Redoing The 2024 Oscars: What If Each Movie Could Only Win 1 Award

The 2024 Oscars were dominated by Oppenheimer and Poor Things, and the Academy Awards would look very different if each movie could only win one Oscar. The 96th Academy Awards was one of the biggest in recent memory. Thanks to box office hits like Oppenheimer and Barbie contending in multiple categories, interest was much higher than the rest of this decade. It also helped that new movies from Martin Scorsese and Yorgos Lanthimos racked up nominations. Ultimately, it was Oppenheimer‘s 13 nominations and seven Oscar wins that led the way during the actual ceremony.

Oppenheimer‘s seven wins at the 2024 Oscars was only comparable for Poor Things, which won four awards. This means that of the 19 categories for feature films, Oppenheimer and Poor Things were responsible for winning all but eight. The remaining eight categories all went to different movies, meaning only 10 of the 33 movies nominated for Oscars won an award this year. This meant some major shutouts like Killers of the Flower Moon losing all 10 nominations. While each winner was deserving, redoing the 2024 Oscars so each movie can only win once spreads out the love.

The Redoing Oscars Rules:

1. Each movie can only win one Oscar. Once a movie is given an Academy Award, it is ineligible for all other categories.
2. The original Oscar nominees are used to determine winners. In a situation where all nominees have already won in other categories, another eligible movie from the same year can be selected.

Best Picture: Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer hangs on to its Best Picture win

Oppenheimer winning Best Picture is the best way to stay true to how the 2024 Oscars played out and give the most dominant movie the biggest award. Christopher Nolan’s movie was long viewed as the frontrunner for the category and never lost any steam. In a situation where the movie could only win one Oscar, Best Picture makes the most sense for Oppenheimer. This does create several challenges, though, as the movie is now ineligible to win in 12 other categories, including those it won in real life, like Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor.

Best Director: Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Scorsese replaces Christopher Nolan to get his second directing Oscar

Christopher Nolan won Best Director in real life, but the award now goes to Martin Scorsese for his work on Killers of the Flower Moon since Nolan becomes ineligible. This outcome would have finally given Scorsese his second Best Director Oscar. He’s only won the category once before with The Departed despite 10 nominations. With Killers of the Flower Moon heralded as another masterpiece, its only right to acknowledge his filmmaking ability here. This does rule out the movie from winning in eight upcoming categories, like Lily Gladstone for Best Actress, but Scorses is due for another Oscar win now.

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper (Maestro)

Cillian Murphy was the original winner

Since Cillian Murphy is not eligible for the award, the best outcome when redoing the 2024 Oscars is for Bradley Cooper to win Best Actor for Maestro. His movie did not win a single award at the real Academy Awards, extending Bradley Cooper’s Oscars losing streak to zero wins in 12 nominations, five of which came for acting. While this award could also go to Colman Domingo for Rustin, Cooper has the body of work and prior nominations to make this Oscar win past due. This does rule Maestro out of five additional categories, but its star gets a major win.

Best Actress: Annette Bening (Nyad)

Emma Stone loses her second Oscar win

Even though real-life winner Emma Stone is not disqualified from the category yet due to Poor Things winning elsewhere, keeping her as the winner has too large of an impact to hold with Gladstone and Carey Mulligan already out of the running. That is why Annette Bening is selected to receive the Best Actress Oscar in this scenario, as Sandra Hüller winning would take Anatomy of a Fall out in later categories. Nyad only had two Oscar nominations, and Bening is more than deserving of her first Oscar win by now. She lost all four times she was nominated previously.

Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

Robert Downey Jr. is not eligible anymore

Taking away Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar win is difficult, but that has to happen based on Oppenheimer winning Best Picture. At this point, Robert De Niro is the only other nominee disqualified, leaving Ryan Gosling, Sterling K. Brown, and Mark Ruffalo to win. Due to Barbie and American Fiction‘s nominations elsewhere, it is Ruffalo who now becomes responsible for Poor Things‘ lone Oscar win. He gives a strong performance as Duncan Wedderburn, so the fact that Mark Ruffalo did not win from his previous three Oscar nominations gives him a strong case to win now.

Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

She holds onto her first Oscar win

Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the real awards show, and there is no reason to take it from her now. She became The Holdovers‘ best chance to win throughout awards season thanks to her powerful performance. Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) and America Ferrera (Barbie) both were still eligible to win in the category. The Holdovers is only ruled out from two upcoming categories as a result. So unless Paul Giamatti was switched to win Best Actor, there is no significant reason to switch the winner here.

Best Adapted Screenplay: American Fiction

Cord Jefferson’s movie keeps its Oscar

American Fiction won Best Adapted Screenplay in real life, and it makes sense to keep Cord Jefferson as the winner here. Oppenheimer and Poor Things are ineligible at this point, while Barbie and The Zone of Interest have other categories to win later on. However, this does not mean American Fiction wins Best Adapted Screenplay because it is a default answer. Jefferson’s script is funny, insightful, and deals with important themes. His screenplay is more than deserving of winning this award, which is why it did in real life too.

Best Original Screenplay: Past Lives

Celine Song’s script takes the Oscar from Anatomy of a Fall

Instead of Anatomy of a Fall winning Best Original Screenplay, redoing the 2024 Oscars means that it can be given to Past Lives. Celine Song’s moving romantic drama was a strong contender in the category and a clear favorite of the Academy as evident by its Best Picture nomination. With The Holdovers and Maestro ineligible at this point and May December not having as strong of a case to win, Past Lives replacing Anatomy of a Fall allows Song’s script to get recognition now, while Justine Triet’s movie can find a win elsewhere.

