2021 Oscar Predictions: COSTUME DESIGN (December)
The United States vs Billie Holiday makes a move into the top 5 this month, just edging out The Personal History of David Copperfield. It would be the first Oscar nomination for Paolo Nieddu, who has earned four Emmy nominations in the contemporary category, two from Holiday director Lee Daniels’ show Empire.
The chart expands to a top 10, giving placements to the Old West of News of the World (from Oscar winner Mark Bridges), 19th century of Ammonite (Oscar winner Michael O’Connor), and the late 1960s and early 1970s of The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Susan Lyall) and Judas and the Black Messiah (Charlese Antoinette Jones).
Here are my ranked 2021 Oscar predictions in Costume Design for December.
Green – moves up; Red – moves down; Blue – new entry this month
1. Mank (Netflix)
Trish Summerville
2. Emma. (Focus Features)
Alexandra Byrne
3. Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
Bina Daigeler
4. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Ann Roth
5. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Paramount Pictures)
Paolo Nieddu
6. The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight Pictures)
Suzie Harman, Robert Worley
7. News of the World (Universal Pictures)
Mark Bridges
8. Ammonite (Neon)
Michael O’Connor
9. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Susan Lyall
10. Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
Charlese Antoinette Jones
Other Contenders (alphabetical)
Cinderella (Sony Pictures)
Ellen Mirojnick
Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Donna Berwick
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (20th Century Studios)
Guy Speranza
The Glorias (Roadside Attractions)
Sandy Powell
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Michael Wilkinson
Rebecca (Netflix)
Julian Day
One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck
Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
Phoenix Mellow
The Witches (HBO Max)
Joanna Johnston
The United States vs Billie Holiday image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 331 – The State of the Oscar Race Post-DGA - February 9, 2026
- Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Film Awards: ‘Sinners’ Wins 6, Including Best Picture - February 9, 2026
- International Cinephile Society (ICS) Awards: ‘The Secret Agent’ Wins Six, Including Acting Prizes for Wagner Moura and Tânia Maria - February 8, 2026
“Wuthering Heights” Review: Emerald Fennell’s Stylish Spin on the Classic Novel is More Bodice Ripper Than Brontë Gripper [B-] 
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 331 – The State of the Oscar Race Post-DGA 
Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Film Awards: ‘Sinners’ Wins 6, Including Best Picture 
International Cinephile Society (ICS) Awards: ‘The Secret Agent’ Wins Six, Including Acting Prizes for Wagner Moura and Tânia Maria