Best Supporting Actor 2025

Here is my top five in alphabetical order. These are the five I would nominate if I were an Academy of one.

TAWFEEK BARHOM, Les Fantômes (Ghost Trail)

DELROY LINDO, Sinners

 TOM MERCIER, Darkest Miriam

JOSH O'CONNOR, The History of Sound

MICHAEL STUHLBARG, After the Hunt

Also loved:

Javier Bardem, F1

Bradley Cooper, Is This Thing On?

Benicio Del Toro, One Battle after Another

David Jonsson, The Long Walk

Dacre Montgomery, Dead Man's Wire

Alexander Skarsgård, Pillion

Related:

My Best Supporting Actor Picks from previous years (2004-2024)

My Best Actress Picks for 2025

My Best Actor Picks for 2025

My Best Supporting Actress Picks for 2025

Best Supporting Actor 2024

Here is my top five in alphabetical order. These are the five I would nominate if I were an Academy of one.

HARRIS DICKINSON, Babygirl

PIERFRANCESCO FAVINO, Maria

BARRY KEOGHAN, Bird

OLIVER RABOURDIN, L'Été Dernier (Last Summer)

CRAIG TATE, Nickel Boys

Also loved:

Dave Bautista, The Last Showgirl

Ben Chaplin, September 5

Philip Ettinger, My First Film

Mark Eydelshteyn, Anora

Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing

Pio Marmaï, Yannick

Lucian Msamati, Conclave

Alessandro Nivola, The Brutalist

Jay O. Sanders, His Three Daughters

Will Sharpe, A Real Pain

Drew Starkey, Queer

Denzel Washington, Gladiator II

Related:

My Best Supporting Actor Picks from previous years (2004-2023)

My Best Actress Picks for 2024

My Best Actor Picks for 2024

My Best Supporting Actress Picks for 2024

Best Supporting Actor 2023

Here is my top five in alphabetical order. These are the five I would nominate if I were an Academy of one.

MATT BOMER, Maestro

STERLING K. BROWN, American Fiction

ALDEN EHRENREICH, Oppenheimer

MILO MACHADO GRANER, Anatomie d'une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)

JAMIE BELL, All of Us Strangers

Also loved:

Christopher Abbott, Poor Things

Swann Arlaud, Anatomie d'une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)

Amar Chadha-Patel, The Creator

Trond Fausa, Oppenheimer

Charles Melton, May December

Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers

Simon Rex, The Sweet East

Benny Safdie, Oppenheimer

Ingvar Sigurðsson, Vanskabte Land (Godland)

Cory Michael Smith, May December

Related:

My Best Supporting Actor Picks from previous years (2004-2022)

My Best Actress Picks for 2023

My Best Actor Picks for 2023

My Best Supporting Actress Picks for 2023

Best Supporting Actor 2022

Here is my top five in alphabetical order. These are the five I would nominate if I were an academy of one.

ANDRÉ HOLLAND, Bones and All

BARRY KEOGHAN, The Banshees of Inisherin

ANTON von LUCKE, Große Freiheit (Great Freedom)

ALBRECHT SCHUCH, Im Westen Nichts Neues (All Quiet on the Western Front)

JEREMY STRONG, Armageddon Time

Also loved:
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Joshua Odjick, Wildhood
Oh Kwang-rok, Retour à Séoul (Return to Seoul)

Related:
My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2020)
My Best Actress picks from 2022
My Best Actor picks from 2022
My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2022

Best Supporting Actor 2021

I used to list my favorite supporting actors of the year in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote. But I am not doing that this year since this category is crowded by lead actors campaigning in the supporting category. So... here is my top five in alphabetical order. These are the five I would nominate if I were an academy of one.

GREGORY DIAZ IV, In the Heights

MIKE FAIST, West Side Story

WOODY FOX, C'mon C'mon

TROY KOTSUR, CODA

JESSE PLEMONS, The Power of the Dog

Also loved:
Ed Harris, The Lost Daughter
Corey Hawkins, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
Herbert Nordrum, Verdens Verste Menneske (The Worst Person in the World)

Related:
My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2020)
My Best Actress picks from 2021
My Best Actor picks from 2021
My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2021

Best Supporting Actor 2020+

My top choices in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote. In other words, this is my top five, but I acknowledge that this list is already influenced by awards buzz. They are not in order of my preference. Instead, the actors whom I think would theoretically benefit the most from my vote are at the top.

LEON DAI, Your Name Engraved Herein (刻在你心底的名字)

JOSH O'CONNOR, Emma.

