Hollywood’s biggest night returns this Sunday with the Academy Awards ceremony honoring last year’s best in film. Also returning for the occasion are Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes and longtime band associate Katy Krassner to offer their prognostications of who could and will win that — like the awards gala itself — has become an annual tradition.
“I often feel — just before Katy and I enter into starting to watch all the nominated movies — a lot of them don’t seem appealing, and it’s not a good year for film,” Rhodes says. “‘Am I going to get through all of these?’ Because it’s a lot to watch. And then once I started to dig in, I realized that a lot of the films that I wouldn’t have watched unless we were doing this are really special.”
Ahead of tomorrow’s ceremony, here are Rhodes and Krassner’s predictions for the following categories (You can read more about their opinions about the Oscars on the Duran Duran website).
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
VARIETY VIA GETTY IMAGES
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody: The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet: A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo: Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes: Conclave
Sebastian Stan: The Apprentice
Rhodes: Ralph Fiennes is one of our finest British actors. I’ll watch him in anything because he never lets viewers down. His performance in Conclave was magnificent. But unfortunately for him, I don’t think it’s his year.
I thought Timothée Chalamet was great. He really looked like [Bob Dylan] in the first place, anyway. He captured the mood and spirit of Dylan from that period as many of us have seen in the D.A. Pennebaker film [Don’t Look Back]. And then, of course, you’ve got Adrien Brody, whose performance was absolutely sublime in The Brutalist. Until about a week ago, I would have said that Adrien Brody 100% was going to win because it was such a remarkable performance. But then we had the surprise at the SAG Awards with Timothée Chalamet winning and deservedly so.
Krassner: I’m certainly biased for Timothée. But what I think is going to happen is pretty much like Leonardo DiCaprio: voters are going to think that he’s young and he has many great movies ahead of him, which is true, and they are going to get behind Adrien Brody. I did not love The Brutalist, [but] I actually can’t have an issue with it because Adrien Brody was so good. I will not be angry if Adrien Brody wins. I would like to see Timothée Chalamet win.
FILMMAGIC
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov: Anora
Kieran Culkin: A Real Pain
Edward Norton: A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce: The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong: The Apprentice
Krassner: This is one of the sure things of the night — Kieran Culkin is definitely going to win. Even though his performance was great, there were better performances this year. For me, it was Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice. He was unbelievable how he inhabited that role, that character. It’s just a bummer for Jeremy that it’s not his.
Rhodes: Again, great performances, every single one of them in this category. I mean, I love Ed Norton. I hadn’t seen him in anything for a while, so that was a nice surprise. But no doubt, Kieran’s going to win. I would have liked to have seen Jeremy win because I thought the performance was really strong and it was a rough character to play [as Roy Cohn]
. It was a fantastic role. I’d like to see him win, but it’s Kieran’s.
VARIETY VIA GETTY IMAGES
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo: Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón: Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison: Anora
Demi Moore: The Substance
Fernanda Torres: I’m Still Here
Rhodes: Katy and I said that it’s so great that Fernanda Torres got a shout-out and a nomination because I’m Still Here was another magnificent movie. I don’t think she’s going to win, but it’s nice that she’s up there with those other great actresses. Everybody loves Demi Moore, including me. It’s a tricky role that she played. I really liked the first hour or so of The Substance, then it took a turn for slightly silly Hollywood for me towards the end. But I’d love to see her win because she deserves it for that body of work. But the very best performance of the year on many, many levels was Mikey Madison. So I think she will win it. But I’m super happy for Demi Moore.
Krassner: The only thing that we didn’t discuss that could possibly happen is Fernanda Torres could split the two of them [Moore and Madison in the voting]. People are like, “Well, the movie Demi was in wasn’t that great. And Mikey Madison is so young.” Fernanda won the Golden Globe [for I’m Still Here]. She could be the total upset. I think Demi will win, but Mikey’s performance was better.
GETTY IMAGES
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro: A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande: Wicked
Felicity Jones: The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini: Conclave
Zoe Saldaña: Emilia Pérez
Rhodes: I would be stunned if Zoe Saldaña did not win. She deserved it as great as some of the other performances are for sure. Hers was just divine, perfect actually. She looks so great in it. The fact that she sang as well — it’s bizarre the whole movie, and a great role to have landed. Honestly, I don’t know how many actresses went up for that [role]
or whether it was written with her in mind, but she was perfect in every single way. So I’m absolutely 100% with her.
