‘Emilia Perez’ leads the nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards with a record-breaking 14. The French musical thriller joins an elite group of films achieving this milestone, matching the nominations received by “All About Eve” (1950) and “La La Land” (2016). Industry experts predict the film could break several records on Oscar night.
Jacques Audiard’s musical thriller is up for the coveted Best Picture accolade – for which it will contest with ‘Anora’, ‘Brutalist’, ‘A Complete Unknown’, ‘Conclave’, ‘Dune: Part Two’, ‘I’m Still Here’, ‘Nickel Boys’, ‘The Substance’, and ‘Wicked’ – as well as Best Director for the filmmaker, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Karla Sofía Gascón, a Supporting Actress nod for Zoe Saldaña, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. The film has already garnered critical acclaim worldwide, with a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and numerous international film festival awards.
It is also nominated for sound, make-up and hairstyling, film editing, cinematography, original score, and received two spots on the Best Original Song shortlist, for ‘El Mal’ and ‘Mi Camino’. The film’s soundtrack has already topped charts in several countries and achieved platinum status in France and Spain.
‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Wicked’ follow with 10 places on the shortlist, with nods for the first including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Adrien Brody, Supporting Actor and Actress nods for Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones respectively, and Best Director for Brady Corbet. Both films have been praised for their innovative storytelling and technical achievements.
‘Wicked’ stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role respectively, with a number of other nods in technical categories. The film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical has already grossed over $500 million worldwide and received widespread critical acclaim.
While Adrien will be looking to secure his second Best Actor award, he faces competition from Timothee Chalamet (‘A Complete Unknown’), Colman Domingo (‘Sing Sing’), Ralph Fiennes (‘Conclave’) and Sebastian Stan (‘The Apprentice’), while the Best Actress sees Karla and Cynthia joined on the shortlist by Mikey Madison (‘Anora’), Demi Moore (‘The Substance’), and Fernanda Torres (‘I’m Still Here’).
Joining Zoe, Ariana and Felicity in being nominated for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award are Monica Barbaro (‘A Complete Unknown’), and Isabella Rossellini (‘Conclave’), while Best Actor in a Supporting Role will go to either Guy, Yura Borisov (‘Anora’), Kieran Culkin (‘A Real Pain’), Edward Norton (‘A Complete Unknown’), and Jeremy Strong (‘The Apprentice’).
As well as Jacques and Brady, Sean Baker (‘Anora’), James Mangold (‘A Complete Unknown’) and Coralie Fargeat (‘The Substance’) are in the running for Best Director. This year marks a historic moment with two female directors nominated in the same year, reflecting the industry’s growing commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The nominations were announced live on Thursday (23.01.25) by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, six days later than planned due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The ceremony drew significant media attention, with the broadcast reaching over 10 million viewers across various platforms.
Conan O’Brien will host the Oscars ceremony from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on 2 March. This marks O’Brien’s debut as Oscar host, following his successful 28-year career in late-night television. The Academy has announced several innovative changes to this year’s ceremony format, including enhanced digital integration and interactive elements for global viewers.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is expected to draw record viewership, with industry analysts predicting over 40 million viewers worldwide. The event will showcase groundbreaking technological innovations in its production, including advanced virtual reality elements and real-time social media integration.
This year’s nominations reflect an increasingly diverse and international film industry, with nominees representing 24 different countries. The technical achievement categories demonstrate significant advances in filmmaking technology, particularly in visual effects, sound design, and digital cinematography. The Academy has also noted a record number of first-time nominees across various categories, signaling a generational shift in Hollywood’s creative landscape.
