Celebrating Cinema: A Look at the Exciting Oscar Nominations Race
LOS ANGELES — The film industry is abuzz with anticipation as the Oscar nominations are set to be announced in a year where the best picture category has no clear frontrunner.
Blockbusters like Wicked and Dune: Part Two are gearing up to compete with Emilia Pérez, Conclave, A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, and Anora for a coveted spot on the nomination list.
The nominations were originally scheduled to be unveiled last week but were postponed due to the extension of the voting period caused by the Los Angeles wildfires.
The prestigious Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by the witty US comic Conan O’Brien, is slated for March 2nd.
This year’s race features two musicals, two major pop stars, two films starring Sebastian Stan, two actors from Succession, and several comeback queens vying for recognition.
Here’s a breakdown of what to watch out for when the Academy reveals its nominations:
Comeback Queens
Pamela Anderson and Demi Moore have made a triumphant return to the awards circuit with standout performances in The Last Showgirl and The Substance, respectively.
Comeback stories are a prevalent theme this year, especially in the best actress category, where many contenders are making a comeback after a hiatus from the awards scene.
Demi Moore, the star of The Substance, is a frontrunner for her portrayal of a woman who undergoes a dramatic transformation to reclaim her youth and beauty.
Pamela Anderson has also garnered attention for her role in The Last Showgirl, earning surprise nominations at SAG and the Golden Globes for her poignant performance as an aging Las Vegas performer.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste is also a contender for her role in Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, marking her return to the spotlight nearly three decades after her first Oscar nomination for Secrets & Lies.
Even Angelina Jolie is making waves with her portrayal of opera singer Maria Callas, marking her return to the awards scene after a hiatus. However, she faces stiff competition after missing out on nominations at other major ceremonies.
In the best actor category, Adrien Brody is expected to make a comeback with his performance in The Brutalist, portraying a Hungarian architect post-World War Two. Brody last won an Oscar in 2003 for The Pianist.
Other contenders include Timothée Chalamet for A Complete Unknown, Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave, and Daniel Craig for Queer.
Sebastian Stan also has two shots at a nomination, one for his role as a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice and another for A Different Man, which earned him a Golden Globe.
Pop Princesses
The best supporting actress category could see recognition for pop stars Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez. Grande is a frontrunner for her role in Wicked, while Gomez’s performance in Emilia Pérez has also garnered attention.
Zoe Saldaña, Gomez’s co-star, is currently leading the pack with a Golden Globe win under her belt. However, the category is competitive, with other strong contenders like Felicity Jones, Isabella Rossellini, and Jamie Lee Curtis in the mix.
Additional contenders include Danielle Deadwyler, Monica Barbaro, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, making this category one to watch due to its unpredictability.
Succession Success
Kieran Culkin, known for his role in Succession, is a frontrunner in the best supporting actor category for his performance in A Real Pain.
He faces competition from his co-star Jeremy Strong, as well as other contenders like Yura Borisov, Guy Pearce, Clarence Maclin, and Edward Norton.
Even Sarah Snook, Culkin and Strong’s on-screen sister in Succession, has a film in contention, voicing the main character in Memoir of a Snail.
Competitive Categories
The lead actress category is packed with talent, including frontrunners like Mikey Madison, Cynthia Erivo, Fernanda Torres, and Karla Sofía Gascón.
Gascón’s potential nomination could make history as the first trans person to be recognized in an acting category at the Oscars.
Robbie Williams’ Oscar hopes were dashed due to a disqualification of his song “Forbidden Road” from the film Better Man, but other contenders like songs from The Six Triple Eight, Challengers, and Emilia Pérez are still in the running.
A Fresh Directing Line-Up
This year’s best director category could see a lineup of first-time nominees like Brady Corbet, Edward Berger, Jacques Audiard, and Sean Baker.
Other potential nominees include Coralie Fargeat, RaMell Ross, and James Mangold, making for an exciting and diverse group of contenders.
Big Blockbusters
While there may not be clear frontrunners like Barbie or Oppenheimer this year, blockbusters like Wicked, Dune: Part Two, and Inside Out 2 are poised for recognition at the Oscars.
Other contenders like Gladiator II, The Wild Robot, and Latvian film Flow are also in the mix, promising a diverse lineup of nominees across various categories.
The Oscars this year are wide open, with several films competing for the top prize. Nominations will be announced soon, so stay tuned for the latest updates on the awards season.
