The Awardist podcast: Oscar controversies, final predictions, and Kevin Feige

Voting is underway for the 91st Academy Awards, the ceremony is just over a week away, and the drama is at a fever pitch.

First, there was the Kevin Hart hosting controversy, then the flap over which nominees for Best Original Song would be performed, then questions about who would be presenting, and then the back-and-forth over handing out some Oscars during commercial breaks — and that's just the behind-the-scenes stuff. At the same time, the race for Best Picture seems as wide open as it's been in years, with contenders including the lush black-and-white drama Roma, the superhero smash Black Panther, the controversial racial dramedy Green Book, and the crowd-pleasing musical romance A Star Is Born.

Here to make sense of the Oscar landscape is the latest episode of EW's The Awardist podcast, hosted by EW digital director Shana Naomi Krochmal. This week, Shana is joined by EW deputy editor Bill Keith and EW senior writer Piya Sinha-Roy to get in some last looks, make one final set of bold predictions about what will happen and who will win, and take a look back at the people who get the very last word on Hollywood's biggest night: the producers who accept the award for Best Picture.

Plus, Piya talks to Roma producer and Alfonso Cuarón whisperer Gabriela Rodriguez, and EW's Anthony Breznican asks Marvel chief Kevin Feige who will get the mic if Black Panther wins the top prize.

The Awardist podcast is part of EW's comprehensive awards coverage, online and in the magazine. Listen to the full discussion below, or on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. <iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://player.megaphone.fm/DGT7809587119.mp3?" width="100%" class="" allowfullscreen="" resize="0" replace_attributes="1" name=""></iframe>

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• The Awardist: Black Panther, Roma lead important Oscar breakthroughs