Joker awards odds: Will Joaquin Phoenix win the Best Actor Oscar?

Joker has been really well received by fans since its cinema release. The movie follows a young man, Arthur Fleck, who is coping with mental health struggles until it leads him to become a criminal mastermind, The Joker. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance has received a great number of plaudits and even some Oscar buzz.

Will Joaquin Phoenix win the Oscar for Best Actor for Joker?

At the moment, Phoenix is the bookies’ favourite to win an Oscar for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker.

This will be his first Oscar and the second to go to someone portraying the antihero.

Many will remember the late Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, which astounded fans as it was one of the first times superhero movies had been considered in this arena.

According to bookmakers Coral, Joaquin Phoenix is 4/7 to take the Best Actor award, with Adam Driver at 4/1 and Leonardo DiCaprio at 7/1, meaning his competition close behind him.*

Other names in the mix are two-time winner Robert DeNiro, Antonio Banderas, Christian Bale, Tom Hanks and Taron Egerton for his role as Elton John in Rocketman.

Phoenix has been three times nominated for an Academy Award but is yet to have received one.

It may be that 2020 is considered “his time” to win, similarly to Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won after being nominated five times in acting categories before his win in 2016 with The Revenant.

Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead said: “Joaquin Phoenix is the hot favourite to be crowned the Best Actor at the 2020 ceremony and he is a very short price indeed in our betting for the gong.”

Joker is also looking like a potential Best Picture winner, currently sitting third in the odds with 6/1.

Above it is The Irishman and Marriage Story, both Netflix films, made by Martin Scorsese and Noah Baumbach respectively, both of which have 4/1 odds.

Other movies tipped to potentially take the top gong is Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Jojo Rabbit, the Second World War comedy from Taika Waititi, and war movie 1917.

Mr Aitkenhead added: “Joker is the film that everybody is talking about at the moment and it is certainly a leading contender to star at the Oscars next year. 

“We make it third favourite for the big one, with only The Irishman and Marriage Story ahead of it.”

Joker is in cinemas now

*All odds accurate up to Wednesday, October 9.