The 2025 Academy Award nominations have highlighted a groundbreaking year in film, with Emilia Pérez making history as the most-nominated non-English-language feature in Oscar history. Announced on January 23, this year’s nominees reflect a dynamic mix of global storytelling, trailblazing representation, and technical mastery that continues to redefine the cinematic landscape.
This year’s selections emphasize diversity and international recognition. The Brutalist and Wicked have joined Emilia Pérez as top contenders, each earning ten nominations. In a historic milestone, Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) has become the first openly transgender performer to receive a Best Actress nomination, marking a continued shift in the Academy’s recognition of diverse talent.
With 23 categories celebrating both artistic and technical achievements, the 2025 Oscars promise to honor the pinnacle of cinematic excellence. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony will air live from the Dolby Theatre on March 2, offering an evening dedicated to storytelling, creativity, and industry-wide accomplishment.
‘Emilia Pérez’ Shatters Records
Leading the nominations with an unprecedented 13 nods, Emilia Pérez has set a new benchmark for non-English-language films. Directed by Jacques Audiard, this French-language musical drama has earned recognition across key categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, along with acting nominations for Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña. The film’s universal appeal has made it both a critical and commercial triumph.
Gascón’s groundbreaking nomination reflects Hollywood’s expanding representation, as her compelling portrayal of the title character has captivated audiences and critics alike. Under Audiard’s direction, Emilia Pérez emerges as a formidable contender in nearly every category, showcasing the Academy’s growing appreciation for international cinema. By surpassing records set by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma, the film cements its place in cinematic history as a beacon of global storytelling and artistic innovation.
A Best Picture Race Packed with Variety
This year’s Best Picture nominees showcase an impressive range of storytelling, from character-driven dramas to sweeping epics. The lineup includes 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 presents a distinct cinematic vision—whether it’s the raw emotional intensity of Anora, the visual grandeur of Dune: Part Two, or Wicked’s adaptation of the beloved Broadway hit. Meanwhile, The Substance delivers hard-hitting themes with unflinching boldness. This rich diversity in storytelling underscores the Academy’s commitment to honoring a wide spectrum of genres and artistic approaches.
With musicals, historical dramas, and thought-provoking narratives all in contention, the 2025 Best Picture nominees encapsulate the evolving tastes of audiences and the limitless potential of modern filmmaking.
Historic Moments in Acting Categories
This year’s acting nominations include trailblazing milestones and exceptional performances. Karla Sofía Gascón’s historic Best Actress nomination is a defining moment, and she is joined by fellow nominees Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), all of whom delivered nuanced and powerful performances.
In the Best Actor category, Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) makes history as the youngest two-time nominee, while Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) becomes the first Black actor in decades to receive consecutive nominations. Supporting acting nominees include audience favorites like Ariana Grande (Wicked) and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), both of whom brought remarkable depth to their roles.
This year’s nominees span diverse backgrounds, genres, and experiences, reinforcing Hollywood’s shift toward inclusivity and representative storytelling. The performances honored this year reflect a broad spectrum of human emotion and artistry, shaping the future of cinematic recognition.
Technical Brilliance and Musical Highlights
The technical categories this year showcase unparalleled craftsmanship, with Dune: Part Two, The Brutalist, and Wicked dominating in areas such as production design and visual effects. These films demonstrate the artistry required to push the boundaries of cinematic storytelling. From stunning cinematography to meticulous editing, this year’s nominees highlight the intricate details that bring movies to life.
Music also plays a crucial role in this year’s nominated films, with original songs and scores elevating the emotional weight of Emilia Pérez and The Substance. These compositions not only enhance the storytelling but also leave a lasting impression on audiences worldwide.
Sound, costume design, and makeup & hairstyling categories further showcase the collaborative genius behind filmmaking. Nosferatu and Wicked stand out in these areas, proving that every element contributes to creating immersive cinematic experiences.
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!
