After many delays caused by the coronavirus, the 93rd Oscar ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 25th. Besides being the first Oscars taking in the palace in the midst of a pandemic, it is accompanied by many other firsts and twists.
“Mank” leads the nominations with a stunning ten nominations. Leading behind with six nominations each is “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Nomadland,” “Sound of Metal,” “The Father,” “Minari” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut, “Promising Young Woman” is also heavily recognized with five nominations.
Past Oscars have the Best Director category mostly filled with men, with few women being recognized. This year is the first time two women have been nominated for Best Director. Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) and Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”). Nomadland’s director is also the first Chinese woman, and woman of color to be recognized in this category.
Zhao has already taken home multiple awards, including a Golden Globe so far. Usually, many people use the Golden Globes as a map as to what to expect in the Oscars, especially last year. In the 2020 Golden Globes it was an almost exact prediction, With Joaquin Phoenix winning Best Actor for “Joker” and Brad Pitt winning Best Supporting Actor in “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” accompanied by Best Actress Renee Zellweger in “Judy”.
After last year’s pinpointing of the Oscars, many this year were expecting a similar event. However, the ceremony awarded Jodie Foster as Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “The Mauritanian.” A movie that did not even receive a nomination from the Academy.
The Best Supporting Actress category for the Oscars is filled with many differing opinions. Glenn Close received a nomination for “Hillbilly Elegy.” This came as a surprise, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie a low 26%. She was also nominated for a Razzie Award in the same year. The Razzies is a parody award show that “honor what the group deems the most abysmal films and performances that Hollywood has to offer.” (usatoday.com) She made notable history in a less positive way, becoming one of only 11 others who have been nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie.
Other performances in the Best Supporting Actress category are deemed as more hopeful for predictions. Olivia Coleman received a nom for “The Father.” She has received an Oscar for Best Actress in 2019 for “The Favourite.”
Amanda Seyfried is also nominated for the leading movie of the year “Mank.”
The Best Actor category also made history this year. Riz Ahmed (“Sound Of Metal”) and Steven Yeun (“Minari”) made it the first time two people of Asian descent were nominated in the same year.
The nominations that came out on March 15th made many new milestones for diversity in The Oscars, something that was long overdue. As the ceremony comes up, many people are waiting to see who takes home the awards.