Will Daniel Kaluuya bag the Oscar for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah? Here's what we think

Daniel appears to be a favourite among award panelists and the frontrunner for the Academy award under the Best Supporting Actor category
Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah

Actor Daniel Kaluuya, who has earned international acclaim for his role as the 'Black messiah (saviour),' a role he portrayed in the film Judas and the Black Messiah, appears to be a favourite among award panelists and the frontrunner for the Academy award under the Best Supporting Actor category.

Film critics, fans and others from the film industry are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winner of this title since there’s a lot of controversy surrounding it.

For one, the Oscars seem to be more inclusive this year, in terms of racial diversity and women empowerment. It would be a huge step in the right direction if a person of colour bagged the Best Supporting Actor award, marking social progress.

However, the more interesting development in the nominations is the fact that Warner Bros. had pitched only for Lakeith Stanfield from the same movie for the Best Supporting Actor category, but saw the panel nominating Daniel too for that award. As mentioned earlier, Daniel sure does appear to be a favourite among panelists!

The odds of Daniel bagging the Best Supporting Actor while competing against a member of the cast from the same movie may depend on certain unofficial factors like, who is considered the “more significant” character: Daniel or Lakeith. 

One could go by the billing order in the credits, and assume that the actor’s name which appears first is more important. In Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel’s name comes up before Lakeith’s in the closing credits. If one goes by this logic, Daniel has a higher chance of winning.

However, this cannot be considered a fool-proof method of speculation as Lakeith plays the primary role in the film.

Another reason why Daniel is going strong in the Oscar race is the fact that he has already earned international recognition from other awarding bodies and bagged awards from them as well, like the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTAs. However, Lakeith has not been nominated for any of the other awards.

The next reason why Daniel may bag Best Supporting Actor is his competition (or lack of). Daniel has already defeated his opponents at the other awards: Leslie Odom, Jr. (One Night in Miami) at the Globes, SAG, BAFTA and Critics Choice; Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) at the Globes, SAG and Critics Choice; and Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) at BAFTA and Critics Choice.

No other nominee under any of the acting categories has won all the major precursor prizes except Daniel.

Now, the real question is: Will the final face-off be between the two actors from the same movie, with one of them bagging the award? Or will both of them be pushed to the side to make room for the other nominees?

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