With the 95th Academy Awards just days away, speculation about who will be the big winners on the night is at fever pitch.
While Everything Everywhere All at Once is expected to clean up, there are still plenty of categories in which there's everything to play for.
Will Bollywood breakthrough with a Best Original Song win? Can Ke Huy Quan secure an Oscar, crowning his Hollywood comeback story? And will Austin Butler’s years-long dedication to embodying Elvis Presley finally pay off?
Here are The National's predictions in the seven main categories.
Best Picture
Nominees:
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
Despite a handful of Hollywood blockbuster movies up for contention — Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis — it’s the quieter films that have been making the most noise in this category. None more so than Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has racked up 11 nominations across all categories.
While fans would love to see Tom Cruise win his first Oscar for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, there’s an overriding feeling that it’s a little too populist to win. Early frontrunners Tár and The Banshees of Inisherin have lost campaign steam in the final stretch.
With Everything Everywhere All at Once named one of the Top 10 Films of 2022 at the American Film Institute Awards, as well as Best Picture at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Hollywood Critics Association Award, it's the clear favourite.
Prediction: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Director
Nominees:
Todd Field, Tár
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ruben Ostlund, Triangle of Sadness
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Martin McDonagh’s loving paean to small-town Ireland in The Banshees of Inisherin won a lot of fans among the academy's voting members, framing the rolling green landscape as a third main character alongside Colin Farrell’s Padraic and Brendan Gleeson’s Colm.
Triangle of Sadness is thoughtful and sharp, in the vein of Parasite, and looks set to be a serious contender in the Best Original Screenplay category.
Having racked up an array of accolades in the run-up to the Oscars, including Best Director at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Outstanding Directing — Feature Film at the Directors Guild of America Awards, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — known collectively as the Daniels — are the clear favourites.
Prediction: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Actor
Nominees:
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
Sadly for Bill Nighy and Paul Mescal, this is a three-horse race which, no offence to Brendan Fraser and Colin Farrell either, is actually a one-horse race.
Racking up 17 best actor accolades this awards season for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Elvis, including a Bafta, Golden Globe and a People's Choice Award, Austin Butler is the clear favourite in this category, having immersed himself in a role so much it changed his accent.
Prediction: Austin Butler, Elvis
Best Actress
Nominees:
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Cate Blanchett’s controversial Lydia Tár, Ana de Armas’s headline-making turn as Marilyn Monroe and Andrea Riseborough’s alcoholic Leslie Rowland, not to mention the controversy over her inclusion on the list, make this one of the most interesting Best Actress categories in recent years. It also puts depictions of troubled women firmly in the cinematic conversation.
In any other year, Blanchett would have walked away with this, but Michelle Yeoh’s multi-universe-traversing Evelyn Wang is the favourite. She has swept the best actress category board this season, with wins at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Independent Spirit Awards.
Prediction: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actor
Nominees:
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Both Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan’s appearance in this category for The Banshees of Inisherin will have split the vote for fans of the film, and the brevity of Judd Hirsch’s time onscreen in The Fabelmans will probably work against him.
If Ke Huy Quan’s name isn’t read out on the night, there’ll be a lot of hats being eaten in Hollywood.
Having dominated in this category at more than 60 film events this season, including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Saturn Awards, Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Award, comeback king Quan, who returned to acting aged 48 three years ago after a long hiatus, is almost certainly about to be awarded the biggest honour in the industry, and deservedly so.
Prediction: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees:
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
While this year’s Oscars looks set to be almost a board sweep for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Best Supporting Actress remains a hotly contested category, largely thanks to the interesting life and career stories behind the nominees.
There’s child star-turned-Hollywood royalty Jamie Lee Curtis earning her first Oscar nomination in her 45-year career, Stephanie Hsu in what’s undoubtedly her breakout role, and Angela Bassett, whose portrayal of Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won her the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
Prediction: Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Best Music (Original Song)
Nominees:
Applause by Diane Warren, Tell It Like a Woman
Hold My Hand by Lada Gaga and Bloodpop, Top Gun: Maverick
Lift Me Up by Rihanna, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Naatu Naatu by Kala Bhairava, M M Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj, RRR
This is a Life by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski, Everything Everywhere All at Once
With some big power ballads in the group, Rihanna’s Lift Me Up and Lady Gaga’s Hold My Hand, there’s scope for an upset as Hollywood has a history of loving a belter — see Common and John Legend's Glory from Selma in 2015 and Lady Gaga's Shallow from A Star is Born in 2019 for recent examples.
Ultimately, the night surely belongs to Naatu Naatu, from M M Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava. With recent wins at the Hollywood Critics Association and Golden Globes, it's a clear favourite.
Prediction: Naatu Naatu from RRR
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Creator: Jenna Lamia
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
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New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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