Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ and Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘The Favourite’ lead Oscar nominations
- Top films got 10 nominees each for the awards, which will be handed out on February 24
For the full list of nominees, see the bottom of this article.
Oscar voters on Tuesday showered Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite with a leading 10 nominations to the 91st Academy Awards, while two dominant but contentious Hollywood forces – Netflix and Marvel – each scored their first best picture nomination.
Though many expected A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper’s revival of one of Hollywood’s most oft-remade show-business tales, to top nominations, Cooper was overlooked as director and the academy instead put its fullest support behind a pair of smaller films by international directors.
With Roma, Netflix has scored its first best picture nomination, something the streaming giant has dearly sought. Cuaron tied the record for most decorated Oscar nominee ever for one film with four nods for his black-and-white, memory-drenched masterpiece. The Mexican director earned nods for direction, cinematography, original screenplay and best picture. Only Orson Welles (Citizen Kane) and Warren Beatty (Reds, Heaven Can Wait) have landed four.
Lanthimos’ period romp The Favourite resounded most in the acting categories thanks to its trio of actresses: Olivia Colman in the best actress category, and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone in supporting roles.
Along with Roma and The Favourite, the nominees for best picture are: A Star Is Born, Green Book, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody and Vice.
Marvel also joined the club with Black Panther, the first superhero film ever nominated for best picture. Despite the overwhelming popularity of comic book films, they had previously been shunned from Hollywood’s top honour, to the consternation of some industry insiders.
After The Dark Knight was snubbed, the academy expanded the best picture category from five to up to 10 nominees.
There has also been some resistance among some academy members to Netflix films since the company typically bypasses cinemas. Steven Spielberg has said Netflix films are more like television films and deserve an Emmy, not an Oscar. Netflix altered its policy for Roma and two other films, premiering them first in cinemas.
Spike Lee was nominated for his first directing Oscar 30 years after a writing nod for 1989’s Do the Right Thing. Notably left out of the category was Bradley Cooper, whose A Star is Born landed eight nominations, including best actress for Lady Gaga, but was overlooked for Cooper’s direction. The other nominees were Lanthimos, Cuaron, Pawel Pawlikowski (Cold War) and Adam McKay (Vice).
The nominees for best actor are Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale (Vice), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book).
Up for best actress are Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Glenn Close (The Wife), Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Lady Gaga and Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?).
The nominees for best supporting actress are Amy Adams (Vice), Marina De Tavira (Roma), Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk), Emma Stone (The Favourite) and Rachel Weisz (The Favourite). Tavira was something a surprise.
Up for best supporting actor are: Mahershala Ali (Green Book), Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman), Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Sam Rockwell (Vice).
The lead-up to Tuesday’s nominations was rocky for both the film academy and some of the contending films. Soon after being announced as host, Kevin Hart withdrew after complaints about years-old homophobic tweets that the comedian eventually apologised for. That left the Oscars, one month before the February 24 ceremony, without an emcee, and likely to stay that way.
Some film contenders, like Peter Farrelly’s Green Book and the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, have suffered waves upon waves of backlash, even as their awards tallies have mounted.
On Saturday, Green Book won the top award from the Producers Guild, an honour that has been a reliable Oscar barometer. In the 10 years since the Oscars expanded its best-picture ballot, the PGA winner has gone on to win best picture eight times.
The season’s steadiest contender – Cooper’s A Star is Born – looked potentially unbeatable until it got beat. Despite an enviable string of awards and more than US$400 million in worldwide box office, Cooper’s lauded remake was almost totally ignored at the Golden Globes. Still, A Star is Born was the sole film to land top nominations from virtually every guild group.
The academy is reportedly planning to go host-less following Hart’s exit, something it has tried only once before in an infamous 1989 telecast that featured a lengthy musical number with Rob Lowe and Snow White.
The Oscars last year hit a new ratings low, declining 20 per cent and averaging 26.5 million viewers. Though ratings for award shows have generally been dropping, the downturn prompted the academy to revamp this year’s telecast.
Though initial plans for a new popular film category were scuttled, the academy is planning to present some awards off-air and keep the broadcast to three hours.
Best Picture
- Black Panther
- BlacKkKlansman
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- The Favourite
- Green Book
- Roma
- A Star Is Born
- Vice
Best 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
Best 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?
Best 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
Best 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
Best Directing
- Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
- Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War
- Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
- Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
- Adam McKay, Vice
Best Animated Feature
- Incredibles 2
- Isle of Dogs
- Mirai
- Ralph Breaks the Internet
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Best Adapted Screenplay
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
- BlacKkKlansman
- Can You Ever Forgive Me?
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- A Star Is Born
Best Original Screenplay
- The Favourite
- First Reformed
- Green Book
- Roma
- Vice
Best Foreign Language Film
- Capernaum (Lebanon)
- Cold War (Poland)
- Never Look Away (Germany)
- Roma (Mexico)
- Shoplifters (Japan)
Best Documentary Feature
- Free Solo
- Hale County This Morning, This Evening
- Minding the Gap
- Of Fathers and Sons
- RBG
Best 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
Best Original Score
- Black Panther
- BlacKkKlansman
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Isle of Dogs
- Mary Poppins Returns
