Pop culture rivalries tend to be bitter and antagonistic: think about Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Marvel vs. DC, and Playstation vs. Xbox. The most refreshing thing about Barbenheimer was the way that two disparate fandoms ed forces, elevating both films in the process. They were always going to be hugely successful movies, but the absolutely mammoth box office is, in part, down to the films boosting each other. It's a shame, then, that it must end like this, as both films are forced to square off against one another for awards statuettes. These 10 categories are the most likely places they'll be nominated.

10 Barbie's "I'm Just Ken" For Best Original Song

Movie aside, Barbie: The Album is a huge hit in its own right, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200, and with Rolling Stone even calling it, "one of the best albums of 2023 so far." The soundtrack album is full of original songs, many of which might be strong enough to garner the film a nomination for Best Original Song, but "I'm Just Ken," the musical sequence performed as the Kens all prepare to go to war towards the end of the movie is a universally beloved, standout moment. It's not just poised to be nominated in this category; it's currently the front-runner to win it.

9 Oppenheimer For Best Director

Given his filmography, it's almost difficult to comprehend how Christopher Nolan hasn't yet been nominated for Best Director at The Oscars. While you could potentially chalk some of this up to a snobbery in The Academy that can sometimes prevent them from wanting to nominate genre films and crowd-pleasing blockbusters, it seems particularly egregious when you that both Inception and Dunkirk were nominated for Best Picture among other awards. Nolan has been snubbed repeatedly by the Oscars throughout his career, but this is set to be the year to change that. A nomination in this category is practically guaranteed, and a win is a very real possibility.

8 Barbie's Ryan Gosling For Best ing Actor

Another almost guaranteed nomination as things stand is Ryan Gosling in the Best ing Actor category. It might seem unlikely to think of such a silly performance being acknowledged at the Oscars, but the Best ing Actor and Actress categories are the one place that the Academy Awards historically like to show some love to comedies. Some significant past nominees include Robert Downey Jr. who was nominated for playing Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder, Melissa McCarthy who won for playing Megan in Bridesmaids, and Whoopi Goldberg who won for playing Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. When placed alongside those performances, Ryan Gosling's Ken fits right in.

7 Oppenheimer For Best Cinematography

Almost the entirety of Christopher Nolan's filmography looks immaculate, but Oppenheimer really took the cinematography in his films to the next level. Not content with being simply visually magnificent, Oppenheimer pushed the envelope by shooting entirely on IMAX, leading to its film reel weighing an astonishing 600 pounds and clocking in at 11 miles long. The hype surrounding how audiences were going to see the film screened worked wonders to get people into actual, physical cinemas, and based on the reaction The Academy had to Top Gun: Maverick last year, that's something that goes a long way for them.

6 Barbie For Best Costume Design

True to form for Barbie, this category seems like such a sure thing that it almost seems like cheating. More than anything in the world, Barbie is probably best known for her large variety of different, extravagant outfits, and the Barbie movie absolutely delivered on outfits. The Barbies and Kens all sported countless elaborate costumes and wardrobe changes throughout the film, with many quick flashes and sequences having little purpose beyond showing off new, exciting outfits, most of which were based on actual toys. It's almost impossible to imagine Barbie not being nominated in this category.

5 Oppenheimer For Best Original Score

Christopher Nolan is well known for collaborating with Hans Zimmer, but starting with Tenet, he now has a new collaborator in Ludwig Göransson. Göransson is a phenomenally talented composer who's had a monumental rise to fame over the past few years. Continuing the strange trend of Community alums going on to work in the MCU, Göransson was hired to score Black Panther after working with Ryan Coogler on Creed. Black Panther won him his first Oscar, and judging from the almost universal acclaim for the music in Oppenheimer, his second Oscar seems extremely likely.

4 Barbie For Best Production Design

Just as with costumes, it almost seems too easy to say that Barbie will be nominated for Best Makeup and Hair, so what about Production Design? The film features fully realized recreations of numerous toy sets, including the iconic Barbie Dreamhouse. The movie required so much of it, that constructing Barbieland wiped out Rosco's entire supply of pink paint, causing a global shortage. It's understandable given that the film had to create everything from plastic food to plastic swimming pools from scratch. More importantly, though, the resulting film looks vibrant, innovative, imaginative, and unique.

3 Oppenheimer's Cillian Murphy For Best Lead Actor

Not only does the Academy historically love portrayals of real-life people, but they also always seem to respond well when an actor dramatically alters their weight. Cillian Murphy did just that to match the appearance of real-life J. Robert Oppenheimer, reportedly eating just a single almond a day at the height of filming. There's much more to his work than simple gimmicks, though. He gives a nuanced performance throughout the film, allowing us an insight into the troubled and, frequently, contradictory mind of Oppenheimer. Given Cillian Murphy's talent and popularity, it's easy to forget that he hasn't been nominated for an Oscar before, but this is set to be the year to change that.

2 Barbie for Best Original Screenplay

Despite Barbie being what The Academy would typically consider to be an adapted screenplay (based on pre-existing characters), it's been announced that Warner Bros. intends to enter Barbie in the Best Original Screenplay category. Assuming that they're allowed to, it makes perfect sense because this year's heavy writing competition all lands in the Adapted Screenplay category where, not only will Oppenheimer likely be competing, but also other films tipped to become Oscar-heavyweights: Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things. A lot can (and will) change between now and March 2024, but as things stand, the only major completion for Barbie in the Original Screenplay category is Past Lives.

1 Both For Best Picture

This is where things are really going to heat up. The amicable union between Barbie and Oppenheimer fans is set to come to an end as both films are currently front-runners for nominations in the coveted Best Picture category, meaning that they will be directly competing with each other for the top prize of the night. In the words of Ava Max on Barbie: The Album, it's going to be time to "Choose Your Fighter." Hopefully, a different, third film will win, allowing the union of Barbenheimer to remain as positive as it has up until now.

The 96th Academy Awards take place on March 10, 2024.