×

Weekend Warriors: BAFTA, Critics Choice and DGA Awards Bring the Final Contenders Out to Play

Final predictions for the three big ceremonies just ahead of final Oscars voting, which begins on Thursday, March 17.

2022 Oscars Predictions - Best Picture
Courtesy of NETFLIX / WARNER BROS / APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS
Lazy loaded image

The hustle and bustle of awards season is nearing an end, with Oscar voting getting underway on March 17. So naturally, every contender is looking to gain an advantage, and the BAFTA and Critics Choice ceremonies, which take place March 13, provide that opportunity.

At CCA, Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” lead the tally with 11 nominations apiece, including best picture. Still, with a group of more than 500 North America-based broadcast journalists and writers doing the voting, we shouldn’t expect either to triumph unequivocally.

Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Predictions Hub

At BAFTA, “Belfast’s” six-nom tally isn’t as robust as Focus Features would have liked, but prospects look strong for the film to pick up wins for original screenplay, outstanding British film and possibly supporting actor Ciarán Hinds, who is a legend across the pond. However, the momentum for “CODA” has been palpable since its cast won the ensemble trophy at the SAG Awards: The family drama is a dark horse for the best picture prize at CCA and is even more likely to add another statuette to supporting actor nominee Troy Kotsur’s shelf.

The safest place for “West Side Story” to find love has been Ariana DeBose’s performance as Anita in the supporting actress category. She seems to be the one surefire bet to sweep the televised awards, given that the film may struggle to win in other categories, although it’s competitive in many.

The front-runner for both ceremonies is Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” which picked up 10 noms at CCA and eight at BAFTA. It’s crucial for Netflix to score as many awards as possible for the dark Western to build Oscar momentum.

Academy voters choose their best picture winner with a preferential ballot voting system, whereas BAFTA and CCA members make one selection only in that category. Campion’s film has consistently demonstrated a deep pocket of passionate supporters, which could help its chances at these precursor competitions. But the real test will be at the PGA Awards, which also uses the preferential ballot. On March 19, we will see if “The Power of the Dog” has that kind of power.

The final predictions for the BAFTA, CCA and DGA Awards are below:

BAFTA Awards Predictions

Lazy loaded image
Courtesy of FOCUS FEATURES

Best Film: “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Alternate: “Belfast”

Outstanding British Film: “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Alternate: “No Time to Die”

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: “Passing” (Netflix)
Alternate: “Boiling Point”

Film Not in the English Language: “Drive My Car” (Japan) – Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Teruhisa Yamamoto
Alternate: “The Worst Person in the World”

Documentary: “Flee” – Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström
Alternate: “Summer of Soul”

Animated Film: “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures) – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, Clarke Spencer
Alternate: “Flee” 

Director: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Alternate: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car”

Original Screenplay: “Belfast” (Focus Features) – Kenneth Branagh
Alternate: “Licorice Pizza”

Adapted Screenplay: “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix) – Jane Campion
Alternate: “The Lost Daughter” 

Leading Actress: Renate Reinsve, “The Worst Person in the World” (Neon)
Alternate: Alana Haim, “Licorice PIzza”

Leading Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Alternate: Will Smith, “King Richard”

Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)
Alternate: Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”

Supporting Actor: Ciarán Hinds, “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Alternate: Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Original Score: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Hans Zimmer
Alternate: “The Power of the Dog”

Casting: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Francine Maisler
Alternate: “King Richard” 

Cinematography: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Greig Fraser
Alternate: “The Tragedy of Macbeth”

Editing: “Belfast” (Focus Features) – Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
Alternate: “Dune” 

Production Design: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos
Alternate: “Nightmare Alley”

Costume Design: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Robert Morgan, Jacqueline West
Alternate: “Cruella”

Make Up & Hair: “Cruella” (Walt Disney Pictures) – Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne
Alternate: “Dune” 

Sound: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Doug Hemphill, Theo Green, Ron Bartlett
Alternate: “West Side Story”

Special Visual Effects: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Brian Connor, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Gerd Nefzer
Alternate: “No Time to Die” 

British Short Animation: “Affairs of the Art” – Joanna Quinn, Les Mills
Alternate: “Do Not Feed the Pigeons”

British Short Film: “The Black Cop” – Cherish Oteka
Alternate: “Three Meetings of the Extraordinary Committee”

EE Rising Star Award: Harrison Dickinson
Alternate: Kodi Smit-McPhee


Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA) Film & TV

Lazy loaded image

Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Alternate: Denis Villeneuve, “Dune”

Outstanding Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter” (Netflix)
Alternate: Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Tick, Tick … Boom!”

