97th Oscar noms are in: Cynthia Erivo makes Oscar history with second career Best Actress nomination
Hosted by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott the 97th Oscar nominations were announced today, in Los Angeles, CA.
Cynthia Erivo made Oscar history on Thursday morning with her nomination for Best Actress in Wicked. She is now only the second African American woman to earn multiple nominations in this category, joining Viola Davis in this rare accomplishment.
Erivo stars as Elphaba Thropp, the iconic Wicked Witch of the West, in director Jon M. Chu’s lavish adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. This marks Erivo’s second Best Actress nomination, following her performance in Harriet (2019), which also earned her a nod for Best Original Song for “Stand Up,” cowritten with Joshuah Brian Campbell.
Wicked received 10 Oscar nominations this year, including a Best Supporting Actress nod for Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, further solidifying the film as a major contender this awards season. Erivo’s co-nominees at the this year’s Oscars are Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here).
Colman Domingo was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Sing Sing. RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes were nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Nickel Boys at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 23 categories beginning Tuesday, February 11, through Tuesday, February 18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and airs live in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Best Picture Race: A Diverse Lineup: For a complete list of nominees, visit www.oscars.org.
The nominees for Best Motion Picture of the Year showcase a wide range of genres, stories, and talents. Leading the pack are:
“Anora” (Neon): Produced by Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker, all receiving their first-ever Best Picture nomination.
“The Brutalist” (A24): With nominees yet to be determined, this highly anticipated film adds intrigue to the race.
“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight): Produced by Fred Berger, James Mangold, and Alex Heineman. This marks the second Best Picture nomination for Berger (La La Land, 2016) and Mangold (Ford v Ferrari, 2019), while it is Heineman’s first.
“Conclave” (Focus Features): Producers Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, and Michael A. Jackman are all first-time nominees.
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.): Producers Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Denis Villeneuve receive nominations, with Parent earning her third nod (“The Revenant,” 2015; “Dune,” 2021) and Villeneuve his second (“Dune,” 2021).
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix): Setting a record with 13 nominations, this French-language musical drama becomes the most-nominated non-English language film in Oscar history.
“I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics): Another non-English language standout with nominations to be determined.
“Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios): Nominees are yet to be announced.
“The Substance” (MUBI): Directed by Coralie Fargeat, this film continues the trend of women helming Best Picture nominees.
“Wicked” (Universal): Marc Platt earns his fourth nomination, following “Bridge of Spies” (2015), “La La Land” (2016), and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020).
This year marks the first time since 1968 that two musicals (“Emilia Pérez” and “Wicked”) are competing for Best Picture.
Record-Breaking Achievements
“Emilia Pérez” sets new benchmarks for non-English language cinema, becoming the 10th film to earn simultaneous nominations for International Feature Film and Best Picture. Notably, “Parasite” (2019) remains the only film to win both.
Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”) becomes the first person nominated for Directing and Original Song in the same year.
Diane Warren earns her 16th nomination for Original Song with “The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight,” tying Paul Francis Webster and continuing her eight-year streak of nominations.
Spotlight on Acting Categories
This year’s acting nominations celebrate both fresh faces and seasoned performers:
Thirteen actors, including Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, and Zoe Saldaña, are first-time nominees.
Colman Domingo earns a nomination for the second consecutive year, while Adrien Brody returns as a previous acting winner.
Three performances in non-English language films are recognized: Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) and Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”), continuing the trend of international representation in acting categories.
Animation and Documentary Standouts
“Flow,” an animated feature, joins “Waltz with Bashir” (2008) and “Flee” (2021) as the only animated films nominated for International Feature Film.
Chris Sanders ties the record for most nominations in Animated Feature Film with four, matching Pete Docter and Hayao Miyazaki.
Eric Nyari earns dual nominations in the documentary categories for “Black Box Diaries” and “Instruments of a Beating Heart,” a rare feat last achieved in 1994.
