Oscars 2025 : Nominations Previewed
The award nominations will be presented later as multiple films compete to lead next season’s Oscars without a clear top pick yet.
Blockbusters such as Wicked and Dune:
The Oscar nominations for these films along with Dune: Part Two and Wicked will become public at lunchtime when the shortlist is introduced.
The Academy postponed the announcement because they extended voting to give members more time to submit ballots after Los Angeles wildfires affected nominations.
US comedian Conan O’Brien will host the Academy Awards ceremony that happens on March 2nd.
Two musicals lead with two superstar pop stars plus Sebastian Stan, ‘Succession’ stars and seasoned actresses competing this year.
Here are important details to watch for when the Academy unveils its nomination list.
Comeback queens
After a break from awards competition Pamela Anderson and Demi Moore have joined the race with her films The Last Showgirl and The Substance.
Several top actresses returned to compete in the best actress category this year after taking extended absences from award season.
Demi Moore leads with her The Substance role as a female who trades her body to obtain a younger more attractive physique.
Various audiences praise Pamela Anderson’s dedicated emotional work in The Last Showgirl which earned her SAG and Golden Globe nominations despite her younger years.
39 years after her major award nomination for her role opposite Mike Leigh in Secrets & Lies ,Marianne Jean-Baptiste bets on a nomination for Hard Truths.
Despite Angelina Jolie’s continued fame she depends on a comeback story. After several years out of the running she now enters the Oscar race with her role as opera singer Maria Callas. Over the past couple of weeks she failed to win acting awards at other film events.
Sebastian Stan stars in two roles at once
StudioCanal released footage showing Sebastian Stan performing as Donald Trump during The Apprentice seasons
The Apprentice cast Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump during this real estate mogul’s New York executive phase.
Midfield contender Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) might reclaim his nomination thanks to his performance as a Hungarian architect who works for a rich American. Following his Oscar win from The Pianist Brody did not receive a nomination again until 2003.
The nomination race includes Timothée Chalamet for his role as young Bob Dylan and Colman Domingo as a prisoner from Sing Sing.
Former Conclave star Ralph Fiennes could be nominated because he plays a Roman Cardinal who selects Popes while Daniel Craig might be recognized for his role as a gay man who wants to find the plant with special telepathic abilities.
For his winning role in A Different Man and his memorable part as a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice, Sebastian Stan might earn Academy Award consideration.
Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande can both stake their claims to the supporting actress nomination
The past 15 years achieved two prominent pop stars can compete for supporting actress. Ariana Grande stands as a guaranteed nominee for her Glinda part in Wicked.
Despite less certainty Selena Gomez has a chance to earn her first Oscar nomination through her character Emilia Pérez who transforms from drug lord’s wife to male crime lord.
The award scene shows strong favor for Actress Zoe Saldaña to claim victory in her category. Earlier this month she won the Golden Globe and now studios enjoy working with her after her success in hit films like Avatar and the Marvel films.
Besides Zoe Saldaña the race includes other strong competitors in Felicity Jones ,Jessica Rossellini , Margaret Qualley and Jamie Lee Curtis.
The awards could go to actresses Danielle Deadwyler from “The Piano Lesson” as well as Monica Barbaro from “A Complete Unknown” and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor from “Nickel Boys.” Because precursor societies issue nominations independently this field depends heavily on unpredictability.
For best supporting actor Kieran Culkin leads with his performance in HBO’s Succession as snarky Roman Roy.
He might win a nomination for his strong work in A Real Pain through his exceptional performance as two cousins who traveled across Poland to honor their grandmother.
Although his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong appears with him as Roy Cohn, Culkin remains in competition for Outstanding Performance in The Apprentice as attorney Roy Cohn who taught Donald Trump.
Borisov (Anora) and Norton (Complete Unknown) join Pearce (The Brutalist) and Maclin (Sing Sing) as potential supporting actors alongside Culkin and Strong.
How about Sarah Snook who plays their fictional sister in Succession? She is nominated for Best Picture but not for her acting work. The Australian narrator plays the central role in the fascinating animated movie Memoir of a Snail.
Competitive categories
Erivo needs one more Oscar win to complete all major entertainment awards while Gascón becomes the first transgender actor to gain a nominations in show business history
Even though Jolie Moore Anderson and Jean-Baptiste returned to acting this year they must contend with intense competition they face in their lead actress category.
