On Tuesday, Jan. 24, nominations for the 96th annual Academy Awards were announced by Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz. These awards honor films released in 2023 and are voted on by members of the corresponding branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Essentially, directors vote for directors, actors vote for actors, film editors vote for film editors, and so on. With several fan favorites and blockbuster hits up for multiple awards this Oscar’s season, here is a look at the nominations, arguably the biggest snubs, and some unexpected surprises.
“Oppenheimer” directed by Christopher Nolan received 13 nominations this season, including Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt) and Best Director for Nolan. The film also received nods for Original Score;Cinematography;Adapted Screenplay; Costume Design; Production Design;Film Editing; Makeup and Hair; Sound and Best Picture.
Following with 11 nominations, “Poor Things” received nominations for Best Actress (Emma Stone) and Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo). The film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos was also one of the 10 films that scored a Best Picture nomination. After taking home multiple wins at both the Golden Globes and The Critics Choice Awards this season, this film could definitely be an underdog this season.
Closely behind “Poor Things” is Martin Scorsese's “Killers of The Flower Moon” with 10 nominations. This film scored a Best Picture nomination, along with Best Actress for Lily Gladstone and Best Director for Scorsese. Gladstone’s nomination also marks the first Native American to ever be nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role according to Time. The film also received several other nominations, including cinematography, production, costumes and film editing.
Scoring 8 nominations this year was “Barbie '' directed by Greta Gerwig. The highest grossing film of the year, according to Deadline, received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), along with Production and Costume Design. Gerwig’s film was also nominated alongside the other Best Picture nominees.
Finalizing the Best Picture category included “American Fiction”, “Anatomy of a Fall”, “The Holdovers”, “Maestro”, “Past Lives”, and “The Zone of Interest”.
There were several notable snubs this year, particularly in Barbie land. Despite her two co-stars receiving nominations in their categories, Margot Robbie who plays the titular role was left out of the Best Actress category. Alongside Robbie, Greta Gerwig did not receive a Best Director nomination. Despite all three of Gerwig’s solo directorial films being nominated for Best Picture (“Lady Bird", “Little Women” and now “Barbie”), she has only received a Best Director nomination once, in 2018 for “Lady Bird”. The Best Director category has historically been a “boys club", with only three women ever winning the award in 95 years according to Gold Derby. Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall” is the only woman nominated in the category this year, and the eighth woman to be nominated in the Best Director category according to Gold Derby.
Other notable snubs include Celine Song and Greta Lee for Best Director and Best Actress in “Past Lives” and Charles Melton for Best Supporting Actor in “May December”. Several films were shut out of the Oscars this season despite their best efforts. “The Iron Claw”, “Priscilla”, and “All of Us Strangers” received zero nominations this season.
The 96th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby Theater in California. For a complete list of this year’s nominees, head to The Oscars website.
By Haileigh West, Associate Editor