The Big Apple might be the city that doesn’t sleep, but this morning the City of Angels was abuzz bright and early for the announcement of the 97th Academy Award nominations.
This time-honored event was delayed twice due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, with creatives such as Jean Smart, Rosanna Arquette, and Stephen King calling for them to be canceled because of the disaster.
The Oscars ceremony will go on despite those pleas, but organizers have promised a more subdued event. Here’s what to know about the 2025 Oscar nominations announcement:
Who made the announcement?
At 5:30 a.m. PT, funny people Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang had the honors of announcing the nominees.
In the lead-up to the announcement, films such as The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez, Anora, Conclave, Wicked: Part One, and A Complete Unknown were favored for nominations.
When is the Oscars ceremony?
Hollywood’s big night is scheduled for March 2, with Conan O’Brien serving as host. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did cancel the traditional Oscars nominees luncheon because of the fires.
Which movie got the most nomination?
Emilia Pérez led the pack with 13 nominations, making it the most nominated non-English language film in Oscar history. This French production of a Spanish-language film tells the story of a Mexican cartel leader who hires a lawyer to help them disappear while transitioning to a woman. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the musical crime drama does not fit neatly into any one box.
In fact, 2025 could be considered the year of musicals as Wicked: Part One follows with 10 nominations. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the Broadway adaptation tells the untold story of the so-called Wicked Witch of the West, whose name Elphaba is a tribute to The Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum.
While there is no singing and dancing in Edward Berger’s thriller Conclave, it still managed to score 10 nominations. This Focus Feature flick portrays Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes, trying to elect a new pope while discovering the candidates’ dark secrets along the way.
Notable snubs and surprises
As always, the Oscar nominations had a few shocking admissions and omissions. Most critics did not expect Nickel Boys or I’m Still Here to nab Best Picture slots, instead favoring Sing Sing and A Real Pain in their predictions.
Daniel Craig and Jamie Lee Curtis’s absence from Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories was also notable. The former was the most uncertain category.
Fernanda Torres’s recent surprise Golden Globe win may have pushed her over the edge to secure the Best Actress Oscar nomination for I’m Still Here. She beat out Nicole Kidman and Marianne Jean-Baptiste to do so.
Historic firsts
Actress Karla Sofía Gascó’s beautiful work as the title character of Emilia Perez secured her a Best Actress nomination. Win or lose, she will go down in history as the first openly trans actress to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Diane Warren beat her own record with her nomination in the Original Song category. Her name has appeared 16 times and she is now on a eight-year streak. Her latest offering “The Journey” is found in the end credits of Tyler Perry’s Netflix movie The Six Triple Eight.
Here’s a quick list of some of the big Oscar nominations. You can view the complete list from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences website.
Best Supporting Actor
- Yura Borisov – Anora
- Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
- Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
- Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
- Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Best Supporting Actress
- Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
- Ariana Grande – Wicked
- Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
- Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
- Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Best Actor
- Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
- Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
- Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
- Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
- Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Best Actress
- Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
- Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
- Mikey Madison – Anora
- Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Best Director
- Sean Baker – Anora
- Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
- James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
- Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
- Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Best Picture
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- I’m Still Here
- Nickel Boys
- The Substance
- Wicked