Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 93rd Academy Awards have been postponed from February 28th to April 25th. The Oscars is an awards ceremony that is presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which honors the best films of the year 2020 and early 2021. For the first time ever, two Asian men have been nominated for Best Actor: Steven Yeun for Minari and Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal. Additionally, Chadwick Boseman, who passed in August of last year, is the eighth Oscars nominee in history who has earned a posthumous nomination. He is the only Black actor out of the eight nominees.

For the third time since its inception, Awards will not have a host. However, there are multiple A-list actors who will be presenting instead. Possible presenters include Angela Bassett, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Regina King, Don Cheadle, Joaquin Phoenix, and more. 

According to Entertainment Tonight’s predictions, this year’s Oscars will be historic. The winner for the Actor in a Leading Role Category is anticipated to be Chadwick Boseman for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It is predicted that Chloé Zhao will win, making her the first Asian woman to win the Best Director category. For Best Animated Feature, Soul is predicted to win due to it already having won multiple awards earlier this season, performing well at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Critic’s Choice Awards.

According to junior Ebony Crandle, “I think Soul will win because it was really meaningful, had excellent visuals, and it sends a positive message of having control over your life.” For the Best Picture nomination, it is a close race between the films Nomadland and Minari.