Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards (a.k.a. The Oscars) have just been announced and movie musicals proved to be this year’s biggest contenders as “Emilia Pérez” takes the lead with 13 nominations, followed by “Wicked” and “The Brutalist” with ten nominations each.
Actors Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennot hosted the live broadcast last Thursday (Jan. 23), presenting the nominations for the film industry’s most prestigious top prize. The Oscars will air on Mar. 2, 2025 on ABC, live from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with Conan O’Brien set to host the ceremony.
“Emilia Pérez” has seen success earlier this month when it won Best Motion Picture at The 82nd Golden Globes, the show’s top prize, along with three other awards. The Spanish-language musical stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, and Selena Gomez, and is about a Mexican cartel leader who hires a lawyer to help her disappear and transition into a woman. Despite the controversies surrounding the movie, it was honored with thirteen nominations including Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, Best Actress in a Leading and Supporting Role for Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña, Best Cinematography, and Best Director for Jacques Audiard.
The beloved Broadway musical film adaptation “Wicked” defied all gravity in terms of box office success as it soared to the top of the charts, even winning the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award at the Golden Globes. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande both received nods from The Academy and were nominated for Best Actress in a Leading and Supporting Role, respectively. Rumor has it that Cynthia is only one Oscar away from achieving EGOT status! The film also received nominations for Best Picture, Best Music, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.
ICYDK, this is the first time since 1968, when “Funny Girl” and “Oliver!” were nominated, that two musicals were nominated in the Best Picture category.
Meanwhile, the dark drama “The Brutalist” was recognized for its stunning cinematography and acquired ten nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor in Leading Role for Adrien Brody, Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role for Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones, as well as Best Director.
Other Best Picture nominees include “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” Dune: Part Two,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys,” and “The Substance.” You can also expect to see a start-studded night this March — and new faces on the nominees' row as much of the acting categories were dominated by first-time nominees such as Demi Moore (“The Substance”), Ariana Grande ("Wicked"), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), and Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”).
To see the complete list of nominations, click here. Follow The Academy on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Formerly Twitter) for updates.
