Despite the “slap heard around the world” that took place at last year’s Oscars, the Academy is moving on as if nothing happened. 

The host this year is Jimmy Kimmel, who will be hosting alone, different from the past few years where they have been multiple hosts. Kimmel hosted in 2017 and 2018, the last year before multiple hosts were implemented. 

The Oscars seem to be returning to what they know. Hopefully, this reversion only applies to the host, and not the winners. 

In the past, the Oscars were known for the lack of diversity. This eventually led to the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, created in 2015 to gain traction in demands for better representation at the awards. It was started by April Reign after all 20 actor nominations in 2015 went to white actors for  the second year in a row. Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith boycotted the ceremony the following year.

While the Oscars are far from being perfect, they seem to be doing a better job. This could also be due to the film industry trying to improve diversity on screen. 

This year all eyes are on the 2022 film “Everything, Everywhere All At Once.” The primarily Asian-American cast and crew has the potential to sweep at the Oscars this year, as the movie has collectively been nominated for 11 different awards. All of them are well-deserved.

BEST LEAD ACTRESS

From the movie, Michelle Yeoh is nominated for “Best Lead Actress,” alongside Ana de Armas (“Blonde”), Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”) and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”). 

Michelle Yeoh recently won “Best Female Actor in a Leading Role” at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG). Yeoh has been performing in some way or another since the age of four. However, true appreciation of her talent did not come until recently. 

Yeoh is able to display the nuanced feelings felt by her character in a way that makes the audience connect with her. After her win at the SAG Awards and the overall appreciation she is receiving, I think the chances of her winning are likely, although the Academy does not often agree with public opinion.

 BEST DIRECTOR 

The directors of “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, are nominated for “Best Director.” The duo are nominated along with Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”), Todd Field (“Tár”) and Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”). 

I am at a loss for who the award will go to, as all of these movies are well-made. However, Steven Spielberg has accomplished plenty in his career, and I would prefer to see the award go to someone else. 

BEST PICTURE 

There are ten nominees for “Best Picture”, but eyes are on a few big names: “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” 

“Avatar: The Way of Water” was a highly anticipated movie with a predecessor known for its cinematography. 

“All Quiet on the Western Front” has been received very well by audiences. 

“Elvis” and “Top Gun: Maverick” were summer blockbusters. 

The otherworldly cinematography of “Everything Everywhere All At Once” left people talking for months. 

It’s hard to pinpoint a clear winner for this award. However, I think that “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once” are the frontrunners. My preference would be for “Everything Everywhere All At Once” to win because I truly think that its cinematography adds so much value to the film.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN  

While often overlooked by casual movie watchers, costumes can add or take away from the quality of a film. 

Shirley Kurata (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”) received high praise for her costume design, specifically the costumes for Stephanie Hsu’s character. 

The costume designer of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Ruth Carter, beautifully captures afro-futurism through costume. 

Margot Robbie’s dress on her character poster for “Babylon” is captivating enough to win “Best Costume Design” on its own. 

The iconic recreations of Elvis Presley’s outfits in “Elvis” cannot be overlooked. 

I am envious of the beautiful dresses designed by Jenny Beavan for “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.” 

Ideally, all of these movies would win, but I’ll be satisfied with any of them. 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

The 2023 Oscars cannot be discussed without talking about the exciting category that is “Best Animated Feature Film.” 

My prediction for the winner is “Puss in Boots.” I think that the Academy will get a lot of backlash if “Puss in Boots” doesn’t win because of how well received it was by viewers. Also, while “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” was an adorable movie, it didn’t have the same effect as “Puss in Boots” did on audience members. 

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” was a movie that came and went. 

While the Pixar movie “Turning Red” had its moment in the spotlight, I still don’t think that it will be able to beat “Puss in Boots” for the award. 

“Puss in Boots” will most likely be the winner, however, I would love a plot twist. The Netflix movie “The Sea Beast” has not only a beautiful story, but beautiful animation. The detail in the movie was astonishing. The hair texture of the characters was clearly visible. It is clear that every piece had hours spent on it. I won’t disagree if “Puss in Boots” wins, but I think that 

“The Sea Beast” deserves more appreciation than it received. 

For the sake of Hollywood, let’s hope that the Oscars will not be as eventful as last year, and there will be more of a focus on the actual films than the drama. 

If you’re interested in films, Hollywood, celebrities or just want to be up to date with pop culture, tune in to the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 7 p.m. CDT.