Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
L to R: Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Grande is Glinda in WICKED FOR GOOD, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Universal Pictures
Oscars Best Casting Commentary (Updated Nov. 20, 2025): Predicting the inaugural Oscar for achievement in casting is proving to be one of the season’s most interesting exercises.
With no historical precedent and a voting structure that mirrors aspects of best picture — including a 10-film shortlist determined by rank-choice ballots — the new category will reward both discovery and inventive ensemble-building. That opens the door for bold, unconventional choices such as Rebecca Dealy’s exhaustive nationwide search for young performers in Charlie Polinger’s “The Plague,” alongside more traditional showcases of star-power ensembles like “Jay Kelly,” shepherded by Douglas Aibel and Nina Gold.
Still, a handful of casting directors have emerged as early favorites. Francine Maisler, long considered an industry titan, could make history with “Sinners,” while Cassandra Kulukundis’ meticulous world-building in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” also feels like a natural fit for the branch. Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey’s work on “Wicked: For Good,” packed with high-profile talent and unexpected finds, should find room in the lineup, especially after winning the Casting Guild prize last year.
Jennifer Venditti has a trio of visually and tonally distinct achievements in “The Smashing Machine,” “Marty Supreme” and “Bugonia” that could easily land in the mix.
What makes the race even more unpredictable is the bake-off phase, where each shortlisted title must articulate its casting process through a five-minute reel and pre-recorded Q&A. That favors films with clear, demonstrable choices — think uncanny transformations like “Nouvelle Vague,” guided by Stéphane Batut, or franchise reinventions such as “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story,” cast by Bret Howe and Mary Vernieu.
With additional dark horses ranging from Allison Jones’ “Weapons” to Lindsay Graham and Vernieu’s emotionally charged “Song Sung Blue,” this first-ever category will be a genuine referendum on what voters believe great casting truly means.
NOTE: All titles, release dates, studios and listed and credited casting director(s) are subject to change.
-
Image Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of The Space Program, Cannes Film Festival
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cannes
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
-
Eligible Artisans (Best Casting)
Image Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focu
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
