On Jan. 23, the nominees were announced for this year’s 97th Academy Awards. The award show, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will take place on March 2 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre and will air live on ABC and Hulu.
The announcement of the event was delayed twice this month due to the devastating wildfires in Southern California — in which more than 12,000 homes, businesses and schools were destroyed. LA first responders will be honored during this year’s ceremony. On Jan. 13, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang issued a statement regarding the postponement of the show.
“We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community. The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship,” Kramer and Yang said in their statement in The New York Times.
Now, onto the long-awaited nominees.
As announced by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott, “Emilia Perez” is in the lead with 13 nominations, breaking the record for the most nominations for a non-English language film at the Oscars.
This comes as a surprise to many viewers due to the controversy and criticism that surrounded the musical — specifically Selena Gomez’s struggles with Spanish dialogue and debates about whether the film is an accurate representation of the transgender community.
Several actors have scored separate nominations for their performances in this film. Karla Sofía Gascón has been nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, marking her as the first openly trans actress to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. Zoe Saldaña is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Jacques Audiard is nominated for Best Director.
“The Brutalist” and “Wicked” are tied with 10 nominations each.
However, “Wicked” has gained the blockbuster audience vote. Musical director Jon M. Chu scored a nomination for Best Picture, while Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have gained their individual recognitions. This marks a first-time Oscar nomination for Grande, who acknowledged the nomination in a post to Instagram on Thursday morning.
“Thank you [Jon M. Chu] for taking this chance on me and for being the most unbelievably brilliant leader, human being, and most fierce friend. I am so deeply proud of my beautiful Wicked family. I am so proud of my Elphie, my sister, my dear [Cynthia Erivo]. Your brilliance is never ending and you deserve every flower (tulip) in every garden,” Grande wrote.
The acting categories were dominated by first-time nominees this year, including Demi Moore, Kieran Culkin, Isabella Rossellini and Zoe Saldaña.
It’s a big year for firsts — with “Emilia Pérez” and “Wicked” nominated for Best Picture, this year also marks the first time that two musicals have been in the same category since 1968.
As far as other nominations, viewers can expect to see mentions of “Anora,” “The Substance,” “A Complete Unknown,” “I’m Still Here” and “Dune: Part Two.” Many voters are upset that “Challengers” is missing from the lineup, since it was another standout film last year.
Here is a list of the nominations for some of the most anticipated categories.
Best Picture: “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Pérez,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys,” “The Substance” and “Wicked.”
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Adrien Brody in “The Brutalist,” Timothée Chalamet in “A Complete Unknown,” Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing,” Ralph Fiennes in “Conclave” and Sebastian Stan in “The Apprentice.”
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Cynthia Erivo in “Wicked,” Karla Sofía Gascón in “Emilia Pérez, Mikey Madison in “Anora,” Demi Moore in “The Substance” and Fernanda Torres in “I’m Still Here.”
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Yura Borisov in “Anora,” Kieran Culkin in “A Real Pain,” Edward Norton in “A Complete Unknown, Guy Pearce in “The Brutalist” and Jeremy Strong in “The Apprentice.”
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Monica Barbaro in “A Complete Unknown, Ariana Grande in “Wicked, Felicity Jones in “The Brutalist,” Isabella Rossellini in “Conclave” and Zoe Saldaña in “Emilia Pérez.”
Best Cinematography: “The Brutalist, “Dune: Part Two, “Emilia Pérez, “Maria” and “Nosferatu.”
Best Original Screenplay: ““Anora, “The Brutalist, “A Real Pain, “September 5” and “The Substance.”
What (or who) are you hoping to see win this year? I’m personally rooting for “The Substance” and “Nosferatu.”
