2025 Oscars: Record-Breaking Nominations and Historical Milestones

Last Thursday, during the announcement of the 2025 Oscar nominations, Emilia Pérez, Wicked, and Diane Warren were some of the individuals and productions breaking records and creating Oscar firsts by achieving significant milestones.

Cynthia Erivo made history as the first black British woman to earn two acting nominations, one for her role in “Wicked” this year and another for “Harriet” in 2020.

2021 is a remarkable year as it’s the first time in over 50 years that two musicals, specifically “Wicked” and “Emilia Pérez”, have been up for the Best Picture award. In addition, the animation world has made history too. Director Chris Sanders has tied the record for most nominations for an animated feature film with “The Wild Robot”. Furthermore, “Flow” has become the third animated film to be nominated in the category of International Feature Film.

In terms of music, Diane Warren and sound mixer Andy Nelson are still dominating their respective fields. Diane Warren has been nominated for an Original Song Oscar a total of 16 times, while Andy Nelson is second only to John Williams (with 54) in nominations among living individuals, with 25 nods to his credit.

This year’s Oscars could potentially see notable names like Ariana Grande, Sebastian Stan, Zoe Saldaña, among others, as first-time nominees. Interestingly, the directors vying for the Best Director award are all making their debut in this specific category.

On Sunday, March 2nd, the 97th Academy Awards will be broadcast live nationwide, with Conan O’Brien as the host. The event will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and it will start at 4 p.m. Pacific Time / 7 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC and Hulu.

Check out these intriguing details and interesting trivia about the Oscar nominations for 2025, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Cynthia Erivo Is Holding Space for Black British Women By Scoring Two Best Actress Nods

With another Oscar nomination in the best actress category, Cynthia Erivo’s career trajectory has been significantly altered – for the better. Born and raised in South London, Erivo portrayed the green-skinned witch in the much-anticipated movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Wicked. The film garnered 10 nominations, among them best picture. For her role, Erivo received a nod as best actress, while her co-star, Ariana Grande (who played Glinda), was recognized for best supporting actress. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Academy has acknowledged Erivo. In 2019, she was also nominated for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in Harriet. Now, Erivo is the first Black British woman to receive two acting nominations from the Academy if she wins, achieving EGOT status would be an added feat.

Diane Warren: Could 16 Times Be the Charm?

Diane Warren has been nominated for an Oscar 15 times in the original song category, including films like “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “RBG.” Her latest nomination was last year for “The Fire Inside” from the Eva Longoria-directed film “Flamin’ Hot,” sung by Becky G. Despite numerous nominations, Warren has yet to win an Oscar in a competitive category; however, she received an honorary Academy Award in 2022. Now, with her 16th original song nomination for “The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight,” performed by H.E.R., Warren continues to hold the record for the most nominated best original song artist. Notably, this is her eighth consecutive nomination in the category over the past eight years.

All Five Best Actress Nominees Are Also in Best Picture Contenders

This year’s top actress nominees are neck and neck in their competition, but the contest for the best picture category is even tighter. Cynthia Erivo, Karla Sofía Gascón, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, and Fernanda Torres are all vying for the best actress award. Their respective films – Erivo’s “Wicked”, Gascón’s “Emilia Pérez”, Madison’s “Anora”, Moore’s “The Substance”, and Torres’ “I’m Still Here” – are also nominated for the best picture category. This is a unique occurrence as it marks 47 years since all the best actress nominees’ films have been in contention for the best picture award. “Emilia Pérez,” directed by Jacques Audiard, is currently leading with a total of 13 nominations, breaking a new Oscar record for a non-English language film.

A New Class of Best Director Nominees

This year, Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Brady Corbet, Coralie Fargeat, and James Mangold are all first-timers in the director category for the Oscars. Notably, Fargeat’s nomination marks the 10th time a woman has been nominated in this category. The last time an entirely new group of directors were nominated was back in 1998 when James Cameron, Peter Cattaneo, Gus Van Sant, Curtis Hanson, Atom Egoyan, Terrence Malick, and Peter Weir were all recognized. Interestingly, it was James Cameron who took home the Oscar that year.

Andy Nelson Extends Sound Oscars Nomination Run

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the remarkable achievements of sound mixer Andy Nelson. Known for his exceptional work on films like “Wicked,” “The Batman,” and “Elvis,” he once again made history with the 2025 Oscar nominations, becoming the second most Oscar-nominated living individual. With a total of 25 nominations under his belt, he has etched his name alongside legends in the film industry. His victories for “Saving Private Ryan” and “Les Misérables” are testaments to his unparalleled talent, but even his tally falls short when compared to John Williams’ impressive 54 nominations.