GLYNN TURMAN, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

BRIAN DENNEHY, Driveways

PAUL RACI, Sound of Metal

Also loved:
Carlo Cecchi, Martin Eden
Bruce Davis, The Vast of Night
Ferdinand Kingsley, Mank
Ben Mendelsohn, Babyteeth
Josh O'Connnor, Hope Gap
David Strathairn, Nomadland

Related:
My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2019)
My Best Actress picks from 2020+
My Best Actor picks from 2020+
My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2020+

Best Supporting Actor 2019

My top choices in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote. In other words, this is my top five, but I acknowledge that this list is already influenced by awards buzz. They are not in order of my preference. Instead, the actors whom I think would theoretically benefit the most from my vote are at the top.

ASIER EXTEANDIA, Dolor y Gloria (Pain & Glory)

ROB MORGAN, The Last Black Man in San Francisco

ERIC BOGOSIAN, Uncut Gems

STERLING K. BROWN, Waves

DEAN-CHARLES CHAPMAN, 1917

Also loved:
Swann Arlaud, Grâce à Dieu (By the Grace of God)
Timothée Chalamet, Little Women
Joel Edgerton, The King
Vondie Curtis Hall, Harriet
Lucas Hedges, Honey Boy
Richard Madden, 1917
Juan Minujín, The Two Popes
Aleksey Morozov, The White Crow
Franz Rogowski, A Hidden Life
Song Kang-ho, Parasite (기생충)

Apologies to:
Jamie Foxx (Just Mercy), whose film I have not yet seen.

Related:
My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2018)
My Best Actress picks from 2019
My Best Actor picks from 2019
My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2019

Best Supporting Actor 2018

My top choices in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote. In other words, this is my top five, but I acknowledge that this list is already influenced by awards buzz. They are not in order of my preference. Instead, the actors whom I think would theoretically benefit the most from my vote are at the top.

TOUMANI KOUYATÉ, Vazante

BILL HECK, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

PHILIP ETTINGER, First Reformed

JOSH HAMILTON, Eighth Grade

RICHARD E. GRANT, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Also loved:
Riz Ahmed, The Sisters Brothers
Russell Crowe, Boy Erased
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Rupert Friend, The Death of Stalin
Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Roma
Ben Hardy, Bohemian Rhapsody
Billy Howle, Outlaw/King
Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place
Tom Sturridge, Journey's End
Ben Whishaw, Mary Poppins Returns
Arieh Worthalter, Girl

Apologies to:
Lucas Hedges (Mid90s), whose film I have not yet seen.

Related:
My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2017)
My Best Actress picks from 2018
My Best Actor picks from 2018
My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2018

Best Supporting Actor 2017

My top choices in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote. In other words, this is my top five, but I acknowledge that this list is already influenced by awards buzz. They are not in order of my preference. Instead, the actors whom I think would theoretically benefit the most from my vote are at the top.

COSMO JARVIS, Lady Macbeth
 

BILL NIGHY, Their Finest

RORY COCHRANE, Hostiles

 BARRY KEOGHAN, The Killing of a Sacred Deer

MICHAEL STUHLBARG, Call Me by Your Name

Also loved:

Christopher Abbott, It Comes at Night
Vincent Cassel, Juste la Fin du Monde (It's Only the End of the World)

Timothée Chalamet, Lady Bird

Kevin Costner, Molly's Game

Kamel El Basha, The Insult (ضية رقم ٢٣)
Joonas Koff, Miekkailija (The Fencer)
Ben Mendelsohn, Darkest Hour

Jason Mitchell, Detroit
Rob Morgan, Mudbound

Denis Moschitto, Aus dem Nichts (In the Fade)

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Benny Safdie, Good Time

Algee Smith, Detroit

Related:

My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2016)

My Best Actress picks from 2017 (TBA)

My Best Actor picks from 2017 (TBA)

My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2017 (TBA)

Best Supporting Actor 2016

My top choices in the order I would place them on my Academy ballot if I were allowed to vote. In other words, this is my top five, but I acknowledge that this list is already influenced by awards buzz, and the actors whom I think would theoretically benefit the most from my vote are at the top.

TREVANTE RHODES, Moonlight

SHIA LaBEOUF, American Honey

JOEL EDGERTON, Midnight Special

ALDEN EHRENREICH, Hail, Caesar!

MAHERSHALA ALI, Moonlight

Also loved:
Riz Ahmed, Rogue One
Sylvain Dieuaide, Marguerite
Colman Domingo, The Birth of a Nation
Russell Hornsby, Fences
Laurent Lafitte, Elle
Dev Patel, Lion
Jack Reynor, Sing Street
James Rolleston, The Dark Horse
Matthias Schoenaerts, A Bigger Splash
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
Hugo Weaving, Hacksaw Ridge

Related:
My Best Supporting Actor picks from past years (2004-2015)
My Best Actress picks from 2016 (TBA)
My Best Actor picks from 2016 (TBA)
My Best Supporting Actress picks from 2016 (TBA)