The 97th Oscars airs on March 2 with an eclectic group of nominations
By AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS — arts@theaggie.org
On Jan. 23., the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their nominees for the 97th Academy Awards show. Otherwise known as the Oscars, it is the biggest ceremony for the film industry, recognizing the best production, actors and films of 2024.
The nomination announcement, originally slated for Jan. 17, was postponed for a second time due to the Los Angeles wildfires. Hosted by actors Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott, the announcement ceremony aired through a live broadcast on the official Oscars website.
“Emilia Pérez,” a Netflix original musical film, is leading with 13 nominations. Starring Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña, the film explores the story of a lawyer helping a drug lord transition into a woman, in the hopes of starting a new life. The film, both acclaimed and criticized, is a force to be reckoned with this awards season, already winning four Golden Globe Awards. Moreover, Gascón’s nomination for Best Actress has made history, being the first openly transgender actress to receive an Oscar nomination.
Behind “Emilia Pérez” are “Wicked” and “The Brutalist,” with 10 nominations each. “Wicked,” starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande rocked the box office in November, becoming the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time. Although it only won one out of four nominations at the Golden Globes, the film remains a strong contender for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Original Score.
“The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody, follows the story of a Jewish architect who flees post-war Europe in 1947 and attempts to rebuild his life in America. The film, unlike “Emilia Pérez” and “Wicked,” is a period drama film, which won big at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture — Drama.
Also in the running for Best Picture include “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys” and “The Substance.”
Beyond the major category of Best Picture, the two categories for Best Actress and Best Actor are stacked with memorable performances. For Best Actor, there is Adrien Brody for “The Brutalist,” Timothée Chalamet for “A Complete Unknown,” Colman Domingo for “Sing Sing,” Ralph Fiennes for “Conclave” and Sebastian Stan for “The Apprentice.”
This is Chalamet’s second Best Actor nomination, and he is set to be a strong contender after his performance as singer Bob Dylan in the biopic film, “A Complete Unknown.” However, Adrien Brody is also a strong contender, having already taken home a Best Actor award this season.
For Best Actress, there is Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked,” Karla Sofía Gascón for “Emilia Pérez,” Mikey Madison for “Anora,” Demi Moore for “The Substance” and Fernanda Torres for “I’m Still Here.” For Madison, this is her first Oscar nomination for her role as Anora in “Anora,” showcasing emotional depth and comedic timing. However, similar to Best Actor, another nominee, Demi Moore in “The Substance,” won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.
For production aspects, the big categories of Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Director are also a battleground amongst some of the Best Picture nominees, with a few standouts such as “Dune: Part Two,” “Maria” and “Nosferatu.”
For animated films, the nominees include “Inside Out 2,” “Flow,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “The Wild Robot” and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” “Inside Out 2,” the highest grossing film of 2024, is a strong contender for the award, though it lost to “Flow” at the Golden Globes.
While it is undoubtedly difficult for the Academy Awards to narrow down five nominees for every category, there were many films and performances from 2024 that went unacknowledged.
Surprising for some, the critically acclaimed Luca Guadagnino film “Challengers” starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor received no nominations despite being nominated for four at the Golden Globes and winning Best Original Score.
The highly anticipated 2001 Best Picture sequel “Gladiator 2” only received one nomination for Best Costume Design, despite its cast including 10-time Oscar-nominated actor Denzel Washington and up-and-coming actor Paul Mescal.
Additionally, despite “Dune: Part 2” receiving five nominations in major categories such as Best Picture, Cinematography and Visual Effects, director Denis Villeneuve did not receive a nomination for Best Director.
With two musicals being the biggest rivals of the season, it will undoubtedly be an interesting Oscars ceremony. Although “Emilia Pérez” seems to be the biggest challenger, will “Wicked” defy predictions yet again or will “The Brutalist” wickedly subvert expectations?
The Oscars will air on March 2, 2025, at 4 p.m., PST live from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, the awards show will be broadcasted on ABC and live on Hulu. You can view the full list of nominees on the official Oscars website.
Written by: Aaliyah Español-Rivas — arts@theaggie.org
