OSCARS
Page: 20
Diane Warren is getting up there on the all-time list of top Oscar nominees for best original song. Her nod this year for “Applause,” sung by Sofia Carson in Tell It Like a Woman, is her 14th — a tally equaled by only seven other songwriters in the 89-year history of the category).
Moreover, this is the sixth year in a row she has been nominated, the longest continuous run streak of nominations in this category since Alan Bergman and his late wife Marilyn Bergman were nominated six years running from 1968-73. (Their streak was bookended by two winners – “The Windmills of Your Mind” and “The Way We Were.”)
Only two other songwriters in Oscar history have had six or more consecutive nods. Mack David, the older brother of Hal David (of Bacharach & David fame), was nominated every year from 1961-66. He never won. Sammy Cahn holds the all-time records both for the most consecutive years with a best original song nod (eight, from 1954-61) and most total nods in that category (26). Cahn won a record-tying four Oscars in the category.
If you’re looking for a common denominator among Warren’s best original song nominees – besides quality – good luck. Three of them reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but several others didn’t even crack the chart. Three are from blockbuster action films, but several others are from smaller indie films that barely made a dent at the boxoffice.
Four of the 14 songs, including the current one, are from films directed by women. That’s far higher than the industry-wide percentage of films directed by women. The only director Warren has worked with on two nominated songs is Michael Bay. She wrote songs for his blockbusters Armageddon (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) and Pearl Harbor (“There You’ll Be”).
Warren received an honorary Oscar in November. She’s only the fifth person in Oscar history – and the first person from the world of music – to receive an honorary Oscar and a competitive Oscar nomination in the same awards year. Warren, 66, has the work ethic of a songwriter half her age, one still trying to make her mark. That could be her secret.
Let’s take a closer look at Warren’s best original song nominees. The films’ worldwide box-office receipts are taken from boxofficemojo.com (rounded off to the nearest million). In two cases where the film grossed less than $1 million, we show the exact tally.
When the nominations for the 2023 Oscars were announced on Tuesday (Jan. 24), just one Black woman was among the 10 women nominated in acting categories – Angela Bassett for best supporting actress for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Viola Davis in The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler in Till were thought to have a strong chance of being nominated for best actress, but both were passed over – a fact that has stirred some controversy, such as this pointed commentary in The Los Angeles Times on Thursday (Jan. 26).
Black women fared much better in the marquee categories in the 2023 Grammy nominations, which were announced on Nov. 15. Three Black women were among the 10 lead artists nominated for album of the year, widely viewed as the most prestigious Grammy Award – Beyoncé for Renaissance, Lizzo for Special and Mary J. Blige for the deluxe edition of Good Morning Gorgeous.
Beyoncé is regarded as the front-winner to win in that category, after having lost in her three previous bids. I Am…Sasha Fierce lost to Taylor Swift’s Fearless; Beyoncé to Beck’s Morning Phase; and Lemonade to Adele’s 25.
Oscar and Grammy voters have not always been generous to Black women. Only one Black woman has won the Oscar for best actress – Halle Berry for Monster’s Ball (2001). Amazingly, you have to go back even further than that to find the last Black woman to win the Grammy for album of the year as a lead artist. It hasn’t happened since Lauryn Hill took the 1998 prize for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Black women have fared far better at the Oscars in supporting roles than in lead roles, with nine Black actresses winning best supporting actress – Hattie McDaniel in Gone With the Wind (1939), Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost (1990), Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls (2006), Mo’nique in Precious (2009), Octavia Spencer in The Help (2011), Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave (2013), Davis in Fences (2016), Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and Ariana DeBose in West Side Story (2021).
It’s worth noting that Davis played the female lead in Fences. She had won the Tony for best lead actress in a play for the same role in 2010, but agreed to be slotted in the supporting category at the Oscars to boost her chances of winning. (The lead actress winner that year was Emma Stone – Davis’ former costar in The Help – for the blockbuster La La Land.)
If Beyoncé wins album of the year, she’ll become the fourth Black woman to take that award as a lead artist. Natalie Cole was the first for Unforgettable With Love, a tribute to her late father Nat King Cole (1991), followed by Whitney Houston two years later for The Bodyguard soundtrack and then Hill five years after that.
The perception of disrespect for Black women in this year’s best actress nominations will probably work to Bassett’s advantage in the voting. She is seen as the front-runner to win best supporting actress, 29 years after she was nominated for best actress for playing Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It. She would become the 10th Black woman to win best supporting actress; the eighth in the past two decades.