Krassner: I’m 100% with her, too. I thought that she was great. It’s hard to believe that she’s also the woman from Avatar when you see her in something like Emilia Pérez. Felicity Jones was just wonderful in The Brutalist, which I did not care for. I thought Felicity was fabulous, but Zoe Saldaña was every bit as good, and she’s just going to get it.
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes Weighs In With His Oscars 2025 Picks
David Chiu is a freelance music writer based in New York.
Mar 01, 2025 at 08:45am EST
Katy Krassner (top) and Nick Rhodes (bottom)
CREDIT: COURTESY OF NICK RHODES
Hollywood’s biggest night returns this Sunday with the Academy Awards ceremony honoring last year’s best in film. Also returning for the occasion are Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes and longtime band associate Katy Krassner to offer their prognostications of who could and will win that — like the awards gala itself — has become an annual tradition.
“I often feel — just before Katy and I enter into starting to watch all the nominated movies — a lot of them don’t seem appealing, and it’s not a good year for film,” Rhodes says. “‘Am I going to get through all of these?’ Because it’s a lot to watch. And then once I started to dig in, I realized that a lot of the films that I wouldn’t have watched unless we were doing this are really special.”
“At the end of all of that,” he later adds, “you sort of find your pot of gold because there were really some beautiful, heartfelt, emotional movies that people had made an incredible effort — the cast, the directors, the producers — to make these available for everyone to view. It’s one of our greatest art forms and forms of communication that can change the way that people think.”
Ahead of tomorrow’s ceremony, here are Rhodes and Krassner’s predictions for the following categories (You can read more about their opinions about the Oscars on the Duran Duran website).
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
VARIETY VIA GETTY IMAGES
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody: The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet: A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo: Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes: Conclave
Sebastian Stan: The Apprentice
Rhodes: Ralph Fiennes is one of our finest British actors. I’ll watch him in anything because he never lets viewers down. His performance in Conclave was magnificent. But unfortunately for him, I don’t think it’s his year.
I thought Timothée Chalamet was great. He really looked like [Bob Dylan] in the first place, anyway. He captured the mood and spirit of Dylan from that period as many of us have seen in the D.A. Pennebaker film [Don’t Look Back]. And then, of course, you’ve got Adrien Brody, whose performance was absolutely sublime in The Brutalist. Until about a week ago, I would have said that Adrien Brody 100% was going to win because it was such a remarkable performance. But then we had the surprise at the SAG Awards with Timothée Chalamet winning and deservedly so.
Krassner: I’m certainly biased for Timothée. But what I think is going to happen is pretty much like Leonardo DiCaprio: voters are going to think that he’s young and he has many great movies ahead of him, which is true, and they are going to get behind Adrien Brody. I did not love The Brutalist, [but] I actually can’t have an issue with it because Adrien Brody was so good. I will not be angry if Adrien Brody wins. I would like to see Timothée Chalamet win.
FILMMAGIC
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov: Anora
Kieran Culkin: A Real Pain
Edward Norton: A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce: The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong: The Apprentice
Krassner: This is one of the sure things of the night — Kieran Culkin is definitely going to win. Even though his performance was great, there were better performances this year. For me, it was Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice. He was unbelievable how he inhabited that role, that character. It’s just a bummer for Jeremy that it’s not his.
Rhodes: Again, great performances, every single one of them in this category. I mean, I love Ed Norton. I hadn’t seen him in anything for a while, so that was a nice surprise. But no doubt, Kieran’s going to win. I would have liked to have seen Jeremy win because I thought the performance was really strong and it was a rough character to play [as Roy Cohn]
. It was a fantastic role. I’d like to see him win, but it’s Kieran’s.
VARIETY VIA GETTY IMAGES
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo: Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón: Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison: Anora
Demi Moore: The Substance
Fernanda Torres: I’m Still Here
Rhodes: Katy and I said that it’s so great that Fernanda Torres got a shout-out and a nomination because I’m Still Here was another magnificent movie. I don’t think she’s going to win, but it’s nice that she’s up there with those other great actresses. Everybody loves Demi Moore, including me. It’s a tricky role that she played. I really liked the first hour or so of The Substance, then it took a turn for slightly silly Hollywood for me towards the end. But I’d love to see her win because she deserves it for that body of work. But the very best performance of the year on many, many levels was Mikey Madison. So I think she will win it. But I’m super happy for Demi Moore.
