A year of firsts: Who could win their first Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards?

The 98th Academy Awards could be a year of firsts for many of the nominees. Whether the nominees are household names or newcomers, this year’s Academy Awards is bound to have many winning their first-ever Oscar.Here are some potential winners who could be going home with their first trophies: Paul Thomas AndersonLegendary film director and writer Paul Thomas Anderson has been a household name for decades; however, he has never taken home a trophy at the Oscars. Anderson has been nominated 14 times over the course of his career, 11 of which have been for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay for his iconic films “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “Phantom Thread” and “Licorice Pizza.”Anderson received three nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, where he is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for his film “One Battle After Another.”“One Battle After Another” has been the front-runner for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay the entire awards season, winning nearly everything it is nominated for at all the precursor award shows. The same thing can be said for Anderson, as he has won every single nomination for Best Director he has been up for this season. While it is unclear which award or awards Anderson will be taking home, it can be inferred that he will finally get his first Oscar.Jessie BuckleyActress Jessie Buckley may be a relatively new name when it comes to award shows, but she is a force to be reckoned with. Buckley is nominated for Best Actress at the 98th Academy Awards for her role in “Hamnet.” Buckley is the only person nominated at the Oscars this year to have won every single award she was nominated for at both precursor award shows and at film festivals throughout the past year. Based on all her wins, Best Actress is Jessie Buckley’s award to lose, and she will be going home with her first-ever Oscar.Timothée ChalametActor Timothée Chalamet is no stranger to the Oscars and has been nominated four times in his young career; however, he has never gotten over the hump and achieved the award he so greatly deserves. This year, that could change.After being nominated twice for Best Actor for his roles in “A Complete Unknown” and “Call Me By Your Name,” Chalamet has been nominated a third time in the same category for his lead role in “Marty Supreme.”After winning at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Oscar is getting closer to Chalamet’s grasp. However, there could be one person standing in the way of that…Michael B. JordanIt was originally seen as a long shot for Michael B. Jordan to win his first Oscar for Best Actor for his roles in “Sinners.” Now, that long shot is closer to reality. This is Jordan’s first nomination at the Academy Awards, and he is picking up steam at exactly the right time in order for him to win his first Oscar.After winning at the Actor Awards, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Jordan take home one of the night’s biggest prizes. He was already chosen by his peers for his performance; now it’s up to the Academy to decide which actor is taking home their first Oscar in one of the biggest categories. Teyana TaylorThe Best Supporting Actress category is stacked with first-time nominations, but one person has a slight edge over the others: Teyana Taylor. Taylor is nominated for her role in “One Battle After Another,” and after taking home the Golden Globe, she is the front-runner. Taylor has been considered the most obvious choice for this award since awards season began, but with several wild cards in this category, anyone could be going home with their first Academy Award. Wunmi MosakuIf Best Supporting Actress doesn’t go to Teyana Taylor, another strong possibility for another first-time nominee is Wunmi Mosaku.Wunmi Mosaku is nominated for her role in “Sinners,” and her advantage of possibly taking the Oscar home comes from her win at the British Actors’ Film and Television Awards. With Michael B. Jordan’s win for Best Actor at the Actor Awards, “Sinners” is picking up momentum at the right time for a possible win for Mosaku. Amy Madigan Amy Madigan has had an illustrious career in Hollywood and was even nominated for an Academy Award in 1986 for her role in “Twice in a Lifetime.” Forty years later, Madigan is back at the Oscars and has a chance to win her first trophy for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the horror movie “Weapons.”Madigan’s advantage against Taylor and Mosaku is her wins at the Critics’ Choice Awards and at the Actor Awards.The Best Supporting Actress category is a race to the finish, and the only known fact at this point is that the winner will be taking home their first Oscar.