The way that Black women can fairly easily win Oscars in the supporting category, but have a hard time winning in the lead category, is analogous to a situation at the Grammys, where Black women (and men, for that matter) do very well in terms of numbers of overall awards, but less well in the vaunted Big Four categories.
Beyoncé is one of only three artists in Grammy history to amass 28 or more Grammys, but just one of those awards has come in a Big Four category – her 2009 song of the year win for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
At this year’s Grammys, she is likely to tie or surpass Sir Georg Solti for the most wins by anyone in Grammy history. (The late classical conductor won 31 awards.) While that statistic is likely to grab the headlines, her expected win for album of the year – the biggest of the Big Four categories – may be even more significant.
Lady Gaga took to her Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 25) to thank the Motion Picture Academy for her fourth Oscar nomination, for co-writing “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick with BloodPop. The power ballad is nominated for best original song.
“Thank you so much to the Academy for nominating my song ‘Hold My Hand’ for an Oscar this year!” Gaga wrote. “Writing this song for the film Top Gun: Maverick was a deep and powerful experience that I will never forget. So grateful for the magic of music and cinema. Love you my co-writer @bloodpop I’m on set filming now big love to little monsters!”
This is Gaga’s third nomination in the category. She and Diane Warren teamed to write “Til It Happens to You” from the 2015 doc The Hunting Ground. She teamed with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt to write “Shallow” from the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born, which won the award. Gaga was also nominated that year for best actress for starring in the film alongside Bradley Cooper.
Gaga’s Instagram came one day after her friend and collaborator Tony Bennett issued a tweet congratulating her. “Congratulations to the amazingly talented @ladygaga on her 4th Oscar nomination! Today, Lady Gaga makes history as the first artist to receive three nominations in the Best Original Song category at the #Oscars. So proud of you!”
It’s unclear what Bennett meant by the comment about Gaga’s record-setting achievement. Other artists, such as Randy Newman and Lionel Richie, have received three or more nominations in that category.
“Hold My Hand” is one of six nominations that Top Gun: Maverick received, including best picture. The film fared better with Oscar voters than the initial Top Gun in 1986, which received four Oscar nods. It’s unusual for a sequel to outpace the original in the esteem of Oscar voters.
One year after Sebastián Yatra‘s moving performance at the Oscars, another artist with Colombian blood is hoping to perform at the Academy Awards ceremony: Sofia Carson.
The Florida-born actress and singer, whose parents hail from Barranquilla, is the voice of Diane Warren’s “Applause” from the movie Tell It Like a Woman, which received a nomination for best original song on Tuesday (Jan. 24.)
“We’re going to the Oscars @dianewarren,” Carson wrote in an Instagram post, sharing a sweet video of their reaction to the news.
Beautifully performed by the “Night Falls” singer, “Applause” is a ballad of empowerment and self-love that invites women to pause for a moment and celebrate their achievements.
“Recognize who you are/ Sometimes, I know it’s so hard/ But you shine/ You’re a supernova superstar,” the song says. “Give yourself some applause, you deserve it/ Give yourself some respect ’cause you’ve earned it/ Give yourself some love ’cause you’re worth it, you’re worth it.”
Last year at the Oscars, Yatra sang the sublime “Dos Oruguitas” from the Disney animated film Encanto in a colorful number that included a couple of dancers in Colombian costumes and elements such as yellow butterflies, alluding to the film and the South American country. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it was the first song in Spanish nominated to the award since Uruguayan Jorge Drexler won the trophy in 2005 for “Al Otro Lado del Río” from The Motorcycle Diaries. (That year, the Academy invited the better-known Antonio Banderas to sing Drexler’s song in a bittersweet moment for the composer and his Latin American fans.)
Warren, who now collects her 14th nomination in the category, also competed last year with “Somehow You Do,” from the movie Four Good Days. But the Academy Award went to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for “No Time to Die,” from the James Bond film of the same name.
This time around, the veteran songwriter — who has yet to win the prize — competes again with some music superstars. The contenders are: “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, co-written by Lady Gaga; “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” with Rihanna among its composers; “Naatu Naatu” from RRR; and “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once. (For a complete list of nominees, click here)
The Oscar for best original song goes to the songwriters, not to the performers. However, it is likely that Carson will take the stage of Hollywood’s Dolby Theater to sing “Applause” live, since it has become tradition that the nominated songs be presented at the ceremony — although the official program has yet to be announced and plans have changed from time to time.
The 95th annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 12 at 8:00 pm ET.
