2021 Oscar Predictions: COSTUME DESIGN (January)

One of the more potentially open races this season, Oscar-winning and nominated designers like Mark Bridges (News of the World) and Alexandra Byrne (Emma.) will go seam to seam with hopeful first-timers like Paolo Nieddu (The United States vs Billie Holiday, which rises this month) and Bina Daigeler (Mulan).

While it’s true that this branch really, really loves its favorites. 46 of the past 50 nominees were Best Picture nominees or designers who had at least been nominated before. That’s a pretty tight stitch to pull off if you don’t fall into either of those categories. It could spell downfall for a Nieddu or Daigeler, whose films aren’t likely to be Best Picture-nominated, over someone like Susan Lyall for like BP contender The Trial of the Chicago 7 or a previous winner and three-time nominee like Michael O’Connor for Ammonite.

Here are my ranked 2021 Oscar predictions in Costume Design for January.

Green – moves up; Red – moves down; Blue – new entry this month

1. Mank (Netflix)
Trish Summerville

2. Emma. (Focus Features)
Alexandra Byrne

3. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Paramount Pictures)
Paolo Nieddu

4. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Ann Roth

5. News of the World (Universal Pictures)
Mark Bridges

6. Mulan (Walt Disney Pictures)
Bina Daigeler

7. The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight Pictures)
Suzie Harman, Robert Worley

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

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Other Contenders (alphabetical)

Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Donna Berwick

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

The Witches (HBO Max)

Joanna Johnston

Emma. image courtesy of Focus Features