The Oscar nominations were released this past Thursday, and as expected, they’ve sparked widespread discussion and debate. Just a few years ago, there were concerns about the Oscars losing their cultural relevance. While it’s true that viewership isn’t what it used to be, the popularity of the past two Best Picture winners has reignited interest, culminating in this year’s nominations becoming a major talking point, even amongst those who don’t regularly pay attention to the Oscars. As always, opinions are divided over whether the Academy got it right, with a mix of exciting inclusions alongside some head-scratchers. After taking the past few days to reflect on the nominations, here are my key takeaways from this year’s announcement.
Despite facing extreme backlash from virtually every corner of the internet, the Emilia Pérez train shows no signs of slowing down, further cementing itself as the frontrunner to win Best Picture. The film received a 13 nominations, tying classics like The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Forrest Gump, and Gone With the Wind for the second-highest nomination count in Oscar history. The film fell just short of tying the all-time record of 14 nominations, missing out in the Best Supporting Actress category. Selena Gomez, who could have easily coat-tailed the film, was notably absent. While her performance has been criticized by Spanish speakers for poor pronunciation, it’s unclear if this contributed to her omission. Nevertheless, Emilia Pérez made history with Karla Sofia Gascón’s nomination for Best Actress. Gascón is the first trans person to receive an Oscar nomination in an acting category, a groundbreaking achievement which is made even more impressive considering she’s a relatively unknown performer and it’s in a foreign-language film.
Both The Brutalist and Wicked delivered performed very well, earning 10 nominations each, with the former emerging as the strongest competitor of Emilia Pérez, bolstered by its late-season momentum and status as a monumental cinematic achievement. Concerns about its accessibility, due to its dense material and lengthy runtime, were squashed as the film landed key nominations in categories like Best Supporting Actress for Felicity Jones and Best Film Editing. Meanwhile, Wicked dominated the below-the-line categories, surprising many with nominations in Best Original Score and Best Film Editing. While it will likely pick up a few wins in the craft categories, the film’s Best Picture chances remain limited, as it missed out on Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
A Complete Unknown overperformed with 8 nominations. Initially expected to secure only 5, it earned nominations in categories like Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Actress for Monica Barbaro, and Best Director for James Mangold. Mangold’s inclusion was particularly unexpected, given the director branch’s tendency to favor more auteur-driven fare. Conversely, Conclave underperformed, earning 8 nominations but missing key spots in Best Director for Edward Berger and Best Cinematography, both of which were widely expected. Meanwhile, Anora came through with the haul many expected it to get with 6 nominations. As one of three films (alongside Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist) with support in Director, Screenplay and Editing, it has maintained its position as a potential spoiler in the Best Picture race. A SAG win could reignite the momentum it had earlier in the season.
The Substance made history as the first body horror film to secure a Best Picture nomination, an achievement few would have thought possible when it initially premiered at Cannes. The film’s emotional resonance with audiences propelled it to 5 nominations, including a significant Best Director nod for Coralie Fargeat. However, it missed out on deserved recognition in categories like Best Supporting Actress for Margaret Qualley, Best Editing, and Best Sound. Meanwhile, Dune: Part II earned a Best Picture nomination but only half the noms its predecessor received. While it missed out on Best Director once again, it also missed in fields the first got into like Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
By far, the biggest surprise of the announcement was I’m Still Here sneaking into the Best Picture lineup, which basically no one could have predicted. The film didn’t get a single precursor to indicate that it may have the strength to break into the field. The film’s unexpected momentum can be attributed to Fernanda Torres’ Golden Globe victory and fervent support from Brazilian audiences, who are coming out in droves to support the film, and its star, Fernanda Torres. Torres, widely expected to secure a Best Actress nomination, now has a real shot at taking home the award. Nickel Boys inclusion in the Best Picture category was also somewhat surprising. While the film had some momentum this awards season, and is one of the most acclaimed films of the year, it was consistently missing at precursors. It also only received one other nomination, for Best Adapted Screenplay, which it has no shot at winning. Sing Sing and A Real Pain were the biggest omissions. Both films did quite well with nominations too. The former missed out on a key nomination of star Clarence Maclin in Best Supporting Actor, but it did earn 3 nominations in Best Actor for Colman Domingo, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song for Like a Bird. The latter earned nominations in Best Supporting Actor for Kieran Culkin, which it will likely win, and Best Original Screenplay.
The Apprentice, a controversial film that many believed would be completely shut out of the Oscars due to its scathing critique of the current U.S. president trying desperately to bury the film since its premiere at Cannes, defied the odds and earned two acting nominations. Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong were both recognized for their performances, with Stan having an exceptional year following his transformative turn in A Different Man, which also earned a spot in the Best Makeup & Hairstyling category. Stan’s nomination came at the expense of Daniel Craig, whose performance in Queer—a film that has largely flown under the radar—was widely expected to secure him his first Oscar nod. Meanwhile, Flow and The Wild Robot made waves beyond the Best Animated Feature category, further intensifying the competition. Flow secured a historic nomination for Latvia in the Best International Film category, marking the first time the country has been recognized by the Academy. In a upsetting turn, Challengers, one of the year’s most popular and acclaimed films, was completely shut out. Despite expectations that it would land nominations in Best Original Score and Best Original Song, it failed to make the cut.
Overall, this year’s Oscar nominations were a mixed bag from a quality standpoint, but it’s inarguably one of the most exciting and unpredictable Oscar races in recent years. As awards season progresses, it’ll be exciting to see if there are even more surprises in store.
Follow along with the rest of our awards season coverage as we head into the new year and to the 97th Academy Awards taking place Sunday, March 2nd, 2025.
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