Oscars 2019: Here are the likely top contenders

Washington: The awards season is just around the corner and the most prestigious film festival, Oscars, also known as The Academy Awards never fails to provide talking points. 

Oscars, a set of artistic merit in the American film industry, is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence in cinema.The fall festivals have positioned the major pieces of the upcoming awards puzzle, placing a fine assortment of movies. 

From tremendous performances in prestige pictures like  — Lady Gaga in `A Star Is Born` and Yalitza Aparicio in `Roma` to Ryan Coogler’s monolithic achievement in the blockbuster arena `Black Panther`,  here are some of the likely contenders on the Oscars radar that have already hit theaters or screened at international film festivals in recent months.

-A Star Is Born - Best Picture, Best Actress (Lady Gaga), Best Actor (Bradley Cooper)
-Roma - Best Picture, Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Best Actress (Yalitza Aparicio)
-Green Book - Best Picture, Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali)
-Black Panther - Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Director (Ryan Coogler), Best Adapted Screenplay (Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole)
-Can You Ever Forgive Me? 
- Best Picture, Best Director (Marielle Heller), Best Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Best Supporting Actor (Richard E. Grant)
-The Favourite - Best Picture, Best Actress/Supporting Actress (categories not determined yet for Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz)
-First Man - Best Picture, Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Visual Effects
-Beautiful Boy - Best Actor (Steve Carell), Best Supporting Actor (Timothée Chalamet)
-Vox Lux - Best Actress (Natalie Portman)
-The Wife - Best Actress (Glenn Close)

The 91st Academy Awards will be held on February 24, 2019.