Hollywood is weird. One minute you're watching a three-and-a-half-hour epic about a Hungarian architect, and the next, everyone is arguing about whether a stripper from Brooklyn is the new face of American cinema. That's basically the vibe of the 97th Academy Awards nominees. It was a year where the big, flashy musicals finally bumped heads with the gritty indies, and honestly, the result was a bit of a mess for the pundits but a total win for anyone who actually likes movies.
The nominations, which dropped on January 23, 2025, weren't even supposed to happen that day. Wildfires in Los Angeles pushed everything back. It felt kinda fitting, though. A chaotic start for a chaotic year of film. When Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang finally stepped onto that stage at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater to read the names, the room felt electric. Or maybe just relieved.
The Big Heavyweights of the 97th Academy Awards Nominees
Netflix’s Emilia Pérez came out swinging with 13 nominations. That's a huge deal. It became the most-nominated non-English language film in the history of the Oscars. Jacques Audiard basically took a musical about a cartel leader and turned it into an awards magnet. Then you had The Brutalist and Wicked sitting pretty with 10 nods each. It's rare to see a niche A24 drama and a massive Universal blockbuster sharing the same oxygen like that.
Anora, the film that eventually took home Best Picture, started with just six nominations. It’s proof that sometimes, you don't need the most nods to have the most heart. Sean Baker’s win for Directing felt like a long time coming for the indie world. He’s been grinding for years, and seeing him beat out veterans like James Mangold was a genuine "it happened" moment for the festival crowd.
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Why Everyone is Talking About the Acting Categories
The Best Actress race was absolutely stacked. Mikey Madison's turn in Anora was the definition of "brassy." She was up against Cynthia Erivo for Wicked and the legendary Demi Moore in The Substance. A lot of people thought Demi would take it for the SAG win, but Madison’s British Film Academy momentum carried her through.
And we have to talk about Karla Sofía Gascón. Her nomination for Emilia Pérez made history. She’s the first openly transgender acting nominee at the Oscars. It wasn't just a "diversity" nod either; she was genuinely terrifying and heartbreaking in that role.
- Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) – Won Best Actor. He played László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor trying to rebuild in America. It’s his second win after The Pianist (2002).
- Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) – He did the Bob Dylan thing. People were skeptical, but he pulled off the voice.
- Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) – Playing a young Donald Trump is a risky move, but he stayed away from caricature.
- Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) – Total "papal pulp," as the critics say. He was the anchor of that movie.
The Supporting Actor category felt like a battle of the "Succession" alumni. Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) both made the cut. Culkin ended up winning, which felt right. His performance was 65% of the movie, leading many to ask if "supporting" was even the right word for it. Honestly, it was a lead performance in a supporting suit.
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The Surprises and the Snubs
Every year, someone gets left out in the cold. This year, it was the big stars. Angelina Jolie’s Maria didn’t get much love outside of Cinematography. Selena Gomez was the only one of the Emilia Pérez trio to miss out on an acting nod, while Zoe Saldaña ended up winning the Supporting Actress trophy.
Then there’s the "Barbenheimer" hangover. 2024 didn't have that one singular cultural moment, so the 97th Academy Awards nominees felt more spread out. Dune: Part Two cleaned up in the technical categories, as expected. Greig Fraser’s cinematography is just on another level. But it didn't quite have the narrative juice to win the top prize over something as intimate as Anora.
Technical Mastery and Musical Magic
Wicked did exactly what it was supposed to do. It won Best Costume Design (shoutout to Paul Tazewell, the first Black man to win that prize) and Production Design. If you’ve seen the movie, you know the sets were practically characters themselves.
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The International Feature category was also a tight race. Brazil’s I'm Still Here took it home, which was a massive win for Walter Salles. It beat out The Seed of the Sacred Fig from Germany and Flow from Latvia. Speaking of Flow, that little animated film about a cat in a flood was the underdog story of the year. It won Best Animated Feature, beating out Pixar’s Inside Out 2. That just doesn't happen often.
Real Evidence of a Shift in Hollywood
The Academy is changing. You can see it in the data. Over 33 nominations this year went to films that premiered at smaller festivals like the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF). The "Old Hollywood" gatekeeping is fading. When a movie like The Substance—a body-horror film about aging—wins Best Makeup and Hairstyling, you know the voters are actually watching the movies instead of just voting for their friends.
Conan O’Brien hosted for the first time, and he kept the energy weird and funny. It matched the year. We had a Best Picture winner about a sex worker, a Best Actor winner playing an architect, and a Best Animated Feature winner with no dialogue.
Next Steps for Film Lovers:
- Watch the Winners: Start with Anora and The Brutalist. They are polar opposites but represent the best of the 97th Academy Awards.
- Check the Shorts: Don't skip the "Live Action Short" winner I'm Not a Robot. It's clever and short enough to watch on a lunch break.
- Listen to the Scores: Daniel Blumberg’s work on The Brutalist is haunting. It’s available on most streaming platforms and deserved that win.
The 97th Academy Awards nominees proved that cinema isn't dying; it's just getting weirder. And honestly? We're here for it.