Outstanding Achievement in Documentary: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, “Summer of Soul” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)
Alternate: Stanley Nelson, “Attica”

Outstanding Achievement in Drama Series: Lorene Scafaria, “Succession” (HBO)
Alternate: Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman, “Succession”

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Series: Lucia Aniello, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Alternate: Mike White, “The White Lotus”

Outstanding Achievement in Limited Series: Barry Jenkins, “The Underground Railroad” (Prime Video)
Alternate: Barry Levinson, “Dopesick” 

Outstanding Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sport (Regularly Scheduled): Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Alternate: Paul Pennolino and Christopher Werner, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

Outstanding Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sport (Specials): Bo Burnham, “Bo Burnham: Inside” (Netflix)
Alternate: Paul Dugdale, “Adele One Night Only”

Outstanding Achievement in Reality Series: Ramy Romany, “Making the Cut”
Alternate: Ben Simms, “Running Wild with Bear Grylls”

Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programs: James Bobin, “The Mysterious Benedict Society”
Alternate: Smriti Mundhra


Critics Choice Awards (Film & Television)

Lazy loaded image

Film Categories

Best Picture: “The Power of the Dog”
Alternate: “CODA”

Actor: Will Smith, “King Richard” (Warner Bros)
Alternate: Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick … Boom!”

Actress: Kristen Stewart, “Spencer” (Neon/Topic Studios)
Alternate: Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”

Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur, “CODA” (Apple Original Films)
Alternate: Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios)
Alternate: Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”

Young Actor/Actress: Jude Hill, “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Alternate: Rachel Zegler, “West Side Story”

Director: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)
Alternate: Denis Villeneuve, “Dune”

Original Screenplay: “Licorice Pizza” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) – Paul Thomas Anderson
Alternate: “Belfast”

Adapted Screenplay: “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix) – Jane Campion
Alternate: “The Lost Daughter”

Cinematography: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Greig Fraser
Alternate: “The Power of the Dog” 

Production Design: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos
Alternate: “Nightmare Alley” 

Editing: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Joe Walker
Alternate: “Belfast”

Costume Design: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Jacqueline West, Robert Morgan
Alternate: “Cruella”

Hair and Makeup: “Cruella” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Alternate: “House of Gucci”

Visual Effects: “Dune” (Warner Bros)
Alternate: “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

Comedy: “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” (Lionsgate)
Alternate: “Licorice Pizza” 

Animated Feature: “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” (Netflix)
Alternate: “Encanto”

Foreign Language Film: “Drive My Car” (Japan)
Alternate: “Flee” (Denmark)

Song: “No Time to Die” from “No Time to Die” (MGM/United Artists Releasing)
Alternate: “Be Alive” from “King Richard”

Score: “Dune” (Warner Bros) – Hans Zimmer
Alternate: “The Power of the Dog” 

Television Categories

Lazy loaded image

Drama Series: “Squid Game” (Netflix)
Alternate: “Succession”

Actor (Drama): Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game” (Netflix)
Alternate: Jeremy Strong

Actress (Drama): Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets” (Showtime)
Alternate: Mj Rodriguez, “Pose”

Supporting Actor (Drama): Kieran Culkin, “Succession” (HBO)
Alternate: Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”

Supporting Actress (Drama): Sarah Snook, “Succession” (HBO)
Alternate: J. Smith Cameron, “Succession”

Comedy Series: “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Alternate: “Ted Lasso” 

Actor (Comedy): Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)
Alternate: Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Actress (Comedy): Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Alternate: Issa Rae, “Insecure”

Supporting Actor (Comedy): Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Alternate: Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

Supporting Actress (Comedy): Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)
Alternate: Cecily Strong, “Saturday Night Live”

Limited Series: “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)
Alternate: “WandaVision”

Movie Made for Television: “Come from Away” (Apple TV Plus)
Alternate: “Oslo” (HBO)

Actor (Limited Series): Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” (Hulu)
Alternate: Paul Bettany, “WandaVision”

Actress (Limited Series): Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)
Alternate: Thuso Mbedu, “The Underground Railroad”

Supporting Actor (Limited Series): Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown” (HBO)
Alternate: Murray Bartlett, “The White Lotus” (HBO)

Supporting Actress (Limited Series): Kathryn Hahn, “WandaVision” (Disney Plus)
Alternate: Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”

Foreign Language Series: “Squid Game” (Netflix)
Alternate: “Narcos: Mexico” (Netflix)

Animated Series: “Big Mouth” (Netflix)
Alternate: “What If…?” 

Talk Show: “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (NBC)
Alternate: “Desus & Mero” (Showtime)

Comedy Special: “Bo Burnham: Inside” (Netflix)
Alternate: Nate BArgatze: The Greatest Average American”