The Oscar 2025 nominations were initially supposed to be announced on January 17, 2025. It then got postponed to January 19, 2025, as the disastrous wildfires ravaged Los Angeles, starting January 7, 2025.
The Eaton and Palisades fires which had been burning for more than 2 weeks, have affected various Oscar voters and destroyed several structures as well.
Pete Hammond, awards columnist for movie trade outlet Deadline, told AFP, “The Los Angeles wildfires have cast a sombre shadow on this year’s Oscars, and the chaos and displacement they caused could also directly impact Academy voting patterns.”
He added, “We know so many members that have lost homes (in Los Angeles)… some must have not voted at all.”
This led to the Oscars committee extending the voting period and making some adjustments to the announcement schedule.
The voting period was then extended to January 17, 2025, while the nomination announcements will take place on January 23, 2025. The nominees will be unveiled virtually.
Early Predictions:
French director Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez is believed to be at the forefront, predicted to win big this year.
The film had won four awards at the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony, namely Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy), Best Non-English Language Film, Best Original Song, and Best Supporting Actress.
Hence, their are high expectations riding on the film, to score big at the Oscars this year.
The story is set against the backdrop of Mexico. The musical is predicted to pick up the Best Picture, and multiple song, background score, and music awards.
Its lead cast, featuring Karla Sofia Gascon has become the first openly trans acting nominee, while Zoe Saldana’s nomination looks promising too.
Selena Gomez was trolled for her Spanish dialogue delivery, and hence might miss out on winning.
Despite that, the film is touted to become the most nominated non-English-language movie ever.
This is a record previously held by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), and Roma (2018), each with an astounding 10 nominations at the Oscars.
Pete Hammond, awards columnist for movie trade outlet Deadline, told AFP, “Emilia Perez is going to rack up a big number. It is so strong in all of the categories, that it could get nominated in.”
Tough competition can be expected from Vatican thriller Conclave, The Brutalist, an immigrant saga, and the musical adaptation Wicked which received a thundering response last year.
Sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two, Indie production Anora, and Bob Dylan’s Biopic A Complete Unknown are also expected to do well.
Best Actress Category
The competition is fierce in the Best Actress category.
A-listers like Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, and Nicole Kidman lead the race with their films—The Substance, Maria, and Babygirl respectively.
However, many industry experts are still of the opinion that they could miss out on bagging the trophy.
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has also left a lasting impression and is a part of the mix.
Awards columnist for movie trade, Hammond shared, “It’s those other two slots that could go any which way”, pointing to Brazil’s Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here and Britain’s Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard Truths, as popular alternates.
Best Actor Category
The top contenders in the Best Actor category are Adrien Brody for The Brutalist, Timothee Chalamet for A Complete Unknown, and Ralph Fiennes for Conclave.
This year could also be a first for Hugh Grant, whose unconventional casting in the horror film Heretic was much applauded. Along with everyone’s favourite 007 Daniel Craig, for Queer.
The Academy could also go ahead with Sebastian Stan’s transformation into a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice.
The film had its fair share of threats, including lawsuits from Trump’s attorneys, particularly for a scene in which the new US president is shown raping his wife.
Awards columnist Hammond added, “It could be a political statement.”
Impact of LA Wildfires
Hammond predicted that the upheaval at LA could increase the influence of the Academy’s many overseas voters, who often opt for more artsy fare from outside of the US-centric Hollywood orbit.
“They are the furthest away from it, and it will be business as usual for that group,” he said.
The nominations announcement will begin Thursday at 5:30 am (1330 GMT) in Los Angeles, and 7:00 PM IST, during a live-streamed ceremony hosted by actor-writer-comedians Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang.
The live presentation is set to take place at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Sennott and Yang will announce the nominees in all 24 Oscar categories.
Despite several delays, the 97th Academy Awards ceremony will proceed as scheduled on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre. Conan O’Brien will host the star-studded event.