Best Animated Movie: The Boy and the Heron

Hayao Miyazaki keeps his Oscar

Redoing the 2024 Oscars is easy for Best Animated Movie, as The Boy and the Heron remains the winner. This is largely due to the fact that Hayao Miyazaki’s movie and the other four nominees – Elemental, Nimona, Robot Dreams, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – did not receive any nominations in other categories. There is no reason then to swap out the official result here, especially since it gives a legendary filmmaker like Miyazaki another well-deserved Oscar win.

Best International Film: The Zone of Interest

Jonathan Glazer’s movie retains its Oscar

The Zone of Interest wins Best International Film in this hypothetical scenario just as it did during the real awards ceremony. Jonathan Glazer’s movie was passed up in three previous categories – Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay – to keep this win the same. This does make The Zone of Interest ineligible for winning Best Sound as it did in real life, though. Since other International Film nominees – Io Capitano, Perfect Days, Society of the Snow, and The Teacher’s Lounge – don’t have strong cases to switch the real results, it’s best to leave this as it is.

Best Cinematography: El Conde

Oppenheimer originally won in this category

With each movie only eligible to win one Oscar, El Conde becomes the Best Cinematography winner in 2024. Pablo Larraín’s movie was shot by longtime cinematographer Edward Lachman, who has two previous Oscar nominations for Carol and Far From Heaven. While he lost the award in real life, Lachman’s stunning black-and-white imagery becomes the basis for his first win here. This is partially due to Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Maestro already winning their Oscars, but El Conde is nonetheless deserving of this recognition.

Best Editing: Anatomy Of A Fall

Oppenheimer is replaced by Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy of a Fall did not win Best Editing at the real Academy Awards, as its lone Oscar win came for Best Original Screenplay. However, with that award going to Past Lives in this scenario, Anatomy of a Fall now becomes the winner in Best Editing. Laurent Sénéchal was responsible for editing Justine Triet’s movie, with this being her first Oscar nomination. Now, she becomes a hypothetical Oscar winner with Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, and The Holdovers all ineligible at this stage.

Best Production Design: Napoleon

Poor Things won the award originally

Poor Things dominated many of the below-the-line categories at the Oscars, but with the film now ineligible thanks to Mark Ruffalo’s acting win, Napoleon steps into the winner’s spot for Production Design. Production Designer Arthur Max and Set Decoration Elli Griff brought early 1800s architecture and interiors to life with great accuracy. As one of only three nominations for Napoleon, the film’s win in this category is a chance to recognize another excellent part of an Oscar-nominated movie. The only other eligible nominee at this stage was Barbie.

Best Costume Design: Barbie

The movie featured several impeccable costumes

Barbie was a favorite of the Academy during the voting process for nominations, as the film collected eight nominations. One of the reasons why Barbie felt just like the Mattel dolls in live-action was through the incredible costume design led by Jacqueline Durran. Margot Robbie’s Barbie outfits and Ryan Gosling’s Ken outfits were stunning and worth recognizing in this fashion. With Barbie being the only eligible original nominee at this point, that does mean it winning Best Costume Design rules out “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken” for Best Original Song.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Society of the Snow

Poor Things can’t win again

Poor Things originally won Best Makeup & Hairstyling thanks to the stellar work done on the entire cast, but especially with Willem Dafoe’s character. However, the film is now unavailable to win in the category, which opens up a spot to recognize the work done on Society of the Snow. Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé were all nominated for their contributions to bringing Society of the Snow‘s true story to life and transforming the cast to match the harsh conditions. Now, they get the Oscar in this hypothetical scenario.

Best Score: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

John Williams gets another Oscar at last

Another category that Oppenheimer originally won, Best Original Score is now open to go to the legendary John Williams for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He is a five-time Oscar winner, but it has been 30 years since John Williams’ last win for Schindler’s List. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny marked his 22nd Best Score nomination since then. With Williams winding down his composing career and the Indiana Jones franchise coming to an end, it would be fitting to have him finally win an Oscar for one of his most iconic scores.

Best Original Song: American Symphony

Sorry, Barbie

The Best Original Song category at the 2024 Oscars was a surefire lock for Barbie to win thanks to its double nomination for “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken.” However, with Barbie already winning elsewhere, it unfortunately is eliminated from contention here. With Killers of the Flower Moon also already winning, that leaves American Symphony and Flamin’ Hot to be the winner. While Flamin’ Hot winning would finally give Diane Warren the award after 15 nominations, Jon Batiste’s “It Never Went Away” is the stronger musical number.

Best Sound: The Creator

The Zone of Interest won the Oscar originally

The 2024 Oscars made a great choice originally in selecting The Zone of Interest to win the Best Sound award, but the movie’s Best International Film win makes it ineligible here. Oppenheimer and Maestro winning elsewhere leaves just The Creator and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. While both have strong cases, the work done by Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic on The Creator was very impressive.

Best Visual Effects: Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla remains the King of Visual Effects

Godzilla Minus One won the Best Visual Effects Oscar in one of the most pleasant surprises of the ceremony to cap off its incredible run. As the first Oscar-winning Godzilla movie and the movie not having nominations elsewhere, it is only right to keep this award the same. Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima did an incredible job on the film’s visual effects especially considering Godzilla Minus One‘s budget. The movie is more than deserving to keep this 2024 Oscars win.