Oscars 2025: And the Nominees Are...

Lights, camera, drama! The 97th Academy Awards are officially on their way, and the nominee list has dropped like a blockbuster trailer. With Emilia PΓ©rez leading the pack with a record-breaking 13 nominations (yes, 13! 😲), this year’s Oscars are shaping up to be a showdown of epic proportions. Here’s everything you need to know about the nominees and the excitement brewing for March 2 at the Dolby Theatre. πŸŽ‰

A photo of the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre during the 97th Academy Awards.

Breaking Records

First things first, let’s talk about Emilia PΓ©rez. This French-language musical comedy smashed its way into history by becoming the most-nominated non-English-language film ever. Take that, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma! 

And that’s not all. Wicked and The Brutalist are not far behind, with 10 nominations each. The Substance made waves too, with Coralie Fargeat earning the only female director nomination this year and snagging a writing nomination. Double win! Demi Moore, starring in The Substance, celebrated her first Oscar nomination ever. Talk about iconic. Hollywood really said, "Better late than never."

TimothΓ©e Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) continues to break hearts and records as the youngest two-time Best Actor nominee since James Dean. Somebody give this guy a croissant πŸ₯ already. Also, let’s talk about Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) making waves. Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here) repeated her mother Fernanda Montenegro’s legendary Best Actress nomination from 1999. Mother-daughter legacy goals!

Meanwhile, Colman Domingo is on fire πŸ”₯! He’s become the first Black actor to snag back-to-back Best Actor nominations since Denzel Washington.

Best Picture Nominees πŸ“½️

The big one. The crème de la crème. Here are the films battling it out for the ultimate prize:
  • Anora
  • The Brutalist
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia PΓ©rez
  • I'm Still Here
  • Nickel Boys
  • The Substance
  • Wicked
From musicals (Wicked, Emilia PΓ©rez) to sci-fi epics (Dune: Part Two), and socially charged dramas (Nickel Boys), this year’s lineup is as diverse as it gets.

Acting Categories: Who’s Stealing the Spotlight? πŸŒŸ

Actor in a Leading Role
  • Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
  • TimothΓ©e Chalamet (A Complete Unknown)
  • Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
  • Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
  • Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)
Actress in a Leading Role
  • Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
  • Karla SofΓ­a GascΓ³n (Emilia PΓ©rez)
  • Mikey Madison (Anora)
  • Demi Moore (The Substance)
  • Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here)
Actor in a Supporting Role
  • Yura Borisov (Anora)
  • Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
  • Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)
  • Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
  • Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)
Actress in a Supporting Role
  • Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown)
  • Ariana Grande (Wicked) - yes, she sings AND acts! πŸŽ€✨
  • Felicity Jones (The Brutalist)
  • Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)
  • Zoe SaldaΓ±a (Emilia PΓ©rez)
Animated Feature Film
Animation fans rejoice! These nominees are bringing imagination to life:
  • Flow (Nominees TBD)
  • Inside Out 2 (Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen)
  • Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot, Liz Kearney)
  • Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Nominees TBD)
  • The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann)
🎬 Directing: Visionaries Behind the Camera
These directors have crafted cinematic magic:
  • Jacques Audiard - Emilia PΓ©rez
  • Sean Baker - Anora
  • Brady Corbet - The Brutalist
  • Coralie Fargeat - The Substance
  • James Mangold - A Complete Unknown
Biggest Shocks and Tea πŸΏ
The Oscars aren’t the Oscars without some “Wait, what?!” moments:
  1. Angelina Jolie's performance in Maria didn’t make the cut—surprising, considering its buzz.
  2. Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain was left out of Best Picture despite critical acclaim.
  3. Selena Gomez fans are fuming 😀 over her absence from nominations for Babygirl.
  4. Wicked bagged 10 nominations, but Jon M. Chu’s absence from the Best Director category? Ouch.
  5. Inside Out 2 is back in the animated game, but Spider-Verse fans might be clutching their pearls; no Nominations for Miles Morales and friends this year.
  6. Netflix flexed its streaming muscles with 16 nominations across categories. Clearly, the streamer wars aren’t cooling down anytime soon.
  7. No Best Picture nod for Gladiator II ⚔️? Russell Crowe must be flipping tables.
International Feature Film πŸŽž️
Global cinema is shining bright with these nominees:
  • Brazil - I'm Still Here πŸ‡§πŸ‡·
  • Denmark - The Girl with the Needle πŸ‡©πŸ‡°
  • France - Emilia PΓ©rez πŸ‡«πŸ‡· (also competing in major categories!)
  • Germany - The Seed of the Sacred Fig πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ
  • Latvia - Flow πŸ‡±πŸ‡»
Music Categories ♪♫♪

Original Score
  • Daniel Blumberg - The Brutalist
  • Volker Bertelmann - Conclave
  • ClΓ©ment Ducol & Camille - Emilia PΓ©rez
  • John Powell & Stephen Schwartz - Wicked
  • Kris Bowers - The Wild Robot
Original Song
  • "El Mal" from Emilia PΓ©rez
  • "The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight
  • "Like A Bird" from Sing Sing
  • "Mi Camino" from Emilia PΓ©rez
  • "Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late
Oscars + LA Wildfires: A Somber Note 🌍
Amid all the glitz, there’s a sobering backdrop. The Los Angeles wildfires delayed the nominations announcement and caused tragic losses. The Academy donated $1M for relief efforts, even canceling the nominees’ luncheon. Big kudos for stepping up!

Save the Date! πŸ“…
Beyond the glitz and glam, this year’s nominees reflect a shifting industry—from record-breaking international films to groundbreaking representation—the Oscars are stepping into the future—and we’re here for it! Plus, Conan O’Brien is hosting; get ready for laughs, memes, and maybe a little chaos!

Mark your calendars: March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre. It’s going to be a night to remember.

Who’s your pick? Or better yet, who’s your "I know they won’t win but I love them anyway" favorite? (We all have one—no judgment! πŸ˜‚)

Share your thoughts (and bets) below! Let’s see who’s got the Oscar sixth sense this year! πŸ†

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