Diane Warren achieved something remarkable on Tuesday (Jan. 24): She was nominated for an Oscar in the same awards year that she received an honorary Oscar.
The reason that’s so significant is that every member of the music branch of the Academy – whose votes determined the nominations – knew that Warren just collected an honorary Oscar at a ritzy event in Century City, Calif., on Nov. 19. There was no pressing reason to recognize her again so soon.
So the fact that she was nominated for her song “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman says a lot about the depth of support for Warren in the Academy.
We already knew about that support. This was her 14th nomination for best original song – a total matched by only seven other songwriters in Oscar history. And this is the sixth year in a row she has been nominated, the longest continuous streak of nominations in that category since Alan Bergman and his late wife Marilyn Bergman were nominated six years running from 1968-73.
Those are impressive statistics. Here’s another one: Warren is just the fifth person in Oscar history to receive a competitive Oscar nod in the same awards year that he or she received an honorary Oscar. Warren is the only person from the world of music to do this. Two of the previous double recipients you probably know. The two others you may not, but we’ll fill you in.
First, let’s clarify something: Warren’s latest Oscar nomination was announced in 2023, and if she wins, she’ll receive the award in 2023, but the award is for the 2022 awards year. That’s how it’s listed in official Academy records. That’s also how her honorary Oscar is listed. So it all lines up.
Here’s a list of all five people who received a competitive Oscar nod in the same awards year that he or she received an honorary Oscar.
After the 2023 Academy Awards nominations were revealed on Tuesday (Jan. 24), Lady Gaga officially became a four-time Oscar nominee.
While the “Bloody Mary” singer has yet to share her feelings about being a contender at this year’s ceremony, former Love for Sale and Cheek to Cheek collaborator Tony Bennett extended his congrats to his dear friend.
“Congratulations to the amazingly talented @ladygaga on her 4th Oscar nomination!” the 96-year-old wrote via Twitter. “Today, Lady Gaga makes history as the first artist to receive three nominations in the Best Original Song category at the #Oscars. So proud of you!”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
As Bennett mentioned, Gaga is nominated in the best original song category for “Hold My Hand,” from the Tom Cruise-starring Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack. The track, which was written and produced by the pop star alongside BloodPop, peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Gaga was previously nominated in the best original song category at the Oscars in 2016 for “Til It Happens to You,” co-written with Diane Warren, from The Hunting Ground documentary. In 2019, she earned a best original song nom for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born — and won in the category — and made it into the best actress category for starring in the movie as Ally Maine.
“Hold My Hand” is currently nominated at the Grammy Awards for best song written for visual media; Gaga is also nominated for her work on the soundtrack in the best compilation soundtrack for visual media category.
In 2022, the singer was nominated alongside Bennett for their joint album, Love for Sale, which was up for album of the year and best traditional pop vocal album, the latter of which they won. The album’s track “I Get a Kick Out of You” was also nominated for best music video, best pop duo/group performance and record of the year. Their 2014 album, Cheek to Cheek, also won in the best traditional pop vocal album category.
See Bennett’s congratulatory message to Gaga below.
Congratulations to the amazingly talented @ladygaga on her 4th Oscar nomination! Today, Lady Gaga makes history as the first artist to receive three nominations in the “Best Original Song” category at the #Oscars. So proud of you! pic.twitter.com/Oh6KFwqWvF— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) January 24, 2023
Soon after the nominations for the 95th annual Academy Awards were announced Tuesday (Jan. 24), nominees in the two music categories started expressing their gratitude, through statements issued by their publicists and social media posts.
Here are a few of their reactions:
Justin Hurwitz
Nominated for: best original score for Babylon
Nominations history: This is his second nomination in the category. He won six years ago for La La Land. He has also received two nods for best original song.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be recognized by the Academy for the Babylon score. As soon as Damien [Chazelle] had a script for his wild and beautiful movie, I started a three-year search for very special musicians who could bring their unique talent and flair to the music. I want to thank the musicians because without them, the Babylon musical performances and score wouldn’t be what they are.”
Diane Warren
Nominated for: best original song for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman
Nominations history: This is her 14th nomination in the category.
“Wow! This is so amazingly cool. It’s my 14th nomination but it feels like the first. I’m truly grateful for the recognition for this song.”
John Williams
Nominated for: best original score for The Fabelmans
Nominations history: This is his record-extending 48th nomination in the category. He has also received five nominations for best original song.
“I’m very grateful to the Academy for their kind recognition, and I’m enormously grateful to Steven Spielberg for offering me the opportunity to compose the score for this very special and personal film.”
