Oscars 2021: Best Supporting Actor Predictions

This year a strong group of ensemble movies jockeyed for slots in the Supporting Actor category. Nabbing coveted SAG Motion Picture Ensemble nominations as well as a Supporting Actor nods are Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) — which won the Ensemble award — with Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominee Sacha Baron Cohen as Yippie Abbie Hoffman, and Regina King’s “One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios), starring “Hamilton” breakout Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke. Odom may have to settle for the Best Song Oscar (“Speak Now”).

That’s because he keeps losing acting awards to Daniel Kaluuya for his role as Black Panther Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.) Baron Cohen and Odom now have a better shot at beating their rival Kaluuya — who followed up his SAG nomination for “Get Out” with a second nod and a win — after he was joined on Oscar nominations morning by his friend since “Get Out,” “Judas” costar LaKeith Stanfield. (Both are arguably lead actors.) Kaluuya swept the Globe, Critics Choice, SAG and BAFTA Awards.

More from IndieWire

• Anonymous Oscar Ballot: 'This Year Underlined a Problem That Was Always There,' Director Says

• 'Judas and the Black Messiah': How to Create a Visual Epic with Not Enough Resources

Rising in popularity but a no-show at the Globes and SAG is BAFTA nominee and Los Angeles Film Critics Supporting Actor runner-up Paul Raci, who plays a deaf counselor to a heavy metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) who loses his hearing in “Sound of Metal.” Actors relate to Raci’s story: he’s a veteran hearing actor raised by deaf parents; American Sign Language was his first language.

All contenders are listed by their likelihood to win.

Frontrunner
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Contenders

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)
LaKeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Best of IndieWire

• Oscars 2021: Best Editing Predictions

• Oscars 2021: Best Cinematography Predictions

• Oscars 2021: Best Animated Feature Predictions

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.