By Jennifer Odell
7:00am PST, Jan 28, 2024
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The race for Oscar gold is officially on! After a long year marred by dual strikes in Hollywood, actors Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid announced the nominees for the 2024 Academy Awards on Jan. 23. "Oppenheimer," "Barbie" and "Killers of the Flower Moon" each snagged multiple nods, but "Oppenheimer" took the lead with 13 nominations in all. As usual, there were more than a few surprises and snubs in the mix, as well as some major "firsts."
Join Wonderwall.com as we take a closer look at the nominees, snubs and surprises in the top categories ahead of the 2024 Oscars on March 10, starting with this…
Snubbed: "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig, star Margot Robbie
Two of the most buzzed-about snubs came hand in hand with eight nominations for "Barbie," including nods for best picture, best actor (Ryan Gosling) and best supporting actress (America Ferrera). Despite everything director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie achieved with their uber-creative, critically acclaimed smash hit of a feminist film, the Academy's membership didn't see fit to recognize either of them in their respective categories. Even their nominated "Barbie" cohorts, Ryan and America, called out the snubs.
"There is no Ken without Barbie," Ryan said, in part, in a statement after the Oscar nominations announcement. "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. Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees."
Speaking to Variety on Jan. 23, America seemed to agree. "Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve [a nomination]. Creating this world, and taking something that didn't have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon. It feels disappointing to not see her on that list," she said, adding, "What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable."
Keep reading for more on the best picture nod "Barbie" did get, then click through for a closer look at the other top nominees and most talked-about snubs…
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Best Picture: "Barbie"
Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera, broke all kinds of box office records while igniting a global Barbie-mania. Its unexpected storyline — Barbie has an existential crisis and has to visit the real world to break its bummer of a spell — won over critics, too, as did the comedy's off-kilter musical moments and girl-power message. Academy voters agreed, handing "Barbie" a nomination for the most coveted award of the season.
MORE: Hollywood reacts to "Barbie" Oscar snubs
Best Picture: "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," which reunited the acclaimed director with actors Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio and introduced audiences to the immense talent of rising-star actress Lily Gladstone, is also up for best picture. Set in Oklahoma in the '20s, the film tackles the true story of a conspiracy that left dozens of Osage Nation members murdered after oil was discovered on their land.
MORE: Take a look back at the worst Oscar fashion of years past
Best Picture: "Poor Things"
The gorgeously oddball "Frankenstein"-inspired story of a scientist's laboratory creation, Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), and her pleasure-seeking travels around the world, also joins the best picture race.
Best Picture: "Oppenheimer"
Christopher Nolan's epic tale of the man known as "the father of the atomic bomb" has garnered Oscar buzz since its blockbuster release last summer. "Oppenheimer," starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon, remains a front-runner for the best picture Academy Award.
Best Picture: "America Fiction"
Emmy-winning writer Cord Jefferson, left, scored a best picture nod for his first feature film, the hilarious "American Fiction," starring Tracee Ellis Ross, Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander and Adam Brody. Based on Percival Everett's satirical novel about stereotyping in the publishing world, the comedy sees Jeffrey Wright as a Black author whose facetious "ghetto novel" becomes a bestseller for all the wrong reasons.
"Twenty pages in, I knew I had to write a film adaptation," Cord told The New York Times in 2023. "By the time I finished the book, I knew I had to direct it."
Best Picture: "The Holdovers"
In Alexander Payne's emotion-drenched "The Holdovers," also nominated for best picture, Dominic Sessa plays a student at odds with his teacher, played by Paul Giamatti, after his family leaves him at boarding school over the holidays.
Best Picture: "Maestro"
Despite mixed reviews and some controversy around Bradley Cooper's prosthetic nose in "Maestro," the actor and director behind Leonard Bernstein's biopic still has a chance to snag the 2024 best picture Oscar. Bradley, seen here as the famed composer alongside Carey Mullingan (as his wife, Felicia Montealegre), also co-wrote the film.
Best Picture: "Past Lives"
In Celine Song's best picture-nominated romantic drama "Past Lives," a Korean-American woman (Greta Lee) reunites with her childhood love (Teo Yoo) after they lost touch following her family's move to the United States. Though she's now married to an American (John Magaro), the sparks from her "past life" are clearly still alive and well.
Best Picture: "Anatomy of a Fall"
French director Justine Triet won the coveted Palme d'Or award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival for "Anatomy of a Fall," a wild ride the New Yorker called "a magnificently slippery thriller." She'll take another stab at one of the film world's top honors at the 2024 Academy Awards on March 10, where "Anatomy of a Fall" — which stars actress Sandra Huller — is up for best picture.
Best Picture: "The Zone of Interest"
It's been a big year for actress Sandra Huller, whose other acclaimed new film, "The Zone of Interest," is up for best picture alongside "Anatomy of a Fall." While some critics included Jonathan Glazer's dark World War II drama as a best picture possibility, its nomination will likely come as a surprise to others.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
The legendary and prolific Martin Scorsese now has more best director nominations — a whopping 10 — than any other living filmmaker, thanks to his nod for helming "Killers of the Flower Moon." Prior to his 2024 Oscar nomination, he was tied at nine in that category with Steven Spielberg.
