Place Your Bets! Which Black Hollywood Star Will Deliver an Oscar-Worthy Performance Next Year?

Denzel Washington in “Gladiator 2" seems like a no brainer for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. However, there’s always a chance that the sequel doesn’t live up to the Oscar-winning original and quickly finds its way to a streaming platform. Even if that’s the case, we know Denzel will still be brilliant.

This is a long shot, as this tennis-themed romantic drama opens in April and will need a lot of campaigning to make it to awards season. But if it picks up steam when it inevitably hits Prime Video, it’s possible Zendaya’s charm and talent could get her in the conversation.

Based on the wildly popular Broadway musical, this “Wizard of OZ” prequel is expected to be a huge hit. “Wicked” superfans ain’t nothing to mess with. The Oscars aren’t always musical friendly, but its familiarity should help boost Cynthia Erivo to a possible Best Actress nod and maybe even get the movie a Best Picture nom.

Oscar winner Regina King could be looking at another nomination for her portrayal of trailblazing congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Premiering on Netflix March 22, this movie has an uphill battle to be remembered come awards season. But if the streaming giant builds a strong campaign and makes sure the film stays easily noticeable on its home page, we could see King taking over the red carpet.

A boxing movie about a real champion who won an Olympic gold medal and has award-winning talent behind the camera sounds like it’s tailor made for The Oscars. Ryan Destiny plays boxer Claressea “T-Rex” Shields as she trains for the 2012 Olympics. Further cementing its awards credibility, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry co-stars as Shields’ coach, “Mudbound” cinematographer Rachel Morrison directs and “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins writes the script. This movie screams Oscar nominee.

I know the live-action “The Lion King” is controversial, but this follow up is a prequel focused on the relationship between Mufasa and Scar as the former rises to power. It’s directed by Barry Jenkins, who will surely bring more emotion to this film and hopefully play off of future events. Aaron Pierre voices Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices Scar. They are joined by the returning voices of Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner as Pumbaa and Timon, along with John Kani as Rafiki. I assume Disney will give this a massive push, but you can put this one firmly in the longshot category.

If there’s one film on this list that feels like it’s already locked in, it’s “Blitz.” Written and directed by Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”), the film is a historical epic that chronicles the London Blitz during WWII. A British drama with an all-star cast—which was recently spotted filming in London—led by an Oscar-winning director is the kind of movie Oscar voters live for.

No one seems to know what to expect from Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis.” It’s either going to be the greatest thing in cinema history, or a massive embarrassment. There’s no in between. The sci-fi epic stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel and Forest Whitaker, all of whom are possible nominees. Whether it’s amazing or a disaster, it feels like it’s one of those films that could change the business. I also have a sinking feeling the Coppola saw “Killers of the Flower Moon’s” ridiculous three hour plus run time and said “Hold my beer.”

Coming out of the Sundance Film Festival, this drama starring Andra Day and André Holland could be this year’s “A Thousand and One.” Of course we saw how that film’s awards chances dropped off once the bigger movies entered the race.

Honestly, I’m still not over what happened with Bing Bong in the first film. We can probably expect even more emotional upheaval in the sequel/likely Best Animated Feature nominee. Riley’s emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust return to help her through her teen years. Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri joins the cast as Envy, alongside new emotions, Anxiety, Ennui and Embarrassment. When it comes to combing humor with devastating feelings, Pixar never misses.

Based on the August Wilson play, the film is produced by Denzel Washington, directed by his son Malcolm and features an all-star cast that includes John David Washington; Samuel L. Jackson; Danielle Deadwyler; Ray Fisher; Erykah Badu; and Corey Hawkins. With all this Black Excellence on display, The Academy would be lucky to have this crew as a part of its show. That being said, fingers crossed that we see nominations across the board.

The “Rustin” Oscar nominee was already receiving awards buzz as this film traveled through the 2023 festival circuit. It’s a safe bet that after he spent all season dominating red carpets for “The Color Purple,” we could see him back for another Best Actor nomination.