11 Unexpected Actors Who Might Win Oscars Next Year

8. Mary J. Blige - Mudbound

The Role: Blige plays Florence Jackson, the matriarch of a Mississippi farming family struggling to make ends meet in the 1940s.

Why She Might Win: Mudbound has received rapturous reviews since its premiere at Sundance, with much praise lavished upon Blige in particular.

Variety said of her work, "[Blige] gives a transformative performance that will elevate the acting career of the R&B star", echoing other sentiments that she could very well land in the awards race if the film's momentum can sustain to year's end.

Why It's Unexpected: For one, the standards for musicians transitioning into acting are always set incredibly low, and nobody expects all that much from them. Plus, Blige has only a scattering of unassuming acting credits, so on the face of it, why would anyone expect awards-worthy work from her?