Welcome to Maxwell Corner’s second annual Oscars! While the site is still young I have been playing with different awards. I took out a couple from last year, I do not watch enough Documentaries to have a category.

I did add four new categories to go with the 19 that overlap with the Academy Awards. The Academy is finally adding a Best Casting award to come in the 2026 Academy Awards. I added a casting category, Stunt Ensemble, Best Needle Drop, and Newcomer.

So, without further ado let’s get to the awards! I will list all the nominees and write out the winner below them.

 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Priscilla

Poor Things

Winner: Poor Things

 

Best Costume Design

Asteroid City

Barbie

Bottoms

Killers of the Flower Moon

Priscilla

Winner: Priscilla

 

Best Production Design

Asteroid City

Barbie

Killers of the Flower Moon

Priscilla

Poor Things

Winner: Barbie

 

Best Visual Effects

The Creator

Godzilla Minus One

Napoleon

Oppenheimer

The Killer

Winner: The Creator

 

Best Sound

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

Napoleon

Oppenheimer

The Killer

The Zone of Interest

Winner: The Zone of Interest

 

Best Editing

Ferrari

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer

The Iron Claw

Winner: Killers of the Flower Moon

 

Best Casting

Barbie

Beau is Afraid

Bottoms

Priscilla

The Iron Claw

Winner: Bottoms

 

Best Stunt Ensemble

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

John Wick 4

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

The Covenant

The Killer

Winner: Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

 

Newcomer Award

Kristen Cui – Knock at the Cabin

Amie Donald – MEGAN

Abby Ryder Fortson – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Milo Machado Graner – Anatomy of a Fall

Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers

Winner: Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers

 

Best Cinematography

Ferrari

Godland

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer

Saltburn

Winner: Oppenheimer

 

Best Original Song

“Dance the Night Away” – Barbie

“What Was I Made For?” – Barbie

“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” – Killers of the Flower Moon

“Live That Way Forever” – The Iron Claw

“Camp Isn’t Home” – Theater Camp

Winner: “Live That Way Forever” – The Iron Claw

 

Best Needle Drop

“Always on My Mind” by Pet Shop Boys – All of Us Strangers

“Push” by Matchbox Twenty - Barbie

“Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey – Beau is Afraid

“Maneater” by Hall and Oates – No Hard Feelings

“Tom Sawyer” by Rush – The Iron Claw

Winner: “Maneater” by Hall and Oates – No Hard Feelings

 

Best Original Score

A Thousand and One – Gary Gunn

Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson

Oppenheimer – Ludwig Goransson

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

The Boy and the Heron – Joe Hisaishi

Winner: The Boy and the Heron – Joe Hisaishi

 

Best Animated Feature

Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

The Boy and the Heron

Not all the other animated films I saw this year deserve a nomination. It's a weak year for animation. Excluding the three films above of course.

Winner: The Boy and the Heron

 

Best International Feature

Anatomy of a Fall

Fallen Leaves

The Boy and the Heron

The Taste of Things

The Zone of Interest

Winner: The Zone of Interest

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret – Kelly Fremon Craig

Blackberry – Matt Johnson & Matthew Miller

Killers of the Flower Moon – Eric Roth & Martin Scorsese

Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan

The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer

Winner: Killers of the Flower Moon – Eric Roth & Martin Scorsese

 

Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet & Arthur Harari

May December – Sammy Burch

Past Lives – Celine Song

Showing Up – Kelly Reichardt & Jon Raymond

The Holdovers – David Hemingson

Winner: Past Lives – Celine Song

 

Best Supporting Actress

Claire Foy – All of Us Strangers

Rachel McAdams – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Penelope Cruz – Ferrari

Tantoo Cardinal – Killers of the Flower Moon

Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

Winner: Penelope Cruz – Ferrari

 

Best Supporting Actor

Nathan Lane – Beau is Afraid

Glenn Howerton – Blackberry

Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon

John Magaro – Past Lives

Holt McCallany – The Iron Claw

Winner: Glenn Howerton – Blackberry

 

Best Actress

Teyana Taylor – A Thousand and One

Sandra Huller – Anatomy of a Fall

Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

Greta Lee – Past Lives

Emma Stone – Poor Things

Winner: Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

 

Best Actor

Andrew Scott – All of Us Strangers

Adam Driver – Ferrari

Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer

Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers

Zac Efron – The Iron Claw

Winner: Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers

 

Best Director

Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer

Celine Song – Past Lives

Sean Durkin - The Iron Claw

Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest

Winner: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer

 

Best Picture

Blackberry

Ferrari

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Showing Up

The Boy and the Heron

The Holdovers

The Iron Claw

The Zone of Interest

Winner: The Zone of Interest

 

There you have it! The second annual Maxwell’s Movie Corner Oscars. What do you think? Were there nominations you did not agree with? Were there ones you were surprised to see?

In addition, for personal fun here is a list of the films with the most nominations:

Killers of the Flower Moon – 13 Noms – 3 Wins

Oppenheimer – 9 Noms – 3 Wins

The Iron Claw – 8 Noms – 1 Win

Barbie – 6 Noms – 1 Win

The Zone of Interest – 5 Noms – 3 Wins – Best Picture Winner!

The Holdovers – 5 Noms – 2 Wins

Ferrari – 5 Noms – 1 Win

Past Lives – 5 Noms – 1 Win

Priscilla – 4 Noms – 1 Win

Anatomy of a Fall – 4 Noms, 0 Wins

Poor Things – 3 Noms – 1 Win

Blackberry – 3 Noms – 1 Win

The Boy and the Heron – 3 Noms – 1 Win

All of Us Strangers – 3 Noms – 0 Wins

Beau is Afriad – 3 Noms – 0 Wins

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret – 3 Noms – 0 Wins

The Killer – 3 Noms – 0 Wins