Transgender cartel musical Emilia Perez topped this year’s Oscar nominations, earning 13 nods in an announcement on Thursday postponed by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
French director Jacques Audiard’s Mexico-set movie, released by Netflix, shattered the record for the most Academy Award nominations for a non-English-language film (previously held by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma, each with 10).
It was followed by epic immigrant saga The Brutalist, and show-stopping Broadway adaptation Wicked, which each picked up 10 nominations.
Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown and Vatican thriller Conclave bagged eight nods apiece.
Voting deadlines had to be extended this month, as Los Angeles—the US entertainment capital and home city of the Academy Awards—was devastated by multiple blazes that have killed more than two dozen people and forced tens of thousands to flee.
Nominees were unveiled in subdued circumstances, as a town that typically fixates on the Oscars race was instead fixated on yet more new fires burning north of the city.
Even so, the glitzy Oscars ceremony is still set for March 2, capping months and millions of dollars of campaigning for golden statuettes.
For best actor, firm favorite Adrien Brody was nominated for The Brutalist along with Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing).
Meanwhile, in an intense race for best actress, A-listers Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman — who went all-out with their performances in Maria and Babygirl, respectively – missed the cut.
Instead, comeback queen Demi Moore, who charmed the industry with her Golden Globes acceptance speech for satirical body-horror The Substance, was nominated and is seen as the favorite.
Her rivals include Gascon, Anora star Mikey Madison, and Brazil’s Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here. Wicked lead Cynthia Erivo was also nominated for best actress, alongside her co-star and pop music sensation Ariana Grande, in the supporting category. AFP