Martin, 81, has only won best director once, though: for 2006's "The Departed." If he wins the Oscar on March 10, he and Steven, who's won twice in that category, will find themselves in another tie.
Best Director: Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall"
French director Justine Triet, who won the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Palme d'Or in 2023 for her tense tale of the death of a marriage and a husband in "Anatomy of a Fall" ("Anatomie d'une Chute"), is also up for best director for the film at the 2024 Academy Awards. She was just the third woman in 76 years of the Cannes Film Festival to win the Palme d'Or. And she's the only woman nominated for an Oscar in this year's directing category, despite widespread expectations Great Gerwig would get a nod for "Barbie."
Best Director: Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"
"There are certain stories that you want to kind of wait until you feel ready to tell them," best director nominee Christopher Nolan told The New York Times in 2023 when asked why he made "Oppenheimer" when he did. "For me, it's always seemed one of those stories that I don't think it's been told in any definitive movie sense. And yet it's one of the most important and dramatic stories there are."
Best Director: Jonathan Glazer, "Zone of Interest"
British director Jonathan Glazer surprised some critics with his first-ever best director nod for "The Zone of Interest," a historical drama he also wrote that's loosely based on Martin Amis' World War II novel of the same name. The title refers to the area around the Auschwitz concentration camp, where more than 1 million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis. An exploration of evil, the film focuses on a Nazi commandant who's building a "dream life for his family" just outside the camp's walls.
Best Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things"
The Greek director behind similarly strange yet endearing films like "The Favourite" and "The Lobster," Yorgos Lanthimos earned a best directing nomination for his Victorian coming-of-age story (with a major twist), "Poor Things."
Snub: Greta Gerwig, Best Director, "Barbie"
"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig, who also co-wrote the funny, feminist box office juggernaut with Noah Baumbach, was notably snubbed in the race for best director, despite achieving both critical and (record-breaking) box office acclaim for her efforts. Greta, who notched her first Oscar nomination for directing with 2017's coming-of-age film "Lady Bird," was widely expected to be in the running for "Barbie," though critics seem to agree the award will go to Christopher Nolan for "Oppenheimer."
Soon after the nominations were announced, fans and critics alike called out the Academy for its collective failure to recognize Greta's directorial brilliance — a problem more than a few folks chalked up to their long-running predilection for male directors.
Also snubbed for best director love? Alexander Payne, who left his unmistakable directorial mark on best picture nominee "The Holdovers."
Best Actress: Emma Stone, "Poor Things"
Widely hailed as the weird, beating heart of "Poor Things," Emma Stone's performance as a creature reincarnated by science who develops a deep love of pastries and sex, snagged her a nod for best actress. As a producer of the best picture-nominated movie, she could potentially take home two Oscars in 2024.
Best Actress: Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Relative Hollywood newcomer Lily Gladstone is widely considered a frontrunner in the race for best actress. The Montana native, who grew up on the Blackfeet Nation reservation, plays an Osage woman with rights to land that's rich with oil as white settlers systematically begin killing members of the Osage Nation to steal it. Her performance as Mollie was hailed as nothing short of "magnetic" by Vox and "the best of the year" by Slate.
Best Actress: Annette Bening, "Nyad"
One surprise nod came in the form of Annette Bening's best actress nomination for her turn as long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad in "Nyad." The Annette-centric tale of Diana's mission to become the first person to swim from Florida to Cuba definitely stumped critics who complained about the length and pacing of the movie. Annette has been nominated for an Academy Award four times; this would mark the movie veteran's first win.
Best Actress: Sandra Huller, "Anatomy of a Fall"
Sandra Huller, meanwhile, was widely predicted to earn an Academy Award nomination for her performance as a woman accused of killing her husband in a remote Apls chalet in "Anatomy of a Fall."
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, "Maestro"
Will the third time be the charm for "Maestro" star Carey Mulligan? The 2024 best actress nominee previously earned Academy nods for her performances in "Promising Young Woman" and "An Education." Her contribution to Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein biopic has been hailed as the "performance of her career," with the Los Angles Times proclaiming this is Carey "at her best" and multiple outlets citing her work as the highlight of the entire film.
Snub: Margot Robbie, Best Actress, "Barbie"
Like "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig, "Barbie" star Margot Robbie was shut out of the best actress category, despite awards season predictions. As Stereotypical Barbie, Margot made us see just how messy it is to make toys based on, well, stereotypes. As mid-existential crisis Barbie, Margot was funny, charming, smart (and even kind to Ken). Her character made mistakes and learned from them — and we saw the transformation in everything from Margot's body language and tone of voice to her economical use of humor. In a word, the woman sparkled.
Also snubbed in the best actress category? Fantasia Barrino's memorable lead