With a victory for Finest Unique Screenplay win for “Anora” on the Writers Guild Awards 2025, it certifies the Sean Baker movie as the highest contender for Finest Image, even when fellow Oscar nominees “The Substance,” “September 5,” and “The Brutalist” have been ineligible for the award having not been written by guild members or underneath a WGA collective bargaining settlement.
“Anora” had already received high prize on the PGA Awards and DGA Awards the earlier weekend, with its Critics Alternative Award for Finest Movie being a pleasant bonus. The one different movie to win over these guilds and the WGA but not win Finest Image is “Brokeback Mountain” in 2006. The foremost harbinger indicating that the Ang Lee film wouldn’t prevail on the Oscars was “Crash” profitable Finest Ensemble on the SAG Awards, so a win at that exact awards physique within the coming week is essential to the Neon launch’s dominant awards marketing campaign.
All that mentioned, there’s one other Finest Image nominee that has been on a big upswing stemming from these guild awards, that are taking place concurrently with closing Oscar voting. That movie is “Nickel Boys.” The Orion Photos launch directed by RaMell Ross received each Finest Tailored Screenplay on the WGA Awards and the Michael Apted Award for Excellent Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Function Movie on the DGA Awards.
Though Ross just isn’t nominated for Finest Director on the Oscars, he’s nominated for Finest Tailored Screenplay alongside Joslyn Barnes, who can be one of many producers nominated for Finest Image on behalf of the movie. The opposite two are Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner of Plan B Leisure.
Nonetheless, it’s extra notable on this class that fellow Oscar nominees “Sing Sing,” “Emilia Pérez,” and “Conclave” have been ineligible on the WGAs. That’s as a result of “Conclave,” the papal election drama written by Peter Straughan, adapting the Robert Harris novel of the identical title, has been the class frontrunner to this point. Straughn received each the Critics Alternative Award and the Golden Globe, however has but to win an award voted on by individuals within the Academy. However that ought to change quickly, as Straughan is predicted to win on the BAFTAs on Sunday.
What may finally decide which movie wins the Finest Tailored Screenplay Oscar isn’t the BAFTAs however the USC Scripter Awards, a prize that’s leaning towards “Nickel Boys.” That awards physique is on a sizzling streak, having predicted the final two Oscar winners, together with “American Fiction” and “Ladies Speaking.” Coincidentally, each of these movies additionally occurred to be Orion Photos releases.
“Conclave” although is to not be counted out, despite the fact that the WGA Awards have predicted the final 4 Finest Tailored Screenplay winners in a row, as it’s an extremely common movie. However the different statistic that ought to trigger the movie some concern is that it has been seven years for the reason that Academy Award for Finest Tailored Screenplay was not awarded to the movie’s director. If his reception on the DGA Awards, the place all 5 Finest Director nominees stood as much as cheer him on, was any indication, Ross and his movie “Nickel Boys” have essentially the most momentum as Oscar voting begins to wrap.