For her gripping portrait of a New York stripper who meets the son of a Russian billionaire Mikey Madison stands out as another possible winner.
Cynthia Erivo joins Wicked Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba, bringing her EGOT-winning status closer to reality. The British performer needs one more Oscar to become an EGOT winner with all four industry awards.
Despite winning a Golden Globe Fernanda Torres remains a candidate through her subtle portrayal of a Brazilian woman who pursues her husband’s congressional disappearance.
Mexican actress Emilia Pérez could get attention for her portrayal of a cartel leader who moves from crime life into trans woman existence.
The nomination would make Gascón the first trans person ever to compete in acting categories during the ceremony. Elliot Page received his Academy Award acknowledgment with Juno in 2008 two major years before beginning his transition.
Robbie Williams won’t make it into the list
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not accept Robbie Williams’ song submission for evaluation.
The CGI chimp representation of Robbie Williams in Better Man should have put him in line for Oscar consideration this year.
The singer made the final 15 by submitting Forbidden Road from the film’s soundtrack to the best original song category.
However his song failed to achieve nomination status because it featured substantial portions from another composition that did not originate in the movie.
According to sources Forbidden Road was disqualified because it closely mirrored I Got A Name from Jim Croce’s 1973 soundtrack in The Last American Hero.
The Six Triple Eight, Challengers, The Wild Robot, Blitz receive nominations alongside two numbers from Emilia Pérez in place of Forbidden Road.
A fresh directing line-up
Directing newcomer Coralie Fargeat entered the Best Director race through nominations at Bafta and Golden Globes.
Oscars recipients Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson regularly return to this category with their films.
During this year’s awards ceremony all five top director nominees would be Academy newcomers.
Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Edward Berger (Conclave), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) and Sean Baker (Anora) are expected to receive their first-ever Oscar director nomination.
Coralie Fargeat (The Substance), RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) will compete at the Oscars as first-time nominees.
Even the less likely contenders, such as Jon M Chu (Wicked), Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Directors Mohammad Rasoulof and Payal Kapadia will earn their first nominations in this category.
Dune: Dune Part Two will have strong best picture potential thanks to the talent of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya
Despite missing out on Barbie and Oppenheimer this year several other blockbuster films still have strong possibilities at the Oscars.
The hit movies in 2024 show Wicked ‘s likely best movie nominee but Gladiator II‘s inevitable pass.
Other sequels which cleaned up financially include Dune: The second Dune sequel is expected to earn multiple Oscar nominations including best picture alongside technical categories.
The Academy may pick The Wild Robot as one of the animated titles for the 2024 award together with Inside Out 2 that led all films in its box office run.
The number of moviegoers doesn’t imply everything. The acclaimed Latvian film Flow defeated Hollywood’s animated blockbusters to win at the Golden Globe awards because of its moving story about a cat working with animals to survive a flood.
What makes picking the Best Picture winner so difficult?
Ralph Fiennes shows his BlackBear power in his role at Conclave as the star.
People love the movie Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes and would likely support him during the preferential ballot selection roundup
Just before the Oscars in 2024 a single film often dominates awards season but this year Oppenheimer stands out less. No clear favorite exists this year unlike past celebrations.
Events that come before the Oscars recognize successful films with their awards. Based on current trends and preferences any of the six remaining contenders can win the top prize at the end of the awards season.
The Brutalist and Emilia Perez secured both major film awards at the Golden Globe ceremony and they both possess dedicated following groups.
Conclave and Anora earn numerous fans across voting groups because of their broad appeal so they could gain advantage through the preference voting system.
Despite limited momentum A Complete Unknown and Wicked remain potential winners because of their high ratings at SAG elections and financial performance.
The Academy announced the 92nd annual Oscar nominees at the Beverly Hilton hotel on January 5, 2025.
Colman Domingo presented his potential Oscar nomination after appearing at the Golden Globes as a Sing Sing prison inmate.
Nominations will be announced at 13:30 GMT streaming starts on both BBC News and the Academy’s sites plus their social profiles.
A smaller in-person ceremony was canceled because of wildfire concerns so the awards will now be presented through virtual platforms.