In 2025, the musical “Emilia Pérez,” a story about a drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, led the Oscar nominations with an impressive 13 nods. Trailing closely were “The Brutalist,” a sweeping historical drama exploring the immigrant experience, and “Wicked,” the screen adaptation of the popular Broadway play, each receiving 10 nominations. “Conclave” and “A Complete Unknown,” films revolving around the election of a new pope and Bob Dylan’s early years respectively, both earned 8 nominations. All five of these movies are vying for the Best Picture award, along with independent films such as “Anora,” “The Nickel Boys,” and “I’m Still Here.” Additionally, there are contenders like “The Substance,” a film in the body horror genre, and “Dune: Part Two,” a studio blockbuster that managed to gain Oscar recognition.
As a movie enthusiast, I was deeply moved by this week’s revelation of the Academy Award nominees, which were delayed due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles being extended twice. These fires have claimed at least 28 lives and caused extensive property damage. In solidarity with those who have shown incredible bravery in fighting these fires, I was heartened to hear that the Oscars will honor their efforts during their March telecast.
Timothee Chalamet, known for his box office success in films like “Dune” and “Wonka,” received a nomination for Best Actor for his versatile portrayal of Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” He will compete against Adrien Brody, who won the Best Actor award at the age of 29 for “The Pianist,” making history as the youngest winner ever. Other Best Actor nominees include Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”), and Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”). Stan’s nomination came after “The Apprentice,” a biopic about Donald Trump, faced difficulties with distribution due to concerns about alienating the 47th president. His co-star Jeremy Strong, who plays Trump mentor Roy Cohn, was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Demi Moore, a prominent figure in Hollywood during the 1990s, furthered her career resurgence with a Best Actress nomination for “The Substance,” a provocative horror movie delving into the sexism and ageism prevalent within the film industry. This category also featured Karla Sofía Gascón, who made history as the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for an Oscar for her role in “Emilia Pérez.” The list of Best Actress nominees was completed by Mikey Madison from “Anora,” Fernanda Torres from “I’m Still Here,” and Cynthia Erivo from “Wicked.
Kieran Culkin, who stars alongside Brian Cox in “Succession”, has been tipped as a strong contender for the Best Supporting Actor award. He’s received numerous critic accolades and a Golden Globe, making him a favorite among many. Other nominees for this prestigious prize include Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”), Yura Borisov (“Anora”), and Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”).
Zoe Saldaña, popularly recognized as the star of movies like “Avatar,” recently demonstrated a different facet of her talent, singing and dancing as an optimistic lawyer in “Emilia Pérez.” This role earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She is competing against Ariana Grande from “Wicked,” Felicity Jones from “The Brutalist,” Monica Barbaro from “A Complete Unknown,” and Isabella Rossellini from “Conclave.” Notably, Isabella Rossellini’s mother, Ingrid Bergman, won her third Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1974, for the film “Murder on the Orient Express.
There were some significant omissions and unexpected outcomes in this year’s awards. For instance, Denzel Washington, previously considered a shoo-in for his portrayal of the villain in “Gladiator II,” was overlooked, just like Margaret Qualley who garnered praise for her role as Moore’s younger look-alike in “The Substance.” Additionally, Edward Berger, whose direction brought life to “Conclave,” did not make it into the best director category.
For almost a century, the Oscars have been presented to recognize achievements in the film industry. Throughout these 97 years, there have been major transformations – such as the introduction of sound and color, which fundamentally altered the business – as well as experiments with technologies like 3D, Smell-O-Vision, and 4DX that didn’t leave as lasting an impression. However, none of these changes may have been as impactful as the emergence of streaming platforms such as Netflix.
The evolution of movie-streaming services significantly transformed how films are viewed and enjoyed, with traditional cinema businesses finding it difficult to adapt. Concurrently, COVID-19 and labor strikes in 2023 have left Hollywood with fewer movies to exhibit in theaters. The box office has yet to recover from the pandemic. In 2024, domestic ticket sales peaked at $8.7 billion, marking a 3.3% decline from 2023’s revenue of $9.04 billion and a 23.5% decrease from 2019’s pre-COVID period when revenues reached $11.3 billion. This slow recovery is happening while studios and streaming platforms are implementing cost-cutting measures and downsizing their workforce. Major companies, such as Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global, have been actively selling themselves during a period of rapid consolidation in the industry that shows no signs of abating.
Due to the ongoing natural disasters in Los Angeles and the turbulent times the business world is going through, this year’s Academy Awards might not be as festive as past events. It will be up to Conan O’Brien, who has moved from hosting late-night talk shows to podcasting, to try to bring joy to the occasion as he takes on his first role as the Oscars host.
In this scenario, Universal, the company that manages the independent label Focus, led all nominees with a total of 25 nominations. The majority of these nods were for the productions “Wicked” and “Conclave.” Netflix, which distributed “Emilia Pérez,” earned 16 nominations, while A24, a daring indie distributor recognized for its handling of unconventional films like “The Brutalist,” a 3-hour exploration of art and commerce, received 14 nominations.
As a cinephile eagerly anticipating the grand spectacle, I’m thrilled to announce that the 97th Oscars are set to unfold at the iconic Dolby Theatre on March 2nd. This year, the magic of Hollywood will be accessible to all, as the show will not only air on ABC but will also stream live for your viewing pleasure on Hulu. So, grab your popcorn and get ready for a night filled with glitz, glamour, and the celebration of cinematic excellence!
See the full list of nominees below as they’re announced.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
Animated Short Film
“Beautiful Men”
“In the Shadow of Cypress”
“Magic Candies”
“Wander to Wonder”
“Yuck!”
Costume Design
“A Complete Unknown”
“Conclave”
“Gladiator II”
“Nosferatu”
“Wicked”
Live Action Short Film
“A Lien”
“Anuja”
“I’m Not a Robot”
“The Last Ranger”
“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”
Makeup and Hairstyling
“A Different Man”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Nosferatu”
“The Substance”
“Wicked”
Original Score
“The Brutalist”
“Conclave”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”
Adapted Screenplay
“A Complete Unknown”
“Conclave”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Nickel Boys”
“Sing Sing”
Original Screenplay
“Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“A Real Pain”
“September 5”
“The Substance”
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Animated Feature Film
“Flow”
“Inside Out 2”
“Memoir of a Snail”
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”
“The Wild Robot”
Cinematography
“The Brutalist”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Maria”
“Nosferatu”
Best Director
Sean Baker, “Anora”
Brady Corbet “The Brutalist”
James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”
Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”
Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”
Documentary Feature Film
“Black Box Diaries”
“No Other Land”
“Porcelain War”
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”
“Sugarcane”
Documentary Short Film
“Death by Numbers”
“I Am Ready, Warden”
“Incident”
“Instruments of a Beating Heart”
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra”
Film Editing
“Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“Conclave”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Wicked”
International Feature Film
“I’m Still Here”
“The Girl with the Needle”
“Emilia Pérez”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
“Flow”
Original Song
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez”
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight”
“Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing”
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez”
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late”
Production Design
“The Brutalist”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Nosferatu”
“Wicked”
Sound
“A Complete Unknown”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Perez”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”
Visual Effects
“Alien: Romulus”
“Better Man”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
“Wicked”
Best Picture
“Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“I’m Still Here”
“Nickel Boys”
“The Substance”
“Wicked”
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2025-01-23 17:17