In the aftermath of the catastrophic wildfires that have impacted Los Angeles, particularly the heart of its film industry, Hollywood has rallied behind Netflix’s acclaimed narco-musical “Emilia Pérez” as it received a significant number of Oscar nominations on Thursday.
Directed by Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez,” which is a French production in Spanish, led the nominations with an impressive 13 nods, including best picture and best actress for Karla Sofía Gascón. This nomination marks a historic milestone, as Gascón becomes the first openly transgender actor nominated for an Oscar. In addition to these recognized categories, the film accrued nominations for directing, original screenplay, two of its songs, and also acknowledged Zoe Saldaña’s performance.
Despite Netflix’s powerful presence in Hollywood, the platform has never seized an Oscar for best picture, despite several past contenders like “Mank,” “The Irishman,” and “Roma” coming away with multiple nominations but few awards. However, with “Emilia Pérez,” Netflix seems to have landed a potentially game-changing film—it has become the most-nominated non-English language film ever, surpassing its predecessor “Roma,” which had secured 10 nominations. In fact, only “All About Eve,” “Titanic,” and “La La Land” have garnered more nominations in Oscar history.
A strong competitor also emerged from the world of musicals: “Wicked,” a vibrant adaptation of the Broadway hit, received nearly as many nominations as “Emilia Pérez.” Directed by Jon M. Chu, this imaginative twist on the classic “Wizard of Oz” earned 10 nods, including best picture and acting nominations for its leads, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Another noteworthy entry, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” an epic set in the postwar era and filmed in VistaVision, secured 10 nominations as well, vying for best picture, best director, and actor nominations for Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and Felicity Jones.
The best picture nominees encompass a diverse range: “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Pérez,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked.” In what seems to be a broad and highly competitive Oscar race, the six front-runners—“Emilia Pérez,” “Wicked,” “The Brutalist,” alongside “Anora” and “Conclave” with six and eight nominations respectively, and “A Complete Unknown” (also with eight nominations)—predictedly performed well. However, the inclusion of the Brazilian film “I’m Still Here,” which also earned Fernanda Torres a best actress nomination, along with RaMell Ross’ overlooked “Nickel Boys,” could be seen as surprises.
Some movies, including “Sing Sing,” “September 5,” and “A Real Pain,” may have been edged out of the best picture category, though they still received nominations in other categories. Additionally, “The Apprentice,” a highly ambitious film, surprisingly garnered nominations for Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. This film explores President Donald Trump’s early years in New York real estate while under the influence of attorney Roy Cohn. Trump has expressed disdain for those involved in the film, labeling them “human scum.”
In the best actor category, Stan and Brody were joined by Timothée Chalamet for “A Complete Unknown,” Colman Domingo for “Sing Sing,” and Ralph Fiennes for “Conclave.” A notable omission from the lineup was Daniel Craig, celebrated for his atypical role in “Queer.” Meanwhile, the best actress category was considered fiercely competitive, with Demi Moore’s memorable performance in “The Substance” alongside Gascón, Torres, Erivo, and Mikey Madison from “Anora.” Notably absent were Marianne Jean-Baptiste from “Hard Truths,” Pamela Anderson from “The Last Showgirl,” Nicole Kidman from “Babygirl,” and Angelina Jolie from “Maria.”
In the directing race, Coralie Fargeat of “The Substance” broke into a category otherwise dominated by male directors, including Sean Baker for “Anora,” Corbet, Audiard, and James Mangold for “A Complete Unknown.” The anticipated nomination for Edward Berger’s direction in “Conclave” was notably missing.
Kieran Culkin emerged as the frontrunner for best supporting actor with his commendable performance in “A Real Pain,” alongside nominees Yura Borisov (“Anora”), Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”), Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”), and Strong. For supporting actress, the nominees included Grande, Saldaña, Jones, Monica Barbaro (“A Complete Unknown”), and Isabella Rossellini from “Conclave.”
Originally set for January 17, the announcement of nominations was delayed due to the destruction wrought by wildfires on January 7 across Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and other nearby locations. The Academy extended its voting window and postponed the nominations reveal multiple times as fresh fires continued to cause devastation.
Given the film industry’s upheaval in light of the fires, there have been calls to cancel the Oscars altogether. However, Academy leaders argued that the ceremony, scheduled for March 2, must go ahead, emphasizing its economic significance for Los Angeles and its symbolic meaning of resilience for the industry. They affirmed that this year’s event will honor the collective spirit of the global film community while recognizing those who courageously fought the wildfires.
Bill Kramer, the Academy’s chief executive, expressed via email to members that the ceremony will acknowledge recent events while celebrating the strength, creativity, and optimism that embodies both Los Angeles and the film industry.
Despite the ongoing challenges caused by the fires, the expected festivities of Hollywood’s award season were vastly curtailed, with the Academy canceling its traditional nominees luncheon and other events being postponed or downsized. Notably, original song performances have been scrapped for this year. However, comedian Conan O’Brien, whose home escaped the fires unscathed, is set to host the event.
The Oscar nominations come after a tumultuous year for Hollywood marked by prolonged post-strike delays, widespread unemployment due to a slowdown in production, and the tragic wildfires in January. The political landscape also shifted dramatically with Donald Trump returning to office during a presidential election where media personalities such as Joe Rogan held considerable influence.
Despite a decline in superhero films’ popularity, the industry maintained its support for significant hits, including Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” and three major successes from Disney—“Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool and Wolverine,” and “Moana 2.” While these films did not secure nominations, “Inside Out 2” did enjoy a spot in the best animated category, alongside “The Wild Robot,” “Flow,” “Memoir of a Snail,” and “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.”
This uncertain climate in the film industry seems to transpire through the Oscar nominations, which encompass a blend of films varying in visibility and distribution methods. Unlike last year’s fervor surrounding “Oppenheimer,” the current award season does not present a clear frontrunner for the prestigious title. With less than five weeks until the Oscar ceremony, multiple films—including “The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Anora,” “Conclave,” and “Wicked”—are perceived to have a solid chance at capturing the coveted best picture award.