Notable Dates and Final Thoughts
Key releases leading up to Oscar season include “Dune: Part Two” (February 29), “The Substance” (September 18), and “The Brutalist” (December 20). With its blend of first-time nominees, record-setting milestones, and a continued focus on diversity, the 2025 Oscars are shaping up to be a landmark year for cinema. The winners will be announced during the ceremony on March 30, 2025.
Stay tuned for more coverage as Hollywood’s biggest night approaches.
NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY — 97TH AWARDS
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Adrien Brody in “The Brutalist” (A24)
Timothée Chalamet in “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight)
Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing” (A24)
Ralph Fiennes in “Conclave” (Focus Features)
Sebastian Stan in “The Apprentice” (Briarcliff Entertainment/Rich Spirit)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Yura Borisov in “Anora” (Neon)
Kieran Culkin in “A Real Pain” (Searchlight)
Edward Norton in “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight)
Guy Pearce in “The Brutalist” (A24)
Jeremy Strong in “The Apprentice” (Briarcliff Entertainment/Rich Spirit)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cynthia Erivo in “Wicked” (Universal)
Karla Sofía Gascón in “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
Mikey Madison in “Anora” (Neon)
Demi Moore in “The Substance” (MUBI)
Fernanda Torres in “I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Monica Barbaro in “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight)
Ariana Grande in “Wicked” (Universal)
Felicity Jones in “The Brutalist” (A24)
Isabella Rossellini in “Conclave” (Focus Features)
Zoe Saldaña in “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
Best animated feature film of the year
“Flow” (Sideshow/Janus Films) – Nominees to be determined
“Inside Out 2” (Walt Disney) – Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen
“Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) – Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix) – Nominees to be determined
“The Wild Robot” (Universal) – Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann
Best animated short film
“Beautiful Men” (Miyu Distribution) – Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande
“In the Shadow of the Cypress” – Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi
“Magic Candies” (Toei Animation) – Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio
“Wander to Wonder” (Miyu Distribution) – Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper
“Yuck!” (Miyu Distribution) – Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet
Achievement in cinematography
“The Brutalist” (A24) – Lol Crawley
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) – Greig Fraser
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) – Paul Guilhaume
“Maria” (Netflix) – Ed Lachman
“Nosferatu” (Focus Features) – Jarin Blaschke
Achievement in costume design
“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight) – Arianne Phillips
“Conclave” (Focus Features) – Lisy Christl
“Gladiator II” (Paramount) – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
“Nosferatu” (Focus Features) – Linda Muir
“Wicked” (Universal) – Paul Tazewell
Achievement in directing
“Anora” (Neon) – Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” (A24) – Brady Corbet
“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight) – James Mangold
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) – Jacques Audiard
“The Substance” (MUBI) – Coralie Fargeat
Best documentary feature film
“Black Box Diaries” (MTV Documentary Films)
A Hanashi Films/Cineric Creative/Star Sands Production – Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari, and Hanna Aqvilin
“No Other Land”
An Antipode Films Production – Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham
“Porcelain War” (Picturehouse)
A Songbird Studios/Imaginary Lane Production – Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska, and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber)
An Onomatopee Films/Warboys Films Production – Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius, and Rémi Grellety
“Sugarcane” (National Geographic Documentary Films)
A Hedgehog Films/Kassie Films/Impact Partners/Fit Via Vi Production – Nominees to be determined
Achievement in film editing
“Anora” (Neon) – Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” (A24) – David Jancso
“Conclave” (Focus Features) – Nick Emerson
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) – Juliette Welfling
“Wicked” (Universal) – Myron Kerstein
Best international feature film of the year
“I’m Still Here” (Brazil) – A VideoFilmes Produções Artísticas Production
“The Girl with the Needle” (Denmark) – A Nordisk Film Creative Alliance Production
“Emilia Pérez” (France) – A Pathé Production
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Germany) – A Run Way Pictures Production
“Flow” (Latvia) – A Dream Well Studio Production
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