Oscars Betting 2023: How Will The Irish Fare?
The Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on March 12 and betting sites are readying themselves for the Irish invasion that is set to descend upon the Dolby Theatre.
There was unbridled joy right across Ireland when the Oscar shortlist was unveiled on January 24 with no fewer than 14 nominations for the country in the various categories that Academy voters choose from.
This is an extraordinary achievement that reflects superbly on the film industry within the Emerald Isle and with little time left until awards ceremony takes place, there is a major buzz of excitement for what could be achieved on the night.
Banshees Of Inisherin Leading The Way For Irish Talent
Second only to Everything Everywhere All at Once in terms of nominations – the Michelle Yeoh-starrer has 11 in total – The Banshees of Inisherin has been shortlisted in nine categories.
A black tragicomedy from Martin McDonagh that is very much in the mould of The Leenane and Aran Islands trilogies that he has directed on stage, it gained considerable critical acclaim upon its release last October and also performed quite well at the box office.
Outside of this film, Kildare native Paul Mescal has secured a Best Actor nomination for the Turkish-set drama Aftersun.
It will also be a big evening for Irish-language cinema, thanks to the presence of An Cailín Ciúin in the Best International Film category.
An Oscar winner for his work on the previous entry in the series, Richard Baneham is once again nominated for Best Visual Effects for his work on Avatar: The Way of Water.
There is also a Best Film editing nod for Jonathan Redmond – for Baz Luhrmann’s music biopic, Elvis – while the Northern Ireland production An Irish Goodbye has been shortlisted for Best Live Action Short Film.
While actors, filmmakers and the various people behind these films aren’t in competition with each other in the truest sense of the world, there is a succession of Irish talent going up against one another on Oscar night.
Mescal And Farrell Locking Horns For Best Actor Prize
In the Best Actor category, Mescal is joined by Colin Farrell for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin.
Given he is the film’s sole Academy Award nominee, it is perhaps unsurprising that Mescal is an outsider for an Oscar win.
Oscars betting sites are offering odds of 40/1 on him coming away with the top prize and of the two Irish men in this category, Farrell seems the more likely to be honoured.
He won Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy at the Golden Globes and while he has dropped off from a previous position of 11/4, the 12/1 on offer for the Dubliner is still worthy of consideration.
Gleeson, Keoghan And Condon Up For Supporting Gongs
In the Best Supporting Actor category, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan are shortlisted for their performances in The Banshees of Inisherin.
The general consensus is that this is Ke Huy Quan’s Oscar to lose, but it is an award that can be quite unpredictable at the best of times.
There is little to separate Gleeson and Keoghan at the moment, but they are certainly seen as more viable candidates than either Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway) or Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans).
Betting apps have Keoghan at 12/1 for an Oscar upset, while Gleeson can be found at 18/1 in the prices.
Thanks to the presence of Kerry Condon in the Best Supporting Actress category, 25% of the acting nominations for this year are Irish.
Of the five to make the Oscar shortlist, she might well be the one that stands the best chance.
While Angela Bassett and Jamie Lee Curtis are ahead of her in the reckoning, there are odds as short as 2/1 on the Tipperary woman adding to her recent Bafta success.
McDonagh Notches Several Nominations
Born and raised in London to parents from Sligo and Galway, Martin McDonagh will be hoping to add to his Best Live Action Short Oscar win for Six Shooter in 2004.
He will have three opportunities to do so next month as he is nominated alongside Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin in the Best Picture category for The Banshees of Inisherin.
Whereas it was previously second favourite behind Everything Everywhere All at Once to be crowned the best film of the past 12 months – William Hill were offering odds as short as 7/4 – it has slipped behind All Quiet on the Western Front in more recent times.
The same bookmaker have now lengthened their value out to 14/1 on The Banshees of Inisherin to claim the gong.
A Best Director victory also seems like a long shot for McDonagh with Everything Everywhere All at Once directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) and Todd Field (Tár) ahead of him in the pecking order.
If he is to come away with the second Oscar of his career, it might be in the Best Original Screenplay category that he stands the best chance.
Known for his writing as much as he is for his direction, McDonagh currently leads the field for this award with odds of 4/6 on him to be honoured.
Burwell And Nielsen Flying Banshees Flag
Though neither of them are natives of Ireland, Carter Burwell (Best Original Score) and Mikkel E. G. Nielsen (Best Film Editing) are also in contention for their work on The Banshees of Inisherin.
Just a few short weeks ago, there were odds of 11/2 on Burwell being honoured in the Original Score category.
He is now valued somewhere between 18/1 and 20/1 with the majority of bookmakers and Justin Hurwitz remains the firm favourite to take home the golden statuette for his work on Babylon.
An Oscar winner in the category just two years ago for Sound of Metal, Nielsen is 12/1 with 888sport to be awarded for Best Film Editing.
At the moment, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Top Gun: Maverick both seem to be more likely prospects.
Further down the pecking order at the moment is Sandycove’s Jonathan Redmond for Elvis.
Along with his editing partner Matt Villa, he is currently rated at 25/1 to win the prize.
Further Recognition For Irish Productions
In the Best International Feature Film category, you can find odds as short as 9/1 with specials betting sites on An Cailín Ciúin making further history at this year’s Oscars.
Yet given it is also up for Best Picture, All Quiet on the Western Front remains the safe bet to come away with the prize.
When we last looked at the betting for the Best Live Action Short Film, An Irish Goodbye was marginally behind the Alfonso Cuaron-produced Le Pupille.
The order of merit has since switched and, with odds of 11/10 available, Tom Berkely and Ross White appear to stand a strong chance of coming away with Oscars.
Baneham In Line For Second Oscar Victory
Another man who might be best advised to have an awards speech ready is the aforementioned Richard Baneham.
Because it was regarded as such a technical marvel, it was wholly unsurprising that he won an Oscar as part of a wider team in the Best Visual Effects category for Avatar all of 13 years ago.
The work being done by Baneham, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett remains strong, and with unbackable odds of 1/20 with Bet365, the Tallaght man could be about to create additional room on his mantlepiece.