The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards were announced this morning. Roma and The Favourite lead the pack in nominations, with 10 each. The Best Picture category has eight nominees this time around, with Black Panther becoming the first film of the superhero genre to garner a nomination. Among the snubs being discussed are no nomination for Bradley Cooper for directing A Star Is Born. After considerable conservative whining prior to its release, Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic First Man received no nominations in the major categories, and Emily Blunt did not get any recognition for either A Quiet Place or Marry Poppins Returns.
These awards have not been without controversy. In previous years, the Oscars have been plagued with issues surrounding the diversity of the nominees, as well as the demographics of the voters for the Academy, which is about as white and old as the electorate for the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary. There is no announced host for next month’s ceremony, after previous homophobic tweets by comedian Kevin Hart forced his withdrawal. Then there was a public will-he-or-won’t-he return publicity blitz, which involved a controversial appearance on Ellen.
Two of the films nominated for Best Picture have been the subject of online debates. Green Book has been beset by questions over accuracy, as well as past comments by co-writer Nick Vallelonga defending and supporting Donald Trump’s claim of Muslims celebrating in the streets of New Jersey after the September 11 attacks. Bohemian Rhapsody has faced similar criticisms over what really happened or what was invented for dramatic license, but has also engendered debates over how Freddie Mercury’s sexual orientation is depicted and questions about Bryan Singer’s involvement with the film. Even though Singer is still credited as Bohemian Rhapsody’s director, he was fired two weeks into filming and has been beset by allegations of sexual misconduct.
So which film is your favorite? Which will win? Which deserves to win in the following categories?
The expansion of the Best Picture category from five nominees to a possible 10 about a decade ago was widely seen as a reaction to the backlash among genre fans when Christoper Nolan’s The Dark Knight failed to get a nomination. It also allows the Academy to include more popular films, which in theory might increase the audience appeal for the telecast, and was reportedly part of the impetus behind a proposed “popular” film category, which has been widely ridiculed.
The nomination of Black Panther is the first film of the superhero genre to be nominated, the first Marvel film to get the nod, and received a bunch of technical nominations as well. However, the movie’s director, Ryan Coogler, was left out of getting the Academy’s love.
Best Picture
- Black Panther
- BlacKkKlansman
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- The Favourite
- Green Book
- Roma
- A Star Is Born
- Vice
Actor in a Leading Role
- Christian Bale, Vice
- Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
- Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
- Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
- Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
From Kyle Buchanan at The New York Times:
Once upon a time, Bradley Cooper’s showbiz musical seemed like it had the stuff to go all the way during award season. Yet the film hasn’t picked up any high-profile wins so far, and this morning, “A Star Is Born” was snubbed for nominations in best editing and best director, two honors that should have been easy pickups. Cooper, who eschewed plenty of all-important acting round tables this season to better focus on his debut as a director, may now go empty-handed on Oscar night: His best-actor competitor Rami Malek, the lead of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” has all the momentum after winning at the Golden Globes.
Actress in a Leading Role
- Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
- Glenn Close, The Wife
- Olivia Colman, The Favourite
- Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
- Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Amy Adams, Vice
- Marina de Tavira, Roma
- Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
- Emma Stone, The Favourite
- Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Mahershala Ali, Green Book
- Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
- Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
- Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
- Sam Rockwell, Vice
This is Spike Lee’s first nomination as director after failing to get nods for Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing.
Directing
- BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee
- Cold War, Paweł Pawlikowski
- The Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos
- Roma, Alfonso Cuarón
- Vice, Adam McKay
From Erik Adams at the A.V. Club:
The two filmmakers involved in the most memorable Best Picture moment in Oscar history didn’t return to that category or Best Director, though you might’ve guessed it for Damien Chazelle, based on the way First Man lost steam in the critics’ and guild awards.
But I am shocked by Barry Jenkins’ lack of a directing nomination and If Beale Street Could Talk’s absence from Best Cinematography—that movie’s a visual feast, and a stunning use of Jenkins’ custom of making his audience lock eyes with his characters.
Adapted Screenplay
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- BlacKkKlansman, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee
- Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
- If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkins
- A Star Is Born, Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters
Original Screenplay
- The Favourite, Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
- First Reformed, Paul Schrader
- Green Book, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, and Peter Farrelly
- Roma, Alfonso Cuarón
- Vice, Adam McKay
Foreign Language Film
- Capernaum, Lebanon
- Cold War, Poland
- Never Look Away, Germany
- Roma, Mexico
- Shoplifters, Japan
Animated Feature
- Incredibles 2
- Isle of Dogs
- Mirai
- Ralph Breaks the Internet
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Original Score
- Black Panther
- BlacKkKlansman
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Isle of Dogs
- Mary Poppins Returns
Original Song
- “All the Stars,” Black Panther
- “I’ll Fight,” RBG
- “The Place Where Lost Things Go,” Mary Poppins Returns
- “Shallow,” A Star Is Born
- “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings,” The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Documentary Short
- Black Sheep
- End Game
- Lifeboat
- A Night at the Garden
- Period. End of Sentence.
Cinematography
- Cold War, Lukasz Zal
- The Favourite, Robbie Ryan
- Never Look Away, Caleb Deschanel
- Roma, Alfonso Cuarón
- A Star Is Born, Matthew Libatique
Best Documentary Feature
- Free Solo
- Hale County This Morning, This Evening
- Minding the Gap
- Of Fathers and Sons
- RBG
From Adam Epstein at Quartzy:
The film Academy voters are apparently the only people on the planet who don’t want to be neighbors with Mr. Rogers. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the universally adored documentary about the universally adored children’s TV producer Fred Rogers, was inexplicably left out of the best documentary feature category. Like Bradley Cooper for director, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was considered one of the frontrunners in the race, based on its critical acclaim, box office strength, and performance in previous award shows. We’ve got to say, it’s not a very beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Production Design
- Black Panther
- The Favourite
- First Man
- Mary Poppins Returns
- Roma
Sound Mixing
- Black Panther
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- First Man
- Roma
- A Star Is Born
Costume Design
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
- Black Panther
- The Favourite
- Mary Poppins Returns
- Mary Queen of Scots
Film Editing
- BlacKkKlansman
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- The Favourite
- Green Book
- Vice
Sound Editing
- Black Panther
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- First Man
- A Quiet Place
- Roma
Animated Short Film
- Animal Behavior
- Bao
- Late Afternoon
- One Small Step
- Weekends
Live Action Short
- Detainment
- Fauve
- Marguerite
- Mother
- Skin
Makeup and Hairstyle
- Border
- Mary Queen of Scots
- Vice
Visual Effects
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Christopher Robin
- First Man
- Ready Player One
- Solo: A Star Wars Story