6 key questions ahead of the 2020 Oscar nominations

And the 2020 Oscar nominations are ... what? We're days away from finding out, but ahead of Monday's announcement, here are six key questions.

1. Which Best Picture contenders will squeak in? Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, Parasite, The Irishman, Marriage Story, and 1917 are locks for Best Picture nominations, and nods for Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, and Joker are likely. But with up to ten possible nominees, what else might slide in? Ford v Ferrari could, as could Knives Out, while Vanity Fair even speculates Uncut Gems might surprise.

2. Which lead actors will get snubbed? Joaquin Phoenix and Adam Driver are safe here, and Leonardo DiCaprio probably is, too. But could Eddie Murphy, Robert De Niro and Christian Bale be among those snubbed in this packed category, while Antonio Banderas and Taron Egerton occupy the remaining two slots?

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3. Will Awkwafina make it in? Among the Golden Globe winners, Awkwafina's chances of an Oscar nod look slimmest, as she failed to score a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination. But might she still squeeze into Best Actress? Or will Us' Lupita Nyong'o be the surprise nod here?

4. Will Parasite score any acting nominations? Parasite isn't widely favored to pick up any acting nominations, but keep an eye on potential surprises from Song Kang Ho or Lee Jung Eun.

5. Will it be another all-male director's line-up? After the Golden Globes' faced criticism for its all-male director's line-up, will the Oscars, too? Or will the Academy recognize Little Women's Greta Gerwig, potentially leaving out Joker's Todd Phillips or Jojo Rabbit's Taika Waititi?

6. How much love will there be for Joker? The Ringer's Sean Fennessey observes that "we don't yet know how the Academy actually feels about Joker," but we'll get a better idea of whether it's a real Best Picture player on Monday. For instance, "if you catch a best editing nomination for Joker," Fennessey notes, "you better watch out."