Silver lining from the pandemic: every Oscar nominated movie I tried to see was available for me to watch from my couch.

Don’t get me wrong: I desperately miss going to the movies. I hope to feel comfortable with that again soon, but I’m just not there yet. So yeah, while I had to shell out $20 to stream a flick sometimes, I figure it’s not that bad. During a normal movie watching season, I am in theaters 2-3 times a week at the end, trying to ignore the popcorn, maybe smuggling in my own water. But there is always gas, and time. So over all I feel I have saved cash, and have probably seen more movies than usual.

But now I am ready for the glamour and glitz. Below I will give my predictions as always (what I liked best plus who I think will win) in the major categories. I am also going to give some fashion predictions along the way. I don’t know if you are aware, but there is a dress code this year, born out of so many zoom awards participants in athleisure. I am torn on the code, as stated on the website The Cut:

“We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational,” the letter reads, capitalizing Inspirational and Aspirational for inspirational and aspirational emphasis. “In actual words,” it continues, “Formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not.”

I expect at least one star to push this. I’d love to see joggers with a bustier, Christian Louboutins, and a cutaway coat with train (Zendaya could rock this, but I think she’ll go full on glam). But on the whole, I like the request to zhush it up. In solidarity, I will wear sparkly gems with my jammies. Maybe. But no promises on a bra. Let’s not go crazy.

And the winners will (maybe) be…

Best Picture (saw them all)

Nomadland continues to be the frontrunner, and will likely win. Every picture nominated is very different. My faves for this category are probably The Father and Judas and the Black Messiah. But I think this category tends to go to films that are not all about the acting performances, which those two films really were. Nomadland is message driven, with both sweeping panoramas and detail driven scenes, and has an overall best film vibe. Going with that theme, I also think Minari would fit, but I am going with Nomadland.

Best Director (haven’t seen Another Round yet): will be Chloe Zhao for Nomadland. She is just slaying all the awards this year, and deservedly so. She manages to get all of her actors to be fully fleshed out no matter how tiny their roles.

Fashion aside: I am looking forward to seeing Emerald Fennell! I fell in love with her in Call the Midwife, and she was wonderful in The Crown. She has such great coloring — I want to see her in something green, which is very much a trend color, and hard to pull off.

Best Adapted Screenplay (haven’t seen Borat, and have no desire to do so, TBH): I loved The Father in this category. I assume all of the films are adapted from books, except One Night in Miami which feels like a play. I don’t like when films feel like plays: it means that they weren’t very well adapted, IMO). The Father is just so well done. I can see how this was a book, and I would love to read it.

Best Original Screenplay (saw them all): this is tough. All are great premises. The ones based on history (Judas and The Trial of the Chicago Seven) don’t get my vote simply because, since they are based on real events, they’re not as “original” to me. I personally think the most original concept was Sound of Metal (please see this if you haven’t yet), but the momentum is there for Promising Young Woman (and I think Hollywood digs Emerald Fennell right now).

Best Actor (seen them all): We all know Chadwick Bozeman will win this. Like Heath Ledger, it’s fortunate that his last role was an excellent one. His talent will be missed. That said, I loved Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal! Watching a heavy metal drummer come to terms with losing his hearing, and still maintaining his sobriety, was breathtaking. Anthony Hopkins was brilliant as well (duh), with a finely nuanced performance as a man struggling with dementia (yes, I cried, and thought of my dad).

Fashion aside: the men have turned it up so hard in the past year! I hope Ahmed shows a little bit of metal edge. Hopkins and Gary Oldman will likely stay old school, which is fine. Steven Yeun is a wild card, but I assume he will be understated.

Best Supporting Actor: this one is a toughie. They were all good, of course, but no one actor stands out as that much better than the rest. I’m going to go with Daniel Kaluuya for Judas, as he has been picking up awards all season.

Fashion aside: this category will BRING.IT. I’m picturing colors and brocades and metallics. And I am here for it!

Best Actress: collective wisdom says Frances McDormand, and I wouldn’t be angry if she won. But I feel like she has played this before. Viola Davis is a good, solid choice, but I didn’t love this role. Maybe I just didn’t love Ma Rainey? My fave performance of the bunch was Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman. Twisted, sad, smart, broken, vengeful. What more could you want in a date? So I’d like her to win, but am leaning towards Davis right now. Ask me in an hour.

Fashion aside: I hope McDormand wears Birkenstocks again. David will be stunning in something tight, architectural and brightly colored. I want sex appeal from Vanessa Kirby and frothy fun from Mulligan!

Best Supporting Actress: (didn’t see Borat or Hillbilly Elegy, which got wretched reviews): While I personally loved Olivia Colman in The Father, I think Yuh-Jung Youn will win for Minari. And she earned it for sure!

Fashion aside: Amanda Seyfried will be lovely. Olivia Colman can go either way, but I hope she pulls it off with some regal, deeply colored creation. I would love to see something dramatically elegant on Youn! Maria Bakalova could be stunning, but she might be the one to push the taste envelope. I don’t know whay I say that, but I feel it.

Best Cinematography (saw them all): News of the World was almost my favorite in this category, although sometimes teh green screen action seemed pretty obvious. But Hollywood does loves it’s sweeping westerns. Nomadland could win, though, and has more momentum than this overdone Tom Hanks film (that movie tried to fit too much in. Too bad. Was a good story). So I think it’s gonna be Nomadland. You see and feel every season in this film.

Best Costume Design (didn’t see Pinnochio): I’m a sucker for a period piece, so I am hoping it’s Emma, with its delicious colors.

Fashion aside: Please, let Anya-Taylor Joy be at the Oscars, just so I can see her. She is gorgeous, and makes such wonderful fashion choices.

Best Film Editing (seen them all): Either The Father or Sound of Metal, but I am leaning towards The Father. The editing makes this movie.

All the rest, even though I have seen none or very few of the movies, but I like to have a guess for all:

Best Animated Feature: Soul

Best Documentary Feature: My Octopus Teacher

Best Documentary Short: A Concerto is a Conversation

Best International Feature Film: Another Round

Best makeup and Hairstyling: HIllbilly Elegy

Best Original Score: Soul

Best Original Song: One Night in Miami

Best Production design: The Father

Best Short, Animated: If Anything Happens I Love You

Best Short, Live Action: The Letter Room

Best Sound: Sound of Metal

Best Visual Effects: Tenet

Fashion aside: there will be a lot of florals tonight, on men and women. I want to see risks (I miss Cher). I want glamour and color. I want to gasp. I want to see people fall flat on their faces for trying something daring — not because they had crappy tailoring or accessorizing.

People, you’ve had 12 months of zoom calls in sweatpants. We are all over it. Y’all better bring it.