Krassner: The only thing that we didn’t discuss that could possibly happen is Fernanda Torres could split the two of them [Moore and Madison in the voting]. People are like, “Well, the movie Demi was in wasn’t that great. And Mikey Madison is so young.” Fernanda won the Golden Globe [for I’m Still Here]. She could be the total upset. I think Demi will win, but Mikey’s performance was better.
GETTY IMAGES
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro: A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande: Wicked
Felicity Jones: The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini: Conclave
Zoe Saldaña: Emilia Pérez
Rhodes: I would be stunned if Zoe Saldaña did not win. She deserved it as great as some of the other performances are for sure. Hers was just divine, perfect actually. She looks so great in it. The fact that she sang as well — it’s bizarre the whole movie, and a great role to have landed. Honestly, I don’t know how many actresses went up for that [role]
or whether it was written with her in mind, but she was perfect in every single way. So I’m absolutely 100% with her.
Krassner: I’m 100% with her, too. I thought that she was great. It’s hard to believe that she’s also the woman from Avatar when you see her in something like Emilia Pérez. Felicity Jones was just wonderful in The Brutalist, which I did not care for. I thought Felicity was fabulous, but Zoe Saldaña was every bit as good, and she’s just going to get it.
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
International Feature Film
Brazil: I’m Still Here
Denmark: The Girl With the Needle
France: Emilia Pérez
Germany: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Latvia: Flow
Krassner: I saw all but one — The Girl With the Needle. Nick was right that these were really some of the best films of the year, period. I would love to see The Seed of the Sacred Fig win. I don’t know if enough people saw it, but it was such an achievement in film because it was filmed in secret. But I think I’m Still Here will win and deserves it. One of the best movies I’ve seen all year.
Rhodes: I still would like to see Emilia Pérezwin just because, again, it was so brave, so unusual, so crazy. And the performances are all so good. It looks amazing, completely unpredictable. But Katy’s right. I’m Still Hereis fantastic. I thought about it for days after I saw it.
My other personal favorite is The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which more people should see. It’s a German movie, but it’s actually shot in Iran. It’s about the problems and the conflicts that happened over the last few years with people seeking more freedom there. You sit on the edge of your seat throughout the whole movie completely transfixed. It’s enthralling. Sometimes people forget that cinema is not just about special effects, it’s about telling stories. And this is a completely human story told in a dramatic, gritty, real way.
GETTY IMAGES FOR CRITICS CHOICE ASSOCIATION
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Rhodes: Wicked wasn’t for me. I’m not so good at most musicals unless they’re really something a bit more crazy like Emilia Pérez. If they made The Book of Mormon as a musical, I’d be there. I get it — “big Hollywood movie, looks amazing.”
Conclave has come from behind to become a surprise favorite in some ways. It’s fantastic storytelling, brilliant script, and some of the best actors you could ever hope for. Stanley Tucci was fantastic in it, too. And Isabella Rossellini was great. I love that Conclave was concise. The relationships within it were complicated and they were all trying to be loyal to slightly different causes sometimes. it showed you that everybody’s flawed and even the people who are supposed to be the purest are often not. It was a small, intelligent, beautifully executed movie. I’d be thrilled to see that one win.
I liked Anora. I didn’t get it for about 40 minutes. I thought, “Oh, no, it’s the Pretty Woman thing, but they’ve just tried to make it a bit more edgy.” It wasn’t working for me. But I thought Mikey Madison was so great in it and also Yura Borisova. I thought he was terrific in the movie and they really carried it. When it started to have a little more dark humor in it, it worked best for me. It’s a movie that a lot of people I know really loved. I think that might win.
Krassner: I agree that Anora is going to win. I did not care for The Brutalist. I thought the first hour and a half or so or two hours were good, and then there was an intermission. And when it came back, it seemed like like the director had taken a year or two off and then came back to the movie because it had a totally different vibe at that point. I don’t believe that Academy voters sat through three hours and 40 minutes. But I can’t take away from the acting. Everyone was great. It depends what the Academy is going to go for. Are they going to go for like a big epic like Oppenheimer and say, “Well, it ticks all the boxes of a Best Picture”? Or is it going to go as it did for CODA for the most accessible, watchable film this year? Then it would definitely be Anora. That’s my pick, and I think it will win.