For our nineteenth Rundown article, we look at a category that is frocking amazing. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Costume Design as well as general commentary about the race. Friday, we’ll cover the big one.

Best Costume Design

Winner Predictions

• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
• Black Panther (WL O) (TB O)
• The Favourite (PP O)(TL O)
• Mary Poppins Returns
• Mary Queen of Scots

Runner-Up Predictions

• Black Panther (PP R) [New](TL R) [New]
• The Favourite (WL R) [New] (TB O)

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Wesley Lovell: This is a tough category that genuinely comes down to a fight between costuming legend Ruth Carter (Black Panther) and Oscar favorite Sandy Powell (The Favourite), who coincidentally has two nominations this year alone. Costume Design is the one category that people genuinely thought Black Panther would win all season even if it weren’t nominated anywhere else. That could be a good sign for Carter. The non-traditional nature of the costumes, though will either help or hinder as The Favourite is very much the typical winner of this category: lots and lots of period frocks.
Peter J. Patrick: Sandy Powell should easily win her fourth Oscar out of fourteen nominations for The Favorite with Ruth E. Carter her closest competition for Black Panther.
Tripp Burton: Even Black Panther’s biggest detractors don’t deny how phenomenal the costumes are. It seems a solid front-runner here.
Thomas La Tourrette: This really comes down to a race between The Favourite and Black Panther and whether the Academy will go for sumptuous period costumes or modern armor. Both are designed for royalty, and I think it will be a close race. I lean towards The Favourite because they have a penchant for period work over more modern looking work. The outfits for both men and women were striking. That said, the work on Black Panther was striking and elegant in a different way. Looking back over the last 50 years, only the original Star Wars and Mad Max: Fury Road won as fantasy non-period work which would make it feel like Black Panther was not as likely to win. Yet I am still uncertain of my decision. None of the others are likely to be in the running. I could easily see Black Panther winning, but I will go with The Favourite as it is closer to what usually wins.

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