizza

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Production Design

“Nightmare Alley is del Toro. It’s like nominating Meryl Streep for acting. You kind of have to nominate him [for Production Design].”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Dune

* Nightmare Alley

* No Time to Die

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Dune

* Licorice Pizza

* Nightmare Alley

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Costume Design

“[West Side Story]’s a colorful lavish musical with colorful lavish costumes… I think it’s a slam dunk nomination and probably a slam dunk win.”

-Deepak

Deepak’s Picks

* Cruella

* Cyrano

* No Time to Die

* Spencer

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Cruella

* House of Gucci

* Nightmare Alley

* Spencer

* The Power of the Dog

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“I would love to see some appreciation for the craft that went into building [The Green Knight].”

-Ryley

Deepak’s Picks

* Coming 2 America

* Cruella

* The Eyes of Tammy Faye

* Nightmare Alley

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Cruella

* House of Gucci

* Nightmare Alley

* Spencer

* The Power of the Dog

Best Sound

Deepak’s Picks

* Dune

* Last Night in Soho

* No Time to Die

* A Quiet Place, Part II

* West Side Story

Ryley’s Picks

* Dune

* Last Night in Soho

* Nightmare Alley

* Spider-Man: No Way Home

* West Side Story

Best Score

Deepak’s Picks

* Dune

* Encanto

* The Last Duel

* The Power of the Dog

* Spencer

Ryley’s Picks

* Dune

* Encanto

* The Green Knight

* The Power of the Dog

* The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Song

Deepak’s Picks

* Dear Evan Hansen

* Don’t Look Up

* King Richard

* No Time to Die

* Sing 2

Ryley’s Picks

* Encanto

* Don’t Look Up

* King Richard

* No Time to Die

* The Card Counter

Best Visual Effects

Deepak’s Picks

* Dune

* Eternals

* No Time to Die

* Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

* Spider-Man: No Way Home

Ryley’s Picks

* Dune

* Eternals

* The Green Knight

* Spider-Man: No Way Home

* The Matrix: Resurrections

Best Animated Feature

Deepak’s Picks

* Encanto

* Luca

* The Mitchells vs. The Machines

* Raya and the Last Dragon

* Sing 2

Ryley’s Picks

* Encanto

* Flee

* Luca

* The Mitchells vs. The Machines

* Raya and the Last Dragon

Best Documentary Feature

Deepak’s Picks

* Ascension

* Attica

* Flee

* Summer of Soul

* The Velvet Underground

Ryley’s Picks

* Ascension

* Flee

* Summer of Soul

* The Rescue

* The Velvet Underground

Best International Feature

Deepak’s Picks

* A Hero

* Drive My Car

* Flee

* Lamb

* The Worst Person in the World

Ryley’s Picks

* A Hero

* Drive My Car

* Flee

* The Worst Person in the World

* Titane