Oscars 2024: An Overview of The Controversial Nominations; Oppenheimer Emerges Unparalleled, Barbie Fans Disappointed!

The 96th Annual Academy Awards are soon approaching! Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid announced the Oscar nominations live from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, in Beverly Hills, California. Christopher Nolan’s epic biographical thriller Oppenheimer dominated more than half of the 24 specific categories dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievements in the cinematic realm, leading with 13 nods from the prestigious awards. Nolan has never had a film win best picture at the Academy Awards. 

In addition to its nominations for technical feats like nominations for Best Picture and Nolan’s direction, the Interstellar director’s masterpiece “Oppenheimer,” a sprawling examination of the dawn of the Atomic Age during World War 2, also garnered acting nominations for Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt. Nolan, the best director nominee, said it was “a real thrill” to see “Oppenheimer” pile up so many nominations.” I think it’s a great year for movies, and it’s a real honour to be included,” he said in an interview.

The three-hour drama directed by Christopher Nolan outpaced Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things,” the gothic comedy about a dark Victorian-era fantasy about Bella Baxter’s sexual awakening, another best picture contender that scored 11 nominations for the film industry’s highest honours.

Its main competitor, Greta Gerwig’s feminist doll adventure “Barbie” received eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor nods. However, Gerwig was snubbed on a Best Director nomination.

Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” about the 1920s murders of members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma amassed 10 nominations. Lily Gladstone, star of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” became the first Native American nominated for best actress. For the 10th time, Scorsese was nominated for best director. Leonardo DiCaprio, though, was left out of best actor. The late Robbie Robertson, who died in August, also became the first Indigenous person nominated for best score.

Oppenheimer v/s Barbie: A Fiasco

The two films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”, collected nearly $2.4 billion combined in a summer box office battle dubbed “Barbenheimer.” “Oppenheimer” led the pack with 13 nominations, while Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing movie, “Barbie” tallied eight. When the blockbusters burst onto the film scene in July, a fiery brawl interrupted between fans of each movie, and this brawl transferred to the Oscar Nominations.

The year’s biggest hit, “Barbie,” came away with a nominations haul slightly less than its partner in Barbenheimer mania. Greta Gerwig’s feminist comedy had more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, and was nominated in categories like Best Picture; Ryan Gosling for Best Supporting Actor; and two Best Song candidates in “What Was I Made For” and “I’m Just Ken.”

Gerwig was surprisingly left out of the best director field. She was nominated for best director in 2018 for her solo directorial debut, “Lady Bird.” Ryan Gosling shared his thoughts, expressing his disappointment after Barbie star Margot Robbie too was snubbed for Best Actress.

“I am extremely honoured to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films,” said Gosling. “And I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m also incredibly honoured and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken.”

He continued: “But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film. No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.” Barbie‘s America Ferrera received a Supporting Actress nomination, which Gosling recognized and said, “I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”

A Complete List Of Nominations

Best Picture

American Fiction; Anatomy of a Fall; Barbie; The Holdovers; Killers of the Flower Moon; Maestro; Oppenheimer; Past Lives; Poor Things; The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall; Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon; Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer; Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things; Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening, Nyad; Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon; Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall; Carey Mulligan, Maestro; Emma Stone, Poor Things

Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper, Maestro; Colman Domingo, Rustin; Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers; Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer; Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Actor in a Supporting Role

Sterling K. Brown — American Fiction; Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon; Robert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer; Ryan Gosling — Barbie; Mark Ruffalo — Poor Things

Actress in a Supporting Role

Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer; Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple; America Ferrera – Barbie; Jodie Foster – Nyad; Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall; The Holdovers; Maestro; May December; Past Lives

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction; Barbie; Oppenheimer; Poor Things; The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Feature

The Boy and the Heron; Elemental; Nimona; Robot Dreams; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Animated Short Film

Letter to a Pig; Ninety-Five Senses; Our Uniform; Pachyderme; War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

Best International Feature

Io Capitano; Perfect Days; Society of the Snow; The Teachers’ Lounge; The Zone of Interest

Best Documentary Feature

Bobi Wine: The People’s President; The Eternal Memory; Four Daughters; To Kill a Tiger; 20 Days in Mariupol

Best Original Song

Flamin’ Hot from Flamin’ Hot; I’m Just Ken from Barbie; It Never Went Away from American Symphony; Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) from Killers of the Flower Moon; What Was I Made For? from Barbie

Best Original Score

American Fiction; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; Killers of the Flower Moon; Oppenheimer; Poor Things

Best Documentary Feature Film

Bobi Wine: The People’s President; The Eternal Memory; Four Daughters; To Kill a Tiger; 20 Days in Mariupol

Documentary Short Film

The ABCs of Book Banning, Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic; The Barber of Little Rock, John Hoffman and Christine Turner; Island in Between, S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien; The Last Repair Shop, Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers; Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, Sean Wang and Sam Davis

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Golda; Maestro; Oppenheimer; Poor Things; Society of the Snow

Best Production Design

Barbie; Killers of the Flower Moon; Napoleon; Oppenheimer; Poor Things

Best Costume Design

Barbie, Jacqueline Durran; Killers of the Flower Moon, Jacqueline West; Napoleon, David Crossman & Janty Yates; Oppenheimer, Ellen Mirojnick; Poor Things, Holly Waddington

Best Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall – Laurent Sénéchal; The Holdovers – Kevin Tent; Killers of the Flower Moon – Thelma Schoonmaker; Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame; Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Best Cinematography

El Conde – Edward Lachman; Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto; Maestro – Matthew Libatique; Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema; Poor Things – Robbie Ryan

Best Visual Effects

The Creator; Godzilla Minus One; Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3; Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One; Napoleon

Best Live Action Short Film

The After; Invincible; Night of Fortune; Red, White and Blue; The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Oscars: A Revival After Strikes

Historically, blockbusters have helped fuel Oscar ratings. Though the pile-up of award shows (an aftereffect of last year’s strikes ) could be detrimental to the Academy Awards, the Barbenheimer presence could help lift the March 10 telecast on ABC with Jimmy Kimmel returning as host.