Contenders Near the Finish Line – The Hollywood Reporter

Best Director

Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

The frontrunner hung with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show on Feb. 6, partook in Q&As in L.A. on Feb. 7 and 8 and won the top Directors Guild Award on Feb. 10 (only eight times in 75 years has that failed to predict the best director Oscar).

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper (Maestro)

This 12-time Oscar nominee reflected on his 25 years as a professional screen actor — and was talked up by co-star Carey Mulligan and pal Brad Pitt — while being honored by the Santa Barbara Film Festival as the Performer of the Year on Feb. 8.

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

The breakout was a recipient of the Santa Barbara Film Fest’s Virtuoso Award on Feb. 10, participated in a Q&A at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Feb. 11 and garnered loud applause at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon on Feb. 12.

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Hoping that his third Oscar nom will be the charm, he was feted with the Santa Barbara Film Fest’s Maltin Modern Master Award on Feb. 9; Rob Lowe and co-star Cillian Murphy trekked to the American Riviera to help celebrate him.

Best Original Screenplay

Past Lives

At the Directors Guild Awards, Celine Song was the winner of the best first feature DGA Award. Though she is not nominated for the best director Oscar, this sort of recognition can only help her cause as she courts Academy votes for her semi-autobiographical script.

Best Documentary Feature

20 Days in Mariupol

The DGA honored the AP’s Mstyslav Chernov, who stayed in Mariupol and risked his life to show what was happening as the Russians attacked Ukraine, with its doc prize. Two days later, he was in conversation with Steven Spielberg at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon.

This story first appeared in the Feb. 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.