Our predictions for who will win big at the 2022 Oscars and who should actually win

The nominees:

"Belfast"
"CODA"
"Don't Look Up"
"Drive My Car"
"Dune"
"King Richard"
"Licorice Pizza"
"Nightmare Alley"
"The Power of the Dog"
"West Side Story"

Who will win: "The Power of the Dog"

Coming down to the wire, it seems that this year the best picture Oscar is going to end up with a streamer for the first time ever. Both Netflix's "The Power of the Dog" and Apple's "CODA" are the major frontrunners.

I feel when the dust settles, the winner will be the Netflix western.

Who should win: "The Power of the Dog"

If Netflix walks away with this one, it'll be a deserving winner. And it's not just because the streaming giant concocted an impressive award-season campaign team. I do believe voters want to reward the work of the movie's director, Jane Campion.

Who could surprise us: "Dune"

Now, there are still those Academy members who will never vote for a streamer for best picture, which may open the door for a title like Warner Bros.' "Dune," which is beloved. But it's a very long shot it will win.

The nominees:

Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"
Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast"
Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"
Steven Spielberg, "West Side Story"
Drive My Car, "Ryûsuke Hamaguchi"

Who will win: Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"

This is Campion's year. It will mark her second time winning an Oscar (she won best screenplay for "The Piano" in 1993) and the second-straight year a female director won this prize (Chloé Zhao won for "Nomadland" in 2021). If (when?) Campion wins, it'll be the first time ever that two female directors have won back-to-back.

Who should win: Jane Campion

Her direction in all aspects of the storytelling in "The Power of the Dog" is extraordinary and would have been a mess in less talented hands.

Who could surprise us: Not going to be any surprises.

The nominees:

Jessica Chastain, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Olivia Colman, "The Lost Daughter"
Penélope Cruz, "Parallel Mothers"
Nicole Kidman, "Being the Ricardos"
Kristen Stewart, "Spencer"

Who will win: Jessica Chastain, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"

This is a very competitive category and it wouldn't be a shock if any of the nominees win, but I feel Chastain is going to walk away with it. Her performance as Tammy Faye Bakker is a tour-de-force.

Who should win: Kristen Stewart, "Spencer"

Personally, I would love to see Stewart take home the prize. Playing Princess Diana really shows an elevation in her talents.

Who could surprise us: Olivia Colman, "The Lost Daughter"

However, do not be shocked if Colman walks away with the Oscar, which would be her second win. The Academy loves her.

The nominees:

Javier Bardem, "Being the Ricardos"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Power of the Dog"
Andrew Garfield, "Tick, Tick … Boom!"
Will Smith, "King Richard"
Denzel Washington, "The Tragedy of Macbeth"

Who will win: Will Smith, "King Richard"

Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, is so fulfilling to watch. Smith has shown over his career that he can play any role and I think this is finally the year when nothing stands in his way of taking home his first-ever Oscar.

Who should win: It's Will Smith. All hail big Will!

Who could surprise us: Seriously, if Smith doesn't win, it will be a complete shock.

The nominees:

Jessie Buckley, "The Lost Daughter"
Ariana DeBose, "West Side Story"
Judi Dench, "Belfast"
Kirsten Dunst, "The Power of the Dog"
Aunjanue Ellis, "King Richard"

Who will win: Ariana DeBose, "West Side Story"

DeBose steals every scene in "West Side Story" as Anita, and despite some impressive competition, she is the odds-on favorite to win.

Who should win: It's hard to make a case for anyone else. DeBose is that great in this.

Who could surprise us: Kirsten Dunst, "The Power of the Dog"

If you want to bet on someone else, it could be Dunst. She is one of the big reasons why "The Power of the Dog" is such an acclaimed movie.

The nominees:

Ciarán Hinds, "Belfast"
Troy Kotsur, "CODA"
Jesse Plemons, "The Power of the Dog"
J.K. Simmons, "Being the Ricardos"
Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Power of the Dog"

Who will win: Troy Kotsur, "CODA"

This is another category where there shouldn't be a surprise. Everyone has been moved by Kotsur's performance as the deaf father of an aspiring singer.

Who should win: Kotsur deserves it, and his win will mark the second time a deaf actor won an Oscar. The last time was his castmate Marlee Matlin's win for best actress in 1986's "Children of a Lesser God."

Who could surprise us: Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Power of the Dog"

It's a long shot, but if the night is really good for "The Power of the Dog," then you might see Smit-McPhee win.

The nominees:

"Encanto"
"Flee"
"Luca"
"The Mitchells vs. the Machines"
"Raya and the Last Dragon"

Who will win: "The Mitchells vs. the Machines"

Now, this is a competitive category and could go to any title. But Netflix's "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" is going to win out, I believe. In a category dominated by Disney/Pixar, producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have been able to grab Oscars from the studio before.

The duo did it in 2018 with "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," and they are the producers on "Mitchells." I think they will pull off the win again.

Who should win: It's hard not to root for the "Mitchells."

Who could surprise us: "Flee"

This powerful animated documentary that recounts a man telling his harrowing story of fleeing his home country of Afghanistan as a refugee for the first time is incredible. Though it has better odds in the documentary category, it could score a surprise win here.

The nominees:

Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast"
Adam McKay, "Don't Look Up"
Zach Baylin, "King Richard"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, "The Worst Person in the World"

Who will win: Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"

Counting this year, Anderson has been nominated 11 times over his career, I think due to that and with the enthusiasm for the movie within the industry, he will finally get the win.

Who should win: Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast"

Branagh's script is great enough to be a favorite to win any other year than this one. It's an impressive lineup. Academy members historically love the stories that are semi-autobiographical, which this is. That could lead to a win.

Who could surprise us: Adam McKay, "Don't Look Up"

There are several Hollywood players who are big on the environment, and that could lead to McKay getting a surprise win.

The nominees:

Sian Heder, "CODA"
Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe, "Drive My Car"
Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth, "Dune"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"

Who will win: Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"

Often it's who wins the best director category that indicates who will win best picture, but this category could hint at who wins the big prize this year.

I think it will go to Campion, as I feel "The Power of the Dog" will be dominating the night.

Who should win: Sian Heder, "CODA"

If Heder wins for "CODA," that could really make things interesting for who wins best picture.

Who could surprise us: Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"

Gyllenhaal winning wouldn't just be a shock but a lovely twist to the evening that would make sticking around to see who wins best picture worth it.

The nominees:

Greig Fraser, "Dune"
Dan Laustsen, "Nightmare Alley"
Ari Wegner, "The Power of the Dog"
Bruno Delbonnel, "The Tragedy of Macbeth"
Janusz Kamiński, "West Side Story"

Who will win: Greig Fraser, "Dune"

The epic scope of "Dune" was thrilling to experience. It's the kind of work that the Academy loves to recognize.

Who should win: Ari Wegner, "The Power of the Dog"

Wegner's vistas throughout the movie are breathtaking. It's work that really should be recognized with the industry's highest honor.

Who could surprise us: Janusz Kamiński, "West Side Story"

Never count out a Spielberg movie. His musical has some amazing sequences that could sway voters.