‘Awards Magnet’ mailbag: ‘Anora’s’ campaign turns to Mikey Madison after PGA and DGA wins

Can Anora win without Mikey Madison? Does the “vibrancy” of a character matter at the Oscars? Awards Magnet hosts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng are here to answer your burning questions of the week.

After Anora collected prizes at the Producers Guild of America Awards and Directors Guild of America on Saturday, the Best Picture and Best Director Oscar races seem pretty secure for the Neon film, so all eyes are now on Best Actress and whether Mikey Madison can regain her frontrunner status. Demi Moore (The Substance) dethroned Madison from the top of the odds following her Golden Globe win, but as multiple listeners inquired, “How can voters award Anora without awarding Madison when she’s front and center of the movie?” Lots of Best Picture winners have triumphed without their leads, like Birdman and The Shape of Water, but three of the last four Best Picture champs had a lead win, including the last two years. Moore has claimed the Globe and Critics Choice Award so far, but neither is industry. The industry will have its first say on the acting races at Sunday’s BAFTAs.

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But perhaps Madison has an edge in another way. One listener posits a theory that voters respond more to vibrant and expressive characters than quiet and dour ones. Madison’s Ani is brassy, sassy, and then some, while Moore’s Elisabeth Sparkle has many slow and dialogue-free scenes. But how does this factor into the Best Actor race with Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) both portraying men who don’t have the most lovable personalities? Or is it a moot point since Bob Dylan is a real person?

Plus: What’s winning editing and how will Jeremy Strong complete his EGOT?

Email your questions to [email protected].

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