84 AU community members entered our Oscar Ballot contest. Our winner got 16 correct, while one ballot only got 4 correct. There were some good surprises during the ceremony Sunday night (like Olivia Colman winning her well-deserved best actress statuette), and some not so-great surprises (Green Book winning Best Picture? Really?), overall our entrants were pretty accurate in predicting the outcomes of each category. Here’s a look at AU’s picks to win (the nominees with the majority of your votes), and how we did in each category.
Best Picture
AU Pick: Roma
The Academy Pick: Green Book
I’m with Spike Lee on this one— I was not expecting Green Book to walk away with this award. In fact, only 6 of our 82 ballots picked Green Book. Roma was far and away the favorite, with 39 votes, followed by Black Panther with 14.
Actor in a Leading Role
AU Pick: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Academy’s Pick: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Actress in a Leading Role
AU Pick: Glenn Close, The Wife
Academy Pick: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
I’ve never been happier to be wrong in my life. All the buzz was around Glenn Close, and I picked her for my ballot, but I really, really wanted Olivia Colman to win. Her performance as Queen Anne in The Favourite blew me away. Overall, Colman only received 15 votes (tied with Yalitza Aparicio) to Glenn Close’s 31. Lady Gaga was the second overall pick with 26.
Actor in a Supporting Role
AU Pick: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Academy Pick: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
No surprises here, as Ali received more than double the number of votes than our second-place pick Adam Driver.
Actress in a Supporting Role
AU Pick: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Academy Pick: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Again, no surprises, as Regina King was a force to be reckoned with in Beale Street. Her dress was also probably my favorite of the night.
Animated Feature Film
AU Pick: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Academy Pick: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This should have been nominated for Best Picture, just saying. 67 of you chose Spider-Man, a whopping 77 % of our total voters.
Cinematography
AU Pick: Roma
Academy Pick: Roma
Costume Design
AU Pick: Ruth Carter, Black Panther
Academy Pick: Ruth Carter, Black Panther
See my blog post from a few weeks ago. A very, very well-deserved win for Ruth Carter.
Directing
AU Pick: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Academy Pick: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
I picked Spike Lee (the second overall pick at AU), but the majority of you got it right. 44 votes for Cuaron, and 28 votes for Lee.
Documentary (Feature)
AU Pick: RBG
Academy Pick: Free Solo
Of all the ones the AU voices got wrong, this was the most off. 49 of you voted for RBG, and Free Solo, the actual winner, only got 16 of your votes, just edging out Minding the Gap in third with 14.
Documentary (Short Subject)
AU Pick: Black Sheep
Academy Pick: Period. End of Sentence.
This race was actually very close.
Film Editing
AU Pick: Bohemian Rhapsody
Academy Pick: Bohemian Rhapsody
Foreign Language Film
AU Pick: Roma
Academy Pick: Roma
Makeup and Hairstyling
AU Pick: Mary, Queen of Scots
Academy Pick: Vice
AU was more wowed by the ornate (though historically inaccurate) hairdos on display in Mary, Queen of Scots than Christian Bale’s transformation into Dick Cheney.
Music (Original Score)
AU Pick: Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther
Academy Pick: Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther
Music (Original Song)
AU Pick: Lady Gaga, Shallow (A Star is Born)
Academy Pick: Lady Gaga, Shallow (A Star is Born)
Lady Gaga blew away her nearest competition (Kendrick Lamar’s All the Stars) 68-14.
Production Design
AU Pick: Black Panther
Academy Pick: Black Panther
Hannah Beachler is the first African-American to win this award. She essentially built Wakanda from the ground up.
Animated Short Film
AU Pick: Bao
Academy Pick: Bao
Live Action Short Film
AU Pick: Mother
Academy Pick: Skin
Skin was AU’s third pick overall, behind Mother and Marguerite.
Sound Editing
AU Pick: Bohemian Rhapsody
Academy Pick: Bohemian Rhapsody
Sound Mixing
AU Pick: Bohemian Rhapsody
Academy Pick: Bohemian Rhapsody
Visual Effects
AU Pick: Avengers: Infinity War
Academy Pick: First Man
First Man was AU’s second overall choice with 16 votes. Avengers garnered 44.
Adapted Screenplay
AU Pick: BlacKkKlansman
Academy Pick: BlacKkKlansman
If Spike Lee jumping into Samuel L. Jackson’s arms doesn’t bring you joy, I don’t know what will.
Original Screenplay
AU Pick: Roma
Academy Pick: Green Book
Roma just narrowly edged out Green Book with AU voters 27-25.
So, how did we do?
Overall, AU voters selected 16/24 of the winners. Given some of the night’s surprises, I’d say that’s a pretty good record.