I’m also a Big Pic listener and user of Letterboxd, plus I have a good friend at work who follows movies and we talk about it. So that helps me with awareness of what’s coming out and in the awards buzz.
Even with that I’ve only seen half the best picture noms. Of those, my ranking would be:
1. Anora
2. Dune 2
3. Conclave
4. The Brutalist (could maybe switch this to #3, but the second half didn’t wow me as much)
5. Wicked (thoroughly enjoyed it but Best Picture it is not)
I will for sure watch Compete Unknown, and as a fan of the Oscars I will probably try to see The Substance and Emilia Perez too since they got so much recognition. And there’s a handful of other category nominees I've seen (Nosferatu, A Real Pain) or plan to check out.
But all that said it’s been a weak year and agree with the earlier comment that it would be very difficult for anyone who doesn’t pay close attention to the industry or make a point to go to the movies regularly to really know what’s coming out beyond the franchise releases.