After two delays caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles, the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced on Jan. 23.
“The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez” and “A Complete Unknown” were among the films nominated in categories such as Best Picture, Score, Visual Effects and Cinematography.
“Emilia Pérez,” the controversial musical about a cartel leader who tries to disappear from society by transitioning to a woman, led with 13 nominations, including Best Picture.
While having the highest number of nominations this year, “Emilia Pérez” doesn’t reach the record of 14 nominations “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land” share.
Karla Sofía Gascón, who played the titular lead character, was nominated for Best Actress and is honored to be in the running.
“It was completely crazy, I didn’t sleep all night,” Gascón said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “What an illusion, what an honor, what love. I feel fulfilled. It is the culmination of nine months of promotion and two years of work.”
Following “Emilia Pérez” are “Wicked” and “The Brutalist,” with 10 nominations each. Both films were nominated for Best Picture, among other categories.
“The Brutalist” is another controversial nominee, with the film reportedly using AI to augment the actor’s accents to sound more authentic.
Adrien Brody, who plays main character László Tóth in the film, is ignoring the drama and said he appreciated the movie’s nominations, as well as his nod for Best Actor, a category he has not been put up for since winning it for 2003’s “The Pianist.”
“Sharing this profound experience with our talented and dedicated cast and crew on ‘The Brutalist’ has been a rare gift that I am endlessly grateful for,” Brody said in an Instagram post. “Thank you for honoring us all with this recognition. I am only here through the support of many; I am truly humbled and will cherish this momentous occasion forever.”
Alongside Brody, Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Coleman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”) and Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”) were put up for Best Actor.
“Wicked” shares many nominations with “Emilia Pérez,” including Best Music, Sound and Picture.
This is not the first time the two musicals have been in contention for awards. Both were nominated for Best Musical/Comedy at the Golden Globes, where “Emilia Pérez” won.
Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in “Wicked,” was nominated for Best Actress, her third Academy Awards nomination, and shared her feelings in an Instagram post.
“Moments like this don’t come along very often, and when they do, it is sacrilege to let them pass by without a moment of gratitude,” she said. “I am grateful…to be a part of something that makes people feel seen.”
Others put up for Best Actress are Mikey Madison in “Anora,” Demi Moore in “The Substance” and Fernanda Torres in “I’m Still Here.”
Moore, who said in an interview with The Guardian that she was going to quit acting before she read the script for “The Substance,” is happy to get her first Oscar nod.
“Being nominated for an Oscar is an incredible honor and these last few months have been beyond my wildest dreams,” she said in a statement. “Truly, there are no words to fully express my joy and overwhelming gratitude for this recognition.”
“The Substance” was also nominated for Best Picture, among other categories, one of the few horror — or horror-esque, in this case — films to get the nod.
“Nosferatu” is another horror film that got several Oscar nods, including Best Costume Design and Cinematography.
Like “Nosferatu,” many movies, including “Dune: Part Two” and “Alien: Romulus,” received nominations for their technical aspects like visual effects and cinematography.
The winner for each category will be revealed on the evening of March 2 at the Academy Awards ceremony, which will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
The full list of nominees in all categories can be found on the Oscars’ official website.