Everything Everywhere All At Once leads the pack of Oscar nominations, with the blockbuster winning the Best Picture category.
The worldwide cult indie sci-fi has 11 nominations, followed by “Inisherin” and “All Quiet on the Western Front” with nine nominations each.
Asian and Irish talent shined in the acting categories, and it was a particularly successful year for first-time nominees, with 16 of 20 first-time nominees.
Somewhat unusually, the prestigious Best Picture category includes films that were widely viewed by the public and did well at the box office, with “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Top Gun” and “Elvis Presley” all included.
In monetary terms, Avatar smashed global box office records with over $2bn (£1.6bn), Top Gun $1.5bn (£1.2bn) and Elvis over $280m (£230m) .
A common complaint about the Oscars is that the films chosen by critics and industry insiders don’t always align with public opinion — but that could be very different this year.
all about the sequel
In another first for the category, two sequels were nominated — “Top Gun” and “Avatar.” Only eight sequels have been selected in the history of the Oscars, and two have never been selected in a year before.
Last year, the best picture category was expanded to 10 films in order to open it up to genres not normally considered Oscar material.
Despite predictions that the streaming giant could crowd out traditional movie releases, and last year’s winner – Coda – from Apple TV+, this year’s top category has just one streamer – Netflix (All Quiet).
Other Best Picture winners include “The Fabermans,” “Tar,” “A Woman Speaks” and “The Sad Triangle.”
Which actors got the nod?
While fledgling rookies and Asian and Irish stars shined, it wasn’t the best year for British talent with only Bill Nighy and Andrea Riseborough making the cut.
The Best Actor category has five first-time nominees, including Nighy, 73, for his portrayal of a conservative businessman learning to enjoy life.
Irish stars Colin Farrell and Paul Mescal also advanced, with nominations for “The Enisherin” and “After the Sun,” respectively. They will face off against American stars Brendan Fraser as the Whale and Austin Butler as Elvis Presley.
Ahead of the announcement, there were high hopes for Fraser, who is returning to the big screen after a nearly 20-year absence, dubbed “Brenaissance.”
Ahead of the nominations, Fraser told Sky News: “Award stuff, it’s new to me but we’re all bubbly and happy and giddy and happy about it, with our hands crossed and our best hopes for success. . But who knows what the outcome will be. But I’m confident and I think we have a chance to get to the finish line early.”
In the Best Actress race, five-time nominee Michelle Williams is hoping this year will be her chance, especially after she is credited with playing Spielberg’s fictional mother Mitz in Spielberg’s solo film. After Faberman was considered Best Actress instead of Best Supporting Actress. Movie.
Ahead of the nomination, Williams told Sky News: “I do it for my own sense of fulfillment, sense of purpose and self-esteem, and I want to feel from the bottom of my heart that I have contributed to this job, which I have done for 30 years. For years, that’s the only thing I’ve ever done. It’s always been about doing something new, doing something I couldn’t do before. Expanding, pushing my capabilities a little bit, that’s the thrill I get.”
In the Best Actress category, Williams will compete against Cate Blanchett for the Tars, first-time nominee Michelle Yeoh for “Everywhere,” Ana de Armas for “Blonde,” and Ender Rhea Riseborough was nominated for “To Leslie.”
Riseborough’s nomination came as a shock to many, whose film — about an alcoholic seeking redemption after squandering her lottery winnings and abandoning her son — was made on a modest budget, shooting in just 19 days.
In recent weeks, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston and Amy Adams, among many other Hollywood stars, have Endorsements for it – a last-minute push that apparently worked.
banshee continues to impress
Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees is a comedy about a man who’s overwhelmed after his best friend kicks him to the curb — in supporting actor Success continued in the category, with Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon all scoring nods.
In the Best Supporting Actor category, Glesson and Keoghan will face off against Fabelmans with former child stars Ke Huy Quan’s Everything Everywhere, Brian Tyree Henry’s Causeway and Judd Hirsch (the only actor previously nominated in this category).
In the Best Supporting Actress category, Condon will be up against Angela Bassett, in addition to the 2021 nomination following the death of Chadwick Boseman, who Bassett’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” marks the first acting nomination for a Marvel film.
The other best supporting actress nominees are Hong Zhou in “The Whale,” and Jamie Lee Curtis and Seo Soo-yeon in “Everywhere” — again, first-time nominees.
female director snubbed
The all-male best director slate means that while women have won the category two years in a row (Chloe Zhao in 2021 and Jane Campion in 2022), it won’t be a woman taking the crown this year.
Spielberg and Macdonald, two former Oscar winners who are nominated in parallel categories at other shows, will continue to compete for best director.
The other contenders for the best director Oscar are Todd Field’s “Tar,” Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively “The Daniels”) Everywhere” and Ruben Ostlund’s “The Triangle of Sadness.”
Oscar-winning actor and producer Riz Ahmed and actress Allison Williams announced the nominations in 23 categories.
When and Where Can I Watch the Real Oscars?
Three hundred and one films are eligible for this year’s awards, which will be presented in March in a star-studded ceremony hosted by American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
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All nominated films must have been released in commercial theaters in at least one of the six major U.S. metropolitan areas between January 1 and December 31 of last year.
They must also complete races on the same track for at least 7 consecutive days and must run for more than 40 minutes.
You can watch the Academy Awards exclusively on the Sky Showcase from midnight on Sunday, March 12.
Sky News will be live from the red carpet of the Hollywood Awards on Sunday 12 March and join the winners at the Vanity Fair Party with Breakfast with Kay Burley on Monday 13 March.