Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced on Jan. 22 to both acclaim and backlash. 2025 was a year filled with impactful cinema, yet many beautiful films fell through the cracks amid the hustle and bustle of awards-season nominations.
FSU students had a wealth of opinions on which films would come home with the shining golden trophy. The FSView surveyed 100 FSU students to get a better look at their predictions.
Fans of Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” were elated at the record-breaking 16 nominations the film received, while “No Other Choice” enthusiasts were left dejected at yet another Park Chan-wook snub.
“As a constant movie watcher, I feel like there should be more variety of nominees because I’ve noticed it’s been mostly the same six or so movies,” FSU retail entrepreneurship major Daniella Acosta said to the FSView in a statement. “Great movies, but I would like to see more opportunities for other ones that were amazing!”
Students predict the ‘Big Five’ winners
The “Best Picture” award is widely regarded as the most competitive, as many consider it to be the accolade given to the premier film of the previous year. Out of 100 survey responses, students predicted either “Sinners” (45%) or “One Battle After Another” (29%) would take home the award, a surprising result given “One Battle After Another” recently swept the Golden Globes.
“I think ‘One Battle After Another’ will go home with many awards, but in terms of impact, ‘Sinners’ will have a greater legacy past the Oscars,” theatre major Emma Fowler said to the FSView.
This widespread praise for “Sinners” is not surprising, given that the film broke box office records after its release in April 2025. However, not all students agree with the film amassing 16 Oscar nominations.
“I think that some were deserved, but definitely not 16 nominations,” studio art major Sophia Wardlow said to the FSView. “I didn’t think it was as good a movie as everyone says. I gave it a 1 star on Letterboxd. The movie just wasn’t for me.”
“Best Actor” attained a similar split between Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the Smoke-Stack twins in “Sinners” (40%) and Timothée Chalamet’s performance as Marty Mauser in “Marty Supreme” (53%). “Best Actress” was split between Jessie Buckley’s performance as Agnes Shakespeare in “Hamnet” (46%) and Emma Stone’s performance as CEO/possible alien Michelle in “Bugonia” (38%).
“Best Director” is slightly more divisive, especially since veteran director Paul Thomas Anderson is up for the award after many years of nominations but no wins. Students think Ryan Coogler is most likely to take home the award for his directing of “Sinners” (49%), but Paul Thomas Anderson (26%) and Josh Safdie (14%) follow closely behind.
The “Best Supporting Actress” category is divided between Teyana Taylor in “One Battle After Another” (32%), Wunmi Mosaku in “Sinners” (29%), Elle Fanning in “Sentimental Value” (20%), and Amy Madigan in “Weapons” (15%). The most surprising inclusion in this list is Madigan’s performance as the overwhelmingly creepy Aunt Gladys, as this is the only nomination for “Weapons.”
“Odessa Azion in ‘Marty Supreme’ deserved a nomination for best supporting actress,” motion picture production major Max Radtke said to the FSView. “The layers in her performance are phenomenal, and I thought she was notably better than Teyana Taylor.”
“Best Supporting Actor” is slightly less divisive, with students voting Jacob Elordi’s performance as the Creature in “Frankenstein” to be the most likely winner (42%). Second place is split between Stellan Skarsgård in “Sentimental Value” (20%) and Delroy Lindo in “Sinners” (24%).
Although not widely praised by most viewers, the screenplay categories are integral to legitimizing the overall quality of a film.
The screenplay is the soul of the film, and students agree that “Sinners” (66%) is most likely to win “Best Original Screenplay,” seconded only by “Marty Supreme” (23%). This agreement did not carry over to “Best Adapted Screenplay,” with students divided between “Frankenstein” (34%), “Hamnet” (30%), and “One Battle After Another” (23%).
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ predicted to win big
2025 was an incredibly strong year for international films. The distribution of international films has expanded as companies such as NEON, Magnolia Pictures, and Sony Pictures Classics bring them to U.S. theatres. Students predict “Best International Feature Film” is likely to be given to Norway’s “Sentimental Value” (42%) or Brazil’s “The Secret Agent” (36%).
“Best Animated Feature” supplies a clear winner that would be obvious to anyone who has been near a child in the past year. “KPop Demon Hunters” (74%) ranks on Netflix’s most-watched movies of all time already, so it is hardly surprising they may take home the award.
This film exploded in popularity largely due to its catchy music, so 53% of students believe it will be awarded the “Best Original Song” award for “Golden.” However, “I Lied to You” from “Sinners” is a close contender (24%).
2025 was a year of beautiful scores, but students agree that “Best Original Score” must be given to “Sinners” (72%). It is impossible to examine this category and not address that the musical “Wicked: For Good” received no nomination. This sequel received zero Oscar nominations, in contrast to the first installment’s 10 nominations for the 2025 Oscars.
“I am utterly baffled that ‘Wicked: For Good’ got zero nominations,” psychology major Matthew MacDonald said to the FSView. “The editing and cinematography during Cynthia Erivo’s ‘No Good Deed’ scene, among others, was breathtaking.”
Technical category predictions, editing, and sound design
Students were unable to decide which of the five “Best Cinematography” nominees would receive the award: “Sinners” (39%), “Frankenstein” (21%), “Marty Supreme” (20%), “One Battle After Another” (12%), and “Train Dreams” (9%). Cinematography is the art of capturing a story on film, and each of these films did so with remarkable impact.
Film editing is akin to assembling a colossal puzzle to create a beautiful picture, so editing can make or break a movie. Students are unsure which film will achieve “Best Film Editing” of “F1” (33%), “Sinners” (29%), “One Battle After Another” (20%), and “Marty Supreme” (15%).
Sound design ties a film together in a similar way, and students agree that “Best Sound” will be awarded either to “Sinners” (44%) or “F1” (42%).
Students agree the award of “Best Visual Effects” is likely to go to “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the third installment in the visually impressive “Avatar” series. Costumes play a similarly crucial role in enhancing the visual story of a film, and predictions for “Best Costume Design” are divided between “Frankenstein” (45%), “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20%), and “Sinners” (18%).
Guillermo del Toro is notorious for his elaborate sets, dramatic costuming, and stunning makeup, so it isn’t surprising that students predict his “Frankenstein” may win “Best Production Design” (39%) and “Best Makeup and Hairstyling” (66%). Both categories are seconded by “Sinners” (31%, 16% respectively).
Prior to the 2026 Oscars, the Academy announced the introduction of a new category: “Best Casting.” It is surprising that this category was not added previously, as the BAFTA has awarded the best casting since 1999. “Sinners” (54%) is an overwhelming favorite for this category, followed by “Marty Supreme” (26%), a film that became infamous for its casting of businessman and television personality Kevin O’Leary.
Some find themselves irritated when the award show season approaches, causing film discourse to reach an aggressive height. However, these discussions are important for enhancing critical engagement with film as a medium, as not everyone needs to agree with the concept of a “One Battle After Another” sweep.
“Film discourse is at a really awful point. ‘Just let people enjoy things,’ and other anti-intellectualism has allowed people to think that movies like ‘One Battle After Another’ are profound,” Radtke said.
Grace Myatt is a Senior Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: FSU students predict the winners following the Oscar nominations
Reporting by Grace Myatt, Senior Staff Writer, FSView / FSU News
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