‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Oscars with 13 nods, ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Brutalist’ hit 10

Photo : Reuters

This year’s Oscar nominations were announced after a tough time for Los Angeles, which faced big wildfires recently. Despite these challenges, the film industry came together to celebrate the best movies. Jacques Audiard’s movie **“Emilia Pérez”** became the top favorite with 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón. She made history as the first openly transgender actor to get an Oscar nomination. The movie also got nods for directing, screenplay, two original songs, and a supporting actress nomination for Zoe Saldaña. Audiard said he felt proud that the film celebrated a connected, global world.

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Netflix, which supported the film, has never won a Best Picture Oscar before. Movies like “Roma” and “The Irishman” got nominations earlier but didn’t win. Many believe **“Emilia Pérez”** could finally bring Netflix its first Best Picture win. This film also broke records as the most-nominated non-English movie ever.

Another big hit this year is **“Wicked,”** a musical based on the famous story of “The Wizard of Oz.” Directed by Jon M. Chu, it received 10 nominations, including Best Picture, with acting nods for its leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Brady Corbet’s film **“The Brutalist,”** a story about life after the war, also got 10 nominations. Actors Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and Felicity Jones were all recognized for their performances.

The Best Picture category this year included movies like **“Dune: Part Two,”** **“Anora,”** **“Wicked,”** and **“Emilia Pérez.”** Some surprising movies made it too, like Brazil’s **“I’m Still Here,”** a story about fighting against dictatorship, and RaMell Ross’s **“Nickel Boys,”** which explores the struggles of Black people. Ross said he wanted his movie to start important conversations.

The Best Actress category is very competitive this year. Demi Moore’s performance in **“The Substance”** is a strong contender. Other nominees include Cynthia Erivo for **“Wicked,”** Karla Sofía Gascón for **“Emilia Pérez,”** Fernanda Torres for **“I’m Still Here,”** and Mikey Madison for **“Anora.”** Some well-known actresses, like Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie, didn’t make it to the list this time.

In the Best Actor category, Timothée Chalamet got a nomination for playing Bob Dylan in **“A Complete Unknown.”** Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan also made the list. Sebastian Stan was praised for his role as a young Donald Trump in **“The Apprentice,”** showing Trump’s early career. Jeremy Strong, who played Trump’s mentor, also got a nomination.

For directing, Coralie Fargeat became one of the few women nominated for her movie **“The Substance.”** Other nominees were Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Brady Corbet, and James Mangold. Some were surprised that Edward Berger, who directed the movie **“Conclave,”** didn’t get nominated.

The wildfires earlier this year delayed the Oscar announcements. The fires caused a lot of damage in Los Angeles, and many people questioned if the Oscars should happen. The Academy decided to go ahead to show strength and unity. Some events, like the nominees’ lunch, were canceled, and song performances were dropped. Conan O’Brien, whose house was almost destroyed in the fires, will host the ceremony.

This year’s nominations show a mix of big blockbuster movies like **“Wicked”** and **“Dune: Part Two”** and smaller, independent films. The Oscars will happen on March 2, and it’s still unclear which movie will win Best Picture. Despite the challenges, this year’s nominations highlight the power of storytelling and the strength of Hollywood to keep moving forward.