This is a very strong year for the Best Director Oscar category.
We continue the tradition that began in 1986, when the first comprehensive book about the Oscars, And the Winner Is: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards, was published.
My book, now titled All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards is now in its 11th edition.
The directors in all four categories are listed alphabetically.
Frontrunners:
Ava DuVernay (Origin)
Greta Gerwig (Barbie)
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Analysis:
There may be two female contenders among the five nominees!
And there may be a new face, Jonathan Glazer, the brilliant British filmmaker, who had previously made the original (and now cult) features: Sexy Beast (2000), boasting Ben Kingsley in an Oscar nominated turn, and Under the Skin (2013), starring Scarlett Johansson.
If Scorsese earns recognition, he will become the second most nominated director (with 9 kudos); the record is still held by William Wyler, who had received 12 Oscar nominations.
However, in the Academy’s 96-year history, only one filmmaker has won four Directing Oscars: John Ford!
Strong Contenders:
Blitz Bazawule (The Color Purple) (Unseen yet)
Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
Sofia Coppola (Priscilla)
Emerald Fennell (Saltburn)
David Fincher (The Killer)
Michael Mann (Ferrari)
Ridley Scott (Napoleon) (Unseen)
Celine Song (Past Lives)
Also in the Run:
Ben Affleck (Air)
Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario)
Jimmy Chin & Chai Vasarhelyi (Nyad)
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers & Justin K. Thompson (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
Todd Haynes (May December)
Chloe Domont (Fair Play)
Craig Gillespie (Dumb Money)
Alexander Payne (The Holdovers)
Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)
George C. Wolfe (Rustin)
Long Shots:
Garth Davis (Foe)
Sean Durkin (The Iron Claw)
Gareth Edwards (The Creator)
Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers)
Cord Jefferson (American Fiction)
Roger Ross Williams (Cassandro)