Wicked and Emilia Pérez Sing and Dance to Oscar History

The nominations for “Wicked” and “Emilia Pérez” as the best picture contenders mark a rare occasion where two musicals have been in contention since 1968. Previously, the only time more than one musical was up for the Oscars’ highest honor was in 1968 when both “Oliver!” and “Funny Girl” were nominated. Interestingly, the upcoming 2025 Oscars will be the second instance where two musicals each received ten or more nominations in a single year. “Emilia Pérez” has garnered thirteen nominations while “Wicked” secured ten. It’s worth noting that this double-digit Oscar nod situation for musicals like “Wicked” and “Emilia Pérez” last occurred at the same ceremony in 1965, when both “Mary Poppins” (with 13 nominations) and “My Fair Lady” (with 12 nominations) were recognized.

Succession’s Roy Brothers Face Off as First-Time Nominees

Let’s hope the most deserving Roy brother emerges victorious. Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong are both nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category, with Culkin for his performance in “A Real Pain” and Strong for “The Apprentice”. In “A Real Pain”, Culkin portrays Benji Kaplan, a man journeying to Poland to honor his deceased grandmother and explore his Jewish roots. On the other hand, Strong plays Roy Cohn in “The Apprentice”, a film that delves into Cohn’s tutelage of a young Donald Trump. Both actors are first-time Oscar nominees, but they previously won an Emmy for their roles in the popular HBO series “Succession”. The intriguing question now is: Who will take home the Oscar?

Chris Sanders Ties an Animation Record

Chris Sanders, the director of “The Wild Robot,” has now matched a record for the most nominations in the animated feature film category. This marks his fourth time receiving this recognition, following his nods for “The Croods” in 2012, “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010, and “Lilo & Stitch” in 2002. Sanders shares the record with Hayao Miyazaki and Pete Docter from Pixar.

Emilia Pérez Continues to Impress

This year, French film “Emilia Pérez” breaks France’s record by earning 39 nominations in the category of Best International Feature, surpassing Italy which follows closely with 30 nominations. Notably, “Emilia Pérez” is this year’s most nominated film overall, boasting a remarkable 13 nominations – a new record for a non-English language film. In addition to these categories, the movie is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Spanish-born Karla Sofía Gascón becomes the first openly transgender actress to receive a nomination in this ceremony.

Double Documentaries

Eric Nyari has become one of just five people ever to be nominated for both a full-length documentary feature film (“Black Box Diaries”) and a short documentary film (“Instruments of a Beating Heart”) in the same year. The last individual to achieve this was Charles Guggenheim back in 1994, with his films “D-Day Remembered” (feature length) and “A Time for Justice” (short subject), taking home the award for the latter.

Non-English Language Films Are Making Moves

Emilia Pérez and the film “I’m Still Here” are part of an exclusive group – they are the tenth and eleventh foreign-language films to be nominated for both International Feature Film and Best Picture in the same year. Past films that won Best International Feature include “Z” (1969), “Life Is Beautiful” (1998), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), “Amour” (2012), “Roma” (2018), “Parasite” (2019), “Drive My Car” (2021), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022) and “The Zone of Interest” (2023). However, “Parasite” is the only non-English language film to win Best Picture as well. Furthermore, in the last ten years, at least one acting nomination for a non-English language performance has been given in the acting categories, with Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña from “Emilia Pérez” and Fernanda Torres from “I’m Still Here” being among them.

Emilia Pérez Filmmaker Makes History

Jacques Audiard, recognized for his work in both the Directing and Original Song categories for the film “Emilia Pérez“, is an exceptional figure as he is only the third individual to receive a nomination in both these categories and the first to do so in the same year and for the same movie. He shares credit for penning the lyrics to “El Mal.” Earlier, Leo McCarey was nominated for directing in 1937, 1944, and 1945, as well as for an original song in 1957. Additionally, Spike Jonze previously received a nomination for direction in 1999 and a nod for the original score in 2013.

Animation Makes Gains With Flow

In a remarkable turn of events, the heartwarming animated film titled “Flow” finds itself amongst an elite group of just three other animated movies to be nominated for the International Feature Film category. This esteemed list includes “Waltz With Bashir“, which was honored in 2008, and most recently, “Flee” in 2021. Notably, “Flow” is also the second animated film to be nominated for both the Animated Feature Film and International Feature Film categories, a feat last achieved by “Flee” in 2021. The movie, masterfully directed by Gints Zilbalodis, tells the story of a cat that finds solace on a boat inhabited by diverse species, having lost its home to a devastating flood. Despite their differences, it must join forces with them, mirroring real-life struggles and unity in an engaging narrative.

2025-01-31 18:56