Oscar Predictions: Best Makeup and Hairstyling

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Monday, January 13th. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in most of the major categories.

Last year’s nominees: Border, Mary Queen of Scots, Vice

My choices: Coming next week!

This year’s finalists: Bombshell, Rocketman, Little Women, Joker, Judy, Dolemite Is My Name, Downton Abbey, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 1917, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

The rundown: This category expands to five nominees for the first time this year, and the list of ten finalists is pretty expected. This includes makeup and hairstyling, and so it’s a question of which appeal most strongly to voters. Bombshell seems like the surest thing, and Rocketman will likely follow. I’m picking Little Women, Joker, and Judy to round out the list, though it could just as easily be Dolemite Is My Name, Downton Abbey, or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in place of any of them. I doubt that 1917, which is a technical powerhouse in other races, will score here, and while the first film earned a costume design bid, I think Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is least likely to earn a nomination. This category always provided a surprise whenever it was only three nominees, so maybe that will be the case again this time.

Forecasted winner: I say it goes to Bombshell.