The Best Actress category has a lot of surprising choices this year. For starters we have Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde.” Andrea Roseborough from “To Leslie” rode a social media push to land her first nomination. Michelle Williams, who plays the matriarch in “The Fabelmans,” is also in the running. Cate Blanchett, who won this award for “Blue Jasmine” in 2013, is back in the race as a troubled orchestra conductor in “Tár.” My money is on Michelle Yeoh for the time jumping, universe switching action-comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

The 93rd Academy Awards are coming up once again. The big event takes place April 25 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. At press time, it’s unsure whether the event will take place live and in person, virtually or some combination.

The 92nd Academy Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 in Hollywood.

Oscar predictions from the Chronicle Entertainment Editor.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will honor lesser-known films in the technical categories leading up to the big winners on Sunday, March 4.

This year’s Oscar contest is proving to be yet another tight race - with only one winner.  In the best actor category, there is Denzel Washington as a brutal father in “Fences,” Andrew Garfield as a soldier with honor in Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge,” and Viggo Mortensen’s patriarchal hippie father in “Captain Fantastic.”