Jessie Buckley tipped for Oscar glory ahead of unpredictable ceremony

By Laura Harding, Deputy Entertainment Editor

Jessie Buckley is poised to win an Oscar on Sunday, in what is set to be one of the most unpredictable ceremonies in recent history.

The Irish actress, who is nominated for her performance as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, historically known as Anne, in Hamnet, is the only performer considered to be a shoo-in for one of the top prizes.

The best actor, best supporting actress and best supporting actor categories remain unpredictable, after a variety of winners at precursor ceremonies.

Sinners’ Michael B Jordan, who was a surprise winner at the recent Actor Awards, now has momentum on his side ahead of the ceremony.

For months it had seemed that Marty Supreme star Timothee Chalamet would take the prize but his recent comments about ballet and opera could have soured his chances, compounding the fact he has not won a high profile award since the Golden Globes in early January.

The winner of the best actor prize at the Baftas, Robert Aramayo for I Swear, is not nominated in the category at the Oscars.

But Narcos star Wagner Moura, who is nominated for Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent, could also swoop in and take the gong.

In the best supporting actress category, One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor, Sinners’ Wunmi Mosaku and Weapons’ Amy Madigan have all won major precursor prizes, leaving a wide open race to the award.

It is a similar situation in the best supporting actor race, where Sean Penn has won both the Bafta and the Actor Award for One Battle After Another, but Stellan Skarsgard won the Golden Globe for Sentimental Value and Jacob Elordi won Critics’ Choice for Frankenstein.

There is also room for a possible upset by Delroy Lindo for Sinners, who was a surprise inclusion in the category but has garnered huge support.

Buckley is the only performer in the race who has steamrolled through all the previous ceremonies, racking up an impressive array of hardware, and is thought to be unbeatable to win the best actress prize for her heart-wrenching turn in Hamnet, about the death of Shakespeare’s young son.

The best director race has a clear frontrunner in Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, his epic about political revolutionaries, as Anderson has won almost every precursor award including at the Baftas.

However, a late surge by Ryan Coogler for Sinners has been mooted as a possibility, as support for his vampire film appears to be reaching a crescendo in the run up to the awards.

If he wins the gong he will be the first black winner of the best directing prize in 98-year history of the Oscars.

The best picture prize, the biggest award of the night, now appears to be a dead heat between Anderson’s film and Coogler’s, which goes into the ceremony with the most nominations in history with 16.

In the below the line categories there is the possibility history will be made if Autumn Durald Arkapaw wins the best cinematography prize for Sinners, making her the first woman to win the gong.

The ceremony will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Conan O’Brien.

The Oscars will air on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK, with Jonathan Ross anchoring the coverage, joined by panellists Elle Osili Wood, Samson Kayo and Fred Asquith.

Coverage starts at 10.15pm.