Oscar Picks 2020

The 2020 Oscar winners are here. Rich and Russ went head to head once again to see how well that they could predict the winners. Below, we list our picks for who/what we think will win and who/what we think should win (in parentheses). Our results are at the bottom. See you next year!

Best Picture

  • 1917
  • Ford v Ferrari
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Little Women
  • Marriage Story
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  • Parasite
  • The Irishman

Rich: 1917 (1917 should win)

Russ: 1917 (1917 should win)

Actor in a Leading Role

  • Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)
  • Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)
  • Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
  • Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
  • Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)

Rich: Joaquin Phoenix (Joaquin Phoenix should win)

Russ: Joaquin Phoenix (Joaquin Phoenix should win)

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)
  • Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
  • Saoirse Ronan (Little Women)
  • Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
  • Renée Zellweger (Judy)

Rich: Renée Zellweger (Charlize Theron should win)

Russ: Renée Zellweger (Renée Zellweger should win)

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
  • Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)
  • Al Pacino (The Irishman)
  • Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
  • Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Rich: Brad Pitt (Joe Pesci should win)

Russ: Brad Pitt (Brad Pitt should win)

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell)
  • Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
  • Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)
  • Florence Pugh (Little Women)
  • Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

Rich: Laura Dern (Scarlett Johansson should win)

Russ: Laura Dern (Florence Pugh should win)

Animated Feature Film

  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
  • I Lost My Body
  • Klaus
  • Missing Link
  • Toy Story 4

Rich: Toy Story 4 (Toy Story 4 should win)

Russ: Toy Story 4 (Toy Story 4 should win)

Cinematography

  • 1917
  • Joker
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  • The Irishman
  • The Lighthouse

Rich: 1917 (1917 should win)

Russ: 1917 (1917 should win)

Costume Design

  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Little Women
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  • The Irishman

Rich: Little Women (Jojo Rabbit should win)

Russ: Little Women (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood should win)

Directing

  • Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
  • Sam Mendes (1917)
  • Todd Phillips (Joker)
  • Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
  • Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Rich: Sam Mendes (Bong Joon Ho should win)

Russ: Sam Mendes (Sam Mendes should win)

Documentary (Feature)

  • American Factory
  • For Sama
  • Honeyland
  • The Cave
  • The Edge of Democracy

Rich: American Factory (American Factory should win)

Russ: American Factory (American Factory should win)

Documentary (Short Subject)

  • In the Absence
  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
  • Life Overtakes Me
  • St. Louis Superman
  • Walk Run Cha-Cha

Rich: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) (St. Louis Superman should win)

Russ: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) (St. Louis Superman should win)

Film Editing

  • Ford v Ferrari
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Parasite
  • The Irishman

Rich: Parasite (Parasite should win)

Russ: Ford v Ferrari (Ford v Ferrari should win)

International Feature Film

  • Corpus Christi
  • Honeyland
  • Les Misérables
  • Pain and Glory
  • Parasite

Rich: Parasite (Parasite should win)

Russ: Parasite (Parasite should win)

Makeup and Hairstyling

  • 1917
  • Bombshell
  • Joker
  • Judy
  • Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Rich: Bombshell (Judy should win)

Russ: Bombshell (Bombshell should win)

Music (Original Score)

  • Alexandre Desplat (Little Women)
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker)
  • Randy Newman (Marriage Story)
  • Thomas Newman (1917)
  • John Williams (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

Rich: Thomas Newman (Thomas Newman should win)

Russ: Alexandre Desplat (Alexandre Desplat should win)

Music (Original Song)

  • “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” (Toy Story 4)
  • “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (Rocketman)
  • “I’m Standing With You” (Breakthrough)
  • “Into the Unknown” (Frozen II)
  • “Stand Up” (Harriet)

Rich: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (“Into the Unknown” should win)

Russ: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (“Into the Unknown” should win)

Production Design

  • 1917
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  • Parasite
  • The Irishman

Rich: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (1917 should win)

Russ: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (1917 should win)

Short Film (Animated)

  • Dcera (Daughter)
  • Hair Love
  • Kitbull
  • Memorable
  • Sister

Rich: Hair Love (Kitbull should win)

Russ: Hair Love (Hair Love should win)

Short Film (Live Action)

  • A Sister
  • Brotherhood
  • Nefta Football Club
  • Saria
  • The Neighbors’ Window

Rich: Brotherhood (Brotherhood should win)

Russ: Brotherhood (Brotherhood should win)

Sound Editing

  • 1917
  • Ford v Ferrari
  • Joker
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Rich: 1917 (1917 should win)

Russ: 1917 (1917 should win)

Sound Mixing

  • 1917
  • Ad Astra
  • Ford v Ferrari
  • Joker
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Rich: 1917 (1917 should win)

Russ: 1917 (1917 should win)

Visual Effects

  • 1917
  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
  • The Irishman
  • The Lion King

Rich: Avengers: Endgame (1917 should win)

Russ: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker should win)

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Little Women
  • The Irishman
  • The Two Popes

Rich: Little Women (Jojo Rabbit should win)

Russ: Little Women (Jojo Rabbit should win)

Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • 1917
  • Knives Out
  • Marriage Story
  • Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  • Parasite

Rich: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (Knives Out should win)

Russ: Knives Out (Knives Out should win)

Except for the upsets in the Directing and Writing categories, Rich and Russ got the major categories right and did well overall. Russ edged ahead this year with 16/24 (66.6%) right, while Rich chose 15/24 (62.5%) correctly.