The 96th Academy Awards Nominations: A Comprehensive Overview

The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, is the most prestigious and highly anticipated event in the film industry. The nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were announced on a special livestream hosted by Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, California, and will be televised live on ABC and streamed on Hulu the following day.

Best Picture

The nominees for Best Picture showcase a diverse range of films, spanning genres and themes. “American Fiction,” a thought-provoking exploration of race and identity, is produced by Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson. “Anatomy of a Fall,” a poignant drama set in rural France, is produced by Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion. “Barbie,” a highly anticipated live-action adaptation of the iconic fashion doll, features Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner as producers, alongside David Heyman. “The Holdovers,” a comedy set at a prestigious prep school, is produced by Mark Johnson. “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a historical crime drama based on David Grann’s novel, boasts an impressive producing team that includes Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese, and Daniel Lupi.

“Maestro,” a biopic about the life of Leonard Bernstein, features Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger as producers. “Oppenheimer,” a highly anticipated historical drama about the Manhattan Project, is produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan. “Past Lives,” a romantic drama exploring the complexities of love and time, is produced by David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, and Pamela Koffler. “Poor Things,” a darkly comedic period piece, is produced by Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Emma Stone. Finally, “The Zone of Interest,” a film set in a Nazi concentration camp, is produced by James Wilson.

Acting Categories

The nominees for the acting categories reflect the exceptional talent and versatility of performers in the industry. Bradley Cooper is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Leonard Bernstein in “Maestro.” Colman Domingo received a nod for his performance as Bayard Rustin in “Rustin.” Paul Giamatti is recognized for his role in “The Holdovers,” while Cillian Murphy is nominated for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in “Oppenheimer.” Jeffrey Wright completes the category with his performance in “American Fiction.”

In the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category, Sterling K. Brown is nominated for his role in “American Fiction.” Robert De Niro is recognized for his performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” while Robert Downey Jr. is nominated for his role in “Oppenheimer.” Ryan Gosling is nominated for his portrayal of Ken in “Barbie,” and Mark Ruffalo rounds out the category for his role in “Poor Things.”

The Best Actress in a Leading Role category features Annette Bening for her performance in “Nyad.” Lily Gladstone is nominated for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and Sandra Hüller is recognized for her performance in “Anatomy of a Fall.” Carey Mulligan is nominated for her portrayal of Leonard Bernstein’s wife, Felicia Montealegre, in “Maestro,” and Emma Stone completes the category for her role in “Poor Things.”

The Best Actress in a Supporting Role category includes Emily Blunt for her performance in “Oppenheimer.” Danielle Brooks is nominated for her role in “The Color Purple,” while America Ferrera is recognized for her portrayal of Teresa in “Barbie.” Jodie Foster is nominated for her performance in “Nyad,” and Da’Vine Joy Randolph completes the category for her role in “The Holdovers.”

Animated Feature Film

The nominees for Best Animated Feature Film showcase the creativity and innovation of animators worldwide. “The Boy and the Heron” by Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki is a charming tale about a young boy’s friendship with a heron. “Elemental” by Peter Sohn and Denise Ream explores the relationship between a fire elemental and a water elemental. “Nimona” by Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary is an action-packed adventure about a young shapeshifter. “Robot Dreams” by Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, and Sandra Tapia Díaz is a thought-provoking film about a robot who dreams of becoming human. Finally, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” by Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal is the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

Additional Categories

The 96th Academy Awards nominations encompass a wide range of categories, recognizing excellence in various aspects of filmmaking. Edward Lachman is nominated for Best Cinematography for his work on “El Conde,” while Rodrigo Prieto is recognized for his cinematography in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Matthew Libatique is nominated for his work on “Maestro,” Hoyte van Hoytema is nominated for his cinematography in “Oppenheimer,” and Robbie Ryan completes the category for his work on “Poor Things.”

Jacqueline Durran is nominated for Best Costume Design for her work on “Barbie,” while Jacqueline West is recognized for her costume design in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Janty Yates and Dave Crossman are nominated for their work on “Napoleon,” Ellen Mirojnick is nominated for her costume design in “Oppenheimer,” and Holly Waddington completes the category for her work on “Poor Things.”

Justine Triet is nominated for Best Directing for her work on “Anatomy of a Fall,” while Martin Scorsese is recognized for his direction of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Christopher Nolan is nominated for his work on “Oppenheimer,” Yorgos Lanthimos is nominated for his direction of “Poor Things,” and Jonathan Glazer completes the category for his work on “The Zone of Interest.”

The nominees for Best Documentary Feature Film include “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” by Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp, and John Battsek, “The Eternal Memory” with nominees to be determined, “Four Daughters” by Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha, “To Kill a Tiger” by Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe, and David Oppenheim, and “20 Days in Mariupol” by Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath.

The nominees for Best Documentary Short Film include “The ABCs of Book Banning” by Sheila Nevins and Lenox Hill Productions, “American Factory Revisited” by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, “The Elephant Whisperers” by Kartiki Gonsalves, “How Do You Measure a Year?” by Jay Rosenblatt, and “Stranger at the Gate” by Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones.

The nominees for Best International Feature Film include “Argentina, 1985” by Santiago Mitre and Mariano Llinás, “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” by Alejandro González Iñárritu and Nicolás Giacobone, “Close” by Lukas Dhont and Angelo Tijssens, “EO” by Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska, and “The Quiet Girl” by Colm Bairéad and Cleona Ní Chrualaoí.

The nominees for Best Original Score include Hildur Guðnadóttir for “Women Talking,” John Williams for “The Fabelmans,” Justin Hurwitz for “Babylon,” Carter Burwell for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Alexandre Desplat for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”

The nominees for Best Original Song include “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman,” “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” “This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and “Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”

The 96th Academy Awards promises to be a star-studded event celebrating the best in cinema. With so many talented nominees, the competition is fierce, and the anticipation is high. Tune in on March 10, 2024, to see who takes home the coveted Oscars.

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