It’s that time of year once again, as theOscarsnominations for the 93rd Academy Awards have now been announced courtesy of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. David Fincher’sMankleads the pack with a total of 10 nodes, while director Chloé Zhao’s captivating dramaNomadlandhas had a lot of momentum this awards season, winning Best Picture at the Critics' Choice Awards and Best Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes, with the movie expected to do well at this year’s Oscars.
Still, therace for Best Picturethis year remains a close one, with the likes ofThe Father,Judas and the Black Messiah,Mank,Minari,Promising Young Woman,Sound of Metal, andThe Trial of the Chicago 7all in contention for the coveted award.
All eyes will also be on theBest Actor awardthis year, withBlack Panterstar Chadwick Boseman the favorite to be posthumously recognized for his work in Netflix’sMa Rainey’s Black Bottom. Boseman has so far won several awards for his work in the 1920s drama, winning both the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe.
Alongside Boseman are Riz Ahmed forSound of Metal, Steven Yeun forMinari, and seasoned actors Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman for their performances inThe FatherandMankrespectively. For Best Actress, Boseman’s co-star andMa Rainey’s Black Bottomlead Viola Davis is another favorite totake home the award, with the rest of the category including Andra DayThe United States vs. Billie Holiday, Vanessa Kirby forPieces of a Woman, Frances McDormand forNomadland, and Carey Mulligan forPromising Young Woman.
For the first time,The Academy Awardshas nominated two women for Best Director, withNomadland’sChloé Zhao andPromising Young Womandirector Emerald Fennell both in contention for the award. The category also features David Fincher forMank,Minaridirector Lee Isaac Chung and, in a surprising nod, Thomas Vinterberg for his work on the comedy drama and International Film nomineeAnother Roundstarring Mads Mikkelsen.
Due to the ongoing global situation and the major affect it has had on the movie industry, things are a little different this year, with the 93rd Academy Awards having been rescheduled and pushed back from 28 February to 21 June 2025. This change in date led to a change to the Oscar’s eligibility criteria, with the 31 December deadline extended to 28 February, meaning that movies that may not have qualified in an ordinary year, as well as movies that were delayed due to the circumstances, can now be recognized for awards.
“For more than a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring and entertaining us during the darkest of times,” said Academy president David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson in a statement regarding the date change. “They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalised for something beyond anyone’s control.”
Other than being rescheduled, the Academy Awards are aiming for some normality by the time the ceremony comes around, with the 93rd Academy Awards event due to go ahead in-person as opposed to virtually. “The Oscars in-person telecast will happen,” a rep from the Academy and ABC has revealed about their plan for the event to go ahead in as normal a manner as possible. The Oscars ceremony is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on April 25 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT and will air on ABC.