Ryan Coogler
Nominated for: best original song for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nominations history: This is his first nomination in the category. He was nominated for best picture three years ago as a producer of Judas and the Black Messiah.
“It was an honor to work with these incredible musicians in crafting a song for our film and for our friend. It was meant to be a tribute to love and the specter of loss and I couldn’t be happier that it is being recognized. “
Ludwig Göransson
Nominated for: best original song for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nominations history: This is his first nomination in the category. He won for best score four years ago for the first Black Panther.
“I feel deep gratitude to have collaborated with Rihanna, Tems and Ryan Coogler on a song as profoundly personal as ‘Lift Me Up.’ For it to be recognized by the Academy is a huge honor. ‘Lift Me Up’ is a song that holds great meaning to us as it was written as a tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of our friend, the late Chadwick Boseman, and his influence on this film. It felt cathartic and healing to write this song. We could not be more proud of this musical tribute and the unique collaboration that brought it to life. My deepest thanks go to Ryan Coogler, a true visionary and great friend, who created one of the most unique films of our time.”
Son Lux
Nominated for: best original score for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The trio’s Ryan Lott was also nominated for best original song for “This Is a Life,” which he co-wrote with David Byrne and Mitski.
Nominations history: This is their first nomination.
“2!?!?!? As if the joy of helping to make this wonderful and weird movie wasn’t enough, we are ecstatic to be nominated for our score, and for the song we wrote with David Byrne & Mitski for the film. While our belief in Everything Everywhere All at Once is boundless, receiving an Oscar nomination, let alone 2, wasn’t on our radar of possibility in this universe. Thank you to The Academy for this enormous honor!!!
“Thank you (and congrats!!!) to the entire EEAAO family, to A24, and to our own families and friends who fueled us with their love and support. Thank you to our managers Michael Kaufmann & Hannah Beatrice, and to the many musicians who joined us in the studio and through the internet to bring this music alive in whatever way possible.
“And of course, a very tearful thank you to our two dads, the daniels [directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert].
❤️❤️❤️ — Ryan, Ian, & Rafiq”
Carter Burwell
Nominated for best original score for The Banshees of Inisherin
Nominations history: This is his third nomination in the category, following nods for Carol (2015) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
“It’s an honor to be nominated for Original Score for The Banshees of Inisherin with these other wonderful composers. It was a good year for film music. And such a joy that the whole cast of our film is nominated, as well as Mikkel [E.G. Nielsen] for the editing which set the pace for so much of my music. But most of all, I’m so grateful Martin McDonagh made this odd film, the opposite of a crowd-pleaser, which nonetheless is pleasing crowds.
Volker Bertelmann
Nominated for: best original score for All Quiet on the Western Front
Nominations history: This is his second nomination in the category. He was previously nominated for Lion (2016), on which he collaborated with Dustin O’Halloran. (Bertelmann was credited under the name Hauscha on that film.)
“I am excited and honored to be nominated for an Oscar. To be part of such a well-crafted and meaningful film means a lot to me. The collaboration with director Edward Berger was always based on being experimental and with a lot of freedom. I am very thankful for that. Congrats to Edward, producer Malte Grunert and the entire team on all their nominations.”
M.M. Keeravani
Nominated for: best original song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR
Nominations history: This is his first nomination.
The 2023 Oscar nominations arrived on Tuesday (Jan. 24) with Rihanna, Lady Gaga and more scoring nods in the race for best original song.
However, for every artist who received a nomination, there’s another who was snubbed. And looking at this year’s Oscars shortlist, we want to know who you think should’ve received a nod for best original song, but ultimately didn’t.
Only five of the 15 songs on the shortlist made the final cut, leaving tracks from Amsterdam (Giveon‘s “Time”), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (“Ciao Papa”), White Noise (“New Body Rhumba”) and more out in the cold.
Do you think “Carolina” — Taylor Swift‘s mournful acoustic dirge from Where the Crawdads Sing — should’ve been nominated over, say, Diane Warren’s “Applause” or “Naatu Naatu”? Should The Weeknd have clinched his second career nod for “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from Avatar: The Way of Water after last being up for best original song in 2016 for “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey?
Selena Gomez also made the shortlist with “My Mind & Me,” the vulnerable musical cornerstone of her recent mental health documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, on Apple TV+, while Rita Wilson made the shortlist thanks to “Til You’re Home” from A Man Called Otto.
