You’ve probably heard the buzz by now. Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez didn’t just walk into the 97th Academy Awards; it basically kicked the door down. People are calling it a "narcotrans musical," which sounds like a fever dream, but the Academy clearly saw something special.
It landed 13 Oscar nominations.
That’s huge. Honestly, it’s historic. To put that in perspective, only three movies in the entire history of cinema have ever managed more: All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. This Spanish-language, French-produced musical about a Mexican cartel leader transitioning into a woman became the most-nominated non-English film ever, blowing past the record previously held by Netflix’s Roma.
But here’s the thing. While the nominations list was massive, the actual win count tells a different story about how Hollywood truly felt about the film.
The History-Making Nominations List
When the nominations were announced on January 23, 2025—after a delay caused by those devastating Los Angeles wildfires—Emilia Pérez was everywhere. It was nominated for the big ones: Best Picture, Best Director for Audiard, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
But the real headlines belonged to Karla Sofía Gascón.
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Gascón became the first openly transgender performer to ever be nominated for Best Actress. That’s a massive milestone for the Oscars, especially for a role where she played both the terrifying cartel boss Manitas and the titular Emilia. It’s the kind of performance that usually sweeps, but the 2025 race was crowded with heavy hitters like Mikey Madison in Anora (who ultimately took the trophy).
Here is the breakdown of the major categories where the film showed up:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Jacques Audiard)
- Best Actress (Karla Sofía Gascón)
- Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña)
- Best International Feature Film
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Score
- Best Original Song (Two nominations: "El Mal" and "Mi Camino")
- Best Film Editing
- Best Cinematography
- Best Sound
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Thirteen nods. One shy of the all-time record.
The Selena Gomez Snub and the "Category" Drama
If you’re a Selena Gomez fan, you’re probably still a little salty. Despite winning a joint Best Actress award at Cannes alongside her co-stars, Selena was notably missing from the Emilia Pérez Oscar nominations.
She was in the conversation for months. Experts thought she was a lock for a Supporting Actress nod. If she had been nominated, the film would have hit that 14-nomination record. Instead, she was left out, while Zoe Saldaña—who played the lawyer Rita—was the only other cast member to get a solo acting nod.
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There was also a lot of industry chatter about "category fraud." Some critics argued Saldaña was actually the lead of the movie because she has the most screen time. If she had been pushed for Best Actress, would Gascón have still made history? It’s one of those "what if" scenarios that kept Oscar pundits awake at night.
What Actually Happened on Oscar Night?
Despite leading the pack with 13 nominations, Emilia Pérez didn't sweep. Far from it.
It walked away with two Oscars.
Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first American of Dominican origin to win an Academy Award. It was an emotional moment. She thanked the Academy for recognizing the "quiet heroism" of her character, Rita. The second win went to "El Mal" for Best Original Song.
The film faced some heavy headwinds. While it was a critical darling at Cannes, it became a bit of a lightning rod for controversy in the States. Groups like GLAAD were vocal, with some members calling it "not good trans representation" and criticizing its depiction of Mexican culture. Some felt the film's perspective was too "cisgender" for a story about a trans woman. Audiard himself basically told reporters it was an "opera," not a documentary, but that didn't stop the discourse from getting heated.
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Why These Nominations Still Matter
Even though Anora took the Best Picture crown and The Brutalist picked up several technical wins, the sheer volume of the Emilia Pérez Oscar nominations changed the game for international cinema.
It proved that a Spanish-language musical can dominate the American awards circuit. It wasn't just a "foreign film" niche; it was a mainstream blockbuster contender.
If you haven't seen it yet, you should probably check it out on Netflix just to see what the fuss was about. Love it or hate it, you can't deny the craft. The cinematography by Paul Guilhaume is vibrant, and the choreography by Damien Jalet is genuinely unlike anything else in the Best Picture race that year.
Next Steps for Film Fans:
- Watch the "El Mal" musical sequence to see why it won Best Original Song.
- Compare Karla Sofía Gascón's performance to Mikey Madison's in Anora to see how tight the Best Actress race really was.
- Look into Jacques Audiard's previous work, like A Prophet, to see his transition from gritty realism to this operatic style.