Awards season may still feel like a distant conversation, but the race for the 2027 Oscars is already quietly taking shape. Studios are locking in release strategies, festival lineups are beginning to take shape, and prestige projects are positioning themselves as serious contenders. We just had a relatively quiet Sundance run, but the recently announced Cannes lineup looks promising.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that momentum in awards season starts far earlier than most people realize. It’s all about carefully crafted campaigns and audience acceptance, with Sinners being the most recent successful example. Titles like Project Hail Mary and Michael are already making strong claims to be big players this upcoming awards season, while other contenders are lining up their strategies.

What makes this year particularly interesting is the blend of auteurs returning with ambitious projects and rising filmmakers aiming to break into the awards conversation. At the same time, performances are already generating whispers, with several actors taking on transformative, career-defining roles.

The timing makes this even more fascinating, coming right off an awards season that was very dynamic and unpredictable. The last Oscars race saw shifting frontrunners, late surges, and unexpected wins that kept the conversation fluid until the very end. It raises an important question: will the 2027 Oscars race follow a similar chaotic path, or will it lean toward a more traditional, consensus-driven season? Early signs suggest a mix of both — strong studio-backed contenders alongside potential disruptors that could shake things up.

Of course, these are still early days, and the landscape can shift dramatically once festival season kicks into high gear. Surprise contenders will emerge, frontrunners will stumble, and narratives will evolve. But based on current trajectories, industry buzz, and the talent involved, there are already a few films, performances, and creatives that look primed to dominate the conversation.

Here’s our early predictions for Oscars 2027.

Best Picture

1. Digger
2. The Odyssey
3. Project Hail Mary
4. Fjord
5. Wild Horse Nine
6. Untitled Jesse Eisenberg Musical
7. Being Heumann
8. A Place In Hell
9. Fatherland
10. Dune: Part Three

Threats: The Social Reckoning, Cry To Heaven, Narnia

Best Actor

1. Tom Cruise (Digger)
2. Sebastian Stan (Fjord)
3. John Malkovich (Wild Horse Nine)
4. Matt Damon (The Odyssey)
5. Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary)

Threats: Jaafar Jackson (Michael), Pedro Pascal (Behemoth!), Adam Driver (Paper Tiger)

Best Actress

1. Renate Reinsve (Fjord)
2. Michelle Williams (A Place In Hell)
3. Mikey Madison (The Social Reckoning)
4. Julianne Moore (Untitled Jesse Eisenberg Musical)
5. Sandra Hüller (Fatherland)

Threats: Ruth Madely (Being Heumann), Penelope Cruz (Bunker)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Riz Ahmed (Digger)
2. Sam Rockwell (Wild Horse Nine)
3. Mark Ruffalo (Being Heumann)
4. Jeremy Allen White (The Social Reckoning)
5. John Goodman (Digger)

Threats: Colman Domingo (Michael), Paul Giamatti (Untitled Jesse Eisenberg Musical), Tom Holland (The Odyssey)

Best Supporting Actress

1. Sandra Hüller (Project Hail Mary)
2. Daisy Edgar-Jones (A Place In Hell)
3. Anne Hathaway (The Odyssey)
4. Mariana Di Dirolamo (Wild Horse Nine)
5. Emma Mackey (Narnia)

Threats: Parker Posey (Wild Horse Nine), Tao Okamoto (All Of A Sudden), Scarlett Johansson (Paper Tiger)

Best Director

1. Alejandro Iñárritu (Digger)
2. Christopher Nolan (The Odyssey)
3. Cristian Mangiu (Fjord)
4. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Project Hail Mary)
5. Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part 3)

Threats: Martin McDonagh (Wild Horse Nine), Greta Gerwig (Narnia)

Best Original Screenplay

1. A Place In Hell
2. Wild Horse Nine
3. Digger
4. The Social Reckoning
5. Untitled Jesse Eisenberg Musical

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. The Odyssey
2. Being Heumann
3. Dune: Part 3
4. Cry to Heaven
5. The Adventures Of Cliff Booth