The 2025 Oscars nominations have spotlighted a transformative year in cinema, with Emilia Pérez emerging as the most-nominated film in Academy history for a non-English-language feature. The nominations, announced on January 23, include a diverse array of global stories, groundbreaking representation, and technical achievements that push the boundaries of modern filmmaking.
This year, the nominations have been defined by inclusivity and international acclaim. Films like The Brutalist and Wicked have joined Emilia Pérez as frontrunners, each earning ten nominations. In a historic first, Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) became the first openly transgender performer nominated for Best Actress, signaling a continued evolution in the Academy’s recognition of diverse talent.
With 23 categories celebrating everything from storytelling to technical prowess, the 2025 Oscars promise to honor the best of the best. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony will air live on March 2 from the Dolby Theatre, marking a night of recognition, artistry, and cinematic achievement.
Breaking Records with ‘Emilia Pérez’
Emilia Pérez leads the pack with 13 nominations, a record-breaking feat for a non-English-language film. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the French-language musical drama has earned nods for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, along with acting nominations for Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña. The film’s ability to resonate with audiences worldwide has made it a critical and commercial success.
The historic achievement of Karla Sofía Gascón’s nomination underscores the evolving representation in Hollywood. Her portrayal of the titular character has captivated audiences and critics alike, earning her a well-deserved place among this year’s top performers. Jacques Audiard’s masterful direction, paired with a compelling narrative, makes Emilia Pérez a strong contender in nearly every category.
The film’s success also highlights the Academy’s growing recognition of international cinema. By breaking barriers and surpassing previous records set by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma, Emilia Pérez sets a new standard for global storytelling and artistic excellence on the world stage.
A Star-Studded Best Picture Lineup
The Best Picture category this year is a testament to the breadth and diversity of cinematic storytelling. From intimate dramas to epic blockbusters, the nominees include Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked.
Each of these films offers a unique perspective, whether it’s the raw emotional depth of Anora or the grand visual spectacle of Dune: Part Two. Wicked brings beloved Broadway magic to the big screen, while The Substance explores timely themes with a gritty edge. Together, these films represent the highest caliber of cinematic achievement from 2024.
The diversity of genres in the Best Picture category underscores the Academy’s effort to embrace varied storytelling. With everything from musicals to hard-hitting dramas, this year’s nominees reflect the evolving tastes of audiences and the limitless possibilities of modern filmmaking.
Milestones in Acting Categories
The acting categories this year are filled with historic firsts and remarkable talent. Karla Sofía Gascón’s groundbreaking nomination in Best Actress stands out, but she’s joined by other powerhouse performances from Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here). Each of these women brought depth and nuance to their roles, leaving an indelible mark on audiences.
In the Best Actor category, Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) continues to make history as the youngest two-time nominee, while Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) becomes the first Black actor in decades to earn back-to-back nominations. The supporting actor and actress categories feature fan favorites like Ariana Grande (Wicked) and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), both of whom added layers of complexity to their characters.
These nominations highlight not only the individual talent of the actors but also the importance of diversity in storytelling. Performances this year span a wide array of cultures, genres, and experiences, showing that Hollywood is becoming a more inclusive and representative industry.
Technical Brilliance and Musical Masterpieces
Technical categories this year are dominated by films like Dune: Part Two, The Brutalist, and Wicked. From stunning production design to groundbreaking visual effects, these films demonstrate the technical artistry that elevates storytelling to new heights. Cinematography and editing nominees highlight how technical elements can create unforgettable moments in cinema.
The music categories also bring notable recognition, with original songs and scores playing pivotal roles in films like Emilia Pérez and The Substance. These works not only set the emotional tone for their respective films but also resonate with audiences long after the credits roll.
This year’s nominees in sound, costume design, and makeup & hairstyling further showcase the collaborative effort that goes into creating movie magic. Films like Nosferatu and Wicked shine in these categories, underscoring the importance of every detail in bringing stories to life.
Full List of Nominees for the 2025 Oscars
Best Picture
Anora (Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers)
The Brutalist (Nominees to be determined)
A Complete Unknown (Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers)
Conclave (Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers)
Dune: Part Two (Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers)
Emilia Pérez (Nominees to be determined)
I’m Still Here (Nominees to be determined)
Nickel Boys (Nominees to be determined)
The Substance (Nominees to be determined)
Wicked (Marc Platt, Producer)
Directing
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown (Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks)
Conclave (Screenplay by Peter Straughan)
Emilia Pérez (Screenplay by Jacques Audiard; In collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi)
Nickel Boys (Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes)
Sing Sing (Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield)
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anora (Written by Sean Baker)
The Brutalist (Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold)
A Real Pain (Written by Jesse Eisenberg)
September 5 (Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; Co-Written by Alex David)
The Substance (Written by Coralie Fargeat)
Animated Feature Film
Flow (Nominees to be determined)
Inside Out 2 (Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen)
Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Nominees to be determined)
The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann)
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men (Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande)
In the Shadow of the Cypress (Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi)
Magic Candies (Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio)
Wander to Wonder (Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper)
Yuck! (Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet)
Cinematography
The Brutalist (Lol Crawley)
Dune: Part Two (Greig Fraser)
Emilia Pérez (Paul Guilhaume)
Maria (Ed Lachman)
Nosferatu (Jarin Blaschke)
Costume Design
A Complete Unknown (Arianne Phillips)
Conclave (Lisy Christl)
Gladiator II (Janty Yates and Dave Crossman)
Nosferatu (Linda Muir)
Wicked (Paul Tazewell)
Film Editing
Anora (Sean Baker)
The Brutalist (David Jancso)
Conclave (Nick Emerson)
Emilia Pérez (Juliette Welfling)
Wicked (Myron Kerstein)
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man (Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado)
Emilia Pérez (Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini)
Nosferatu (David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton)
The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli)
Wicked (Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth)
Live-Action Short Film
A Lien (Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz)
Anuja (Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai)
I’m Not a Robot (Victoria Warmerdam and Trent)
The Last Ranger (Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw)
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek)
Music (Original Score)
The Brutalist (Daniel Blumberg)
Conclave (Volker Bertelmann)
Emilia Pérez (Clément Ducol and Camille)
Wicked (John Powell and Stephen Schwartz)
The Wild Robot (Kris Bowers)
Music (Original Song)
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard)
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren)
“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada)
“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol)
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late (Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin)
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries (Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin)
No Other Land (Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham)
Porcelain War (Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen)
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius and Rémi Grellety)
Sugarcane (Nominees to be determined)
Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers (Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard)
I Am Ready, Warden (Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp)
Incident (Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven)
Instruments of a Beating Heart (Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari)
The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington)
International Feature Film
I’m Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)
Production Design
The Brutalist (Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia)
Conclave (Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter)
Dune: Part Two (Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau)
Nosferatu (Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová)
Wicked (Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales)
Sound
A Complete Unknown (Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco)
Dune: Part Two (Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill)
Emilia Pérez (Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta)
Wicked (Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis)
The Wild Robot (Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts)
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus (Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan)
Better Man (Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs)
Dune: Part Two (Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer)
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke)
Wicked (Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould)
The 97th Academy Awards promises to be a memorable evening, celebrating the best of global cinema. Stay tuned for the live broadcast on March 2!