Did “Good Afternoon,” the big production number led by Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in last year’s instant Christmas classic Spirited, tickle your funny bone? Did Jazmine Sullivan‘s “Stand Up” inspire you to do just that after seeing the Emmett Till biopic Till?
Vote for which shortlisted song you think deserved more recognition from the Academy in Billboard‘s poll below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Countdown to the 2023 Oscars! Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday (Jan. 24), which means that you have less than two months to catch up on nominated films before the 95th annual Academy Awards.
2023 Oscar Nominations: The Complete List
01/24/2023
To give you a head start, we collected a list of Oscar nominated films and where to stream them online. This year’s Oscars will air live on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.
See more below.
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Leading this year’s Oscars race with 11 nominations, including best director, best film, best leading actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best costume design and best original score, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a reality-bending thriller starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Key Hu Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. You can stream Everything Everywhere All At Once for free on Showtime and Prime Video (with a seven-day free trial to Showtime). The movies is also available for rent on Prime Video ($19.99) and other digital platforms.
The Fabelmans – Stephen Spielberg’s semi-autographical, coming-of-age story is about a young boy who falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see The Greatest Show on Earth. Spielberg directed and produced The Fabelmans, starring Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Judd Hirsch. The film is available to buy digitally for $19.99 on Prime Video, Vudu, Red Box, YouTube, Google Play, etc.
Tár – Cate Blanchett plays renowned composer-conductor Lydia Tár in this psychological drama centered in the high-stakes world of classical music.
Prime Video
$free with Prime Membership
Written and directed by Todd Field, Tár earned Oscar nods for best actress, best original screenplay, best cinematography and best film editing. You can rent or buy Tár on Prime Video (from $5.99 and up).
Elvis – From humble beginnings to music icon. Elvis explores the King’s “unprecedented rise to fame” with Austin Butler starring as the singer-songwriter and Tom Hanks portraying his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh and Olivia DeJonge also star.
Co-written and directed by Bazz Lurhman, Elvis received five Oscar nominations including a best actor nomination for Butler.
The Batman — Robert Pattinson transforms into the caped crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The film, which landed three nominations, also stars Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Jayme Lawson, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell.
HBO Max
$from $9.99
Other Oscar-nominated films streaming on HBO Max: Navalny, Empire of Light, Banshees of Inisherin and All That Breathes.
Top Gun: Maverick — Tom Cruise returns to the pilot’s seat in Top Gun: Maverick. The star reprises his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, made famous in the original Top Gun, alongside a cast of new and familiar faces.
Top Gun: Maverick — starring Cruise, Miles Tiller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer — has raked in more than $1 billion worldwide and nabbed six Oscar nominations. The action-packed film was released on Paramount+ late last year.
Paramount+
$4.99/month after free 7-day trial
In addition to streaming free on Paramount, Top Gun: Maverick is also streaming on Prime Video and other digital platforms.
Turning Red – This family-friendly animated film from Domi Shi is about a 13-year-old girl who transforms into a giant red panda when she gets upset or overwhelmed. The Disney/Pixar film starring Rosalie Chiang, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jordan Fisher, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse and James Hong landed an Oscar nod for best animated feature film. Stream it free with a subscription to Disney+.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Coming soon! You’ll have to wait another week until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever drops on Disney+ on Feb. 1.
Disney+
$9.99/month
Ryan Googler’s MCU masterpiece received five Oscar nominations, including a best actress nod for Angela Bassett (a first for an MCU film) and best original song for Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up.”
Blonde — Ana de Armas scored a best actress nomination for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Andrew Dominik wrote and directed the film, which offers a fictitious take on Monroe’s life and was adapted from a novel of the same name.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio — The director reimagines a timeless story in this Netflix animated feature film about a father who wishes to bring his wooden puppet to life.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – A follow-up to 2022’s Knives Out, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery follows a tech billionaire who invites an eclectic group of friends to his private Greek Island – and of course, someone turns up dead. The star-studded casts includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Daniel Craig, Kate Hudson, Jessica Henwick and Kathryn Hahn.
RRR — Directed by SS Rajamouli, RRR shares the “tale of two legendary revolutionaries” who return home to fight against British colonialist in 1920s India. RRR received three Oscar nominations, including a best original song nod for “Naatu Naatu,” making it the first song from an Indian film to be nominated in the category.
All Quiet on the Western Front – Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, All Quiet on the Western Front shares the harrowing story of a young German soldier serving during World War I. The cast includes Felix Kammerer, Paul Bäumer, Daniel Bruhl, Albrecht Schuch and Aaron Hilmer.
ONLY IN THEATERS
Some of the Oscar-nominated films are only available in theaters, but will make their way to streaming platforms at some point. They include The Whale, starring Brendan Fraser as a reclusive, overweight English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his daughter. Fraser was nominated for best actor for his role in the film.
Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron’s Avatar sequel, has already made $2 billion at the box office. Another Oscar nominated film currently in theaters, Women Talking is based on a true story that was adapted from the Miriam Toews novel of the same name. Loosely based on actual events, Women Talking chronicles the story of women isolated in a religious colony in Canada.
Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday morning (Jan. 24), and a handful of Latin American artists made the list.
Cuban actress Ana de Armas was nominated for her harrowing portrayal of American film icon Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Meanwhile, Mexican film maestro Guillermo del Toro received a nod for best animated feature for his acclaimed stop-motion take on the children’s classic Pinocchio.
His amigo and countryman Alfonso Cuarón was also nominated — in the best short film category — as a producer of Le Pupille. And an Argentine film is up for the best international feature award: Argentina, 1985, directed by Santiago Mitre.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The 95th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and airs live on ABC.
Learn more about the Latin American nominees below (in alphabetical order), and where to watch their films:
ALFONSO CUARÓN
Nomination: Best live-action short film for Le Pupille (The Pupils)
Produced by Cuarón and written and directed by Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher (with whom Cuarón shares the nomination), Le Pupille is a 37-minute drama about a group of rebellious girls at a Catholic boarding school before Christmas in the 1940s, during the war in Italy. It is available on Disney+.
Competes against: An Irish Goodbye, Ivalu, Night Ride and The Red Suitcase.
Cuarón at the Oscars: Cuarón has won four Academy Awards, for best directing and editing in 2014 for Gravity, and for best directing and cinematography in 2019 for Roma. He has received a total of 11 nominations, the first one in 2003 for the original screenplay of Y Tu Mamá También, which he wrote with his brother, Carlos Cuarón.
ANA DE ARMAS
Nomination: Best actress, for Blonde
de Armas convincingly portrays American icon Marilyn Monroe. In Blonde, the Cuban actress — who had already won acclaim for her supporting roles in the blockbusters Knives Out and No Time to Die — offers her most gutsy and heartbreaking performance to date as she transforms into Norma Jean Baker. Written and directed by Andrew Dominik, the Netflix film addresses the personal, romantic and professional life of the person and artist. The Motion Picture Association of America gave it an NC-17 rating for “some sexual content.”
Competes against: Cate Blanchett (Tár), Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans), and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once.)
De Armas at the Oscars: This is the first nomination for the Cuban actress.
ARGENTINA, 1985
Nomination: Best international feature film (formerly known as best foreign language film)
Directed by Santiago Mitre, Argentina, 1985 deals with a historical event that occurred in the South American country that year: the Trial of the Juntas, in which a team of lawyers faced the military dictatorship against all odds. Actors Ricardo Darín and Peter Lanzani play Julio Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo, the legal duo at the center of this event that went down in history as one of the pillars in the transition to democracy in Argentina. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
Competes against: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germant), Close (Belgium), EO (Poland), and The Quiet Girl (Ireland).
Argentina at the Oscars: Argentina, 1985 is the eighth movie from the South American country that competes in this category. Two Argentine films have won the award so far: Luis Puenzo’s The Official Story in 1985, and Juan José Campanella’s The Secret in Their Eyes in 2009.
GUILLERMO DEL TORO
Nomination: Best animated feature film, for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Mexican filmmaker del Toro puts his stamp on the children’s classic about a wooden doll that comes to life in the face of a man’s deep desire to be a father. Beautifully animated in stop-motion, Del Toro’s Pinocchio is much darker than the Disney version, with a grieving father, a character named Mussolini, bombings, and a more visually interesting wooden boy. The cast includes A-listers such as Cate Blanchett, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton and Ron Perlman. Directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson, it can be streamed on Netflix.
Competes against: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Sea Beast, Turning Red.
Del Toro at the Oscars: Winner of two Academy Awards — for best film and direction for The Shape of Water in 2018 — del Toro has been nominated for six Oscars in total. In 2007, he competed for best original script for Pan’s Labyrinth, which also represented Mexico in the international feature film category. Last year he was up for best picture with Nightmare Alley.
OTHER MENTIONS:
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish from DreamWorks, starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, is nominated for best animated feature. And Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, the latest from Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, got one nod for Iranian-French cinematographer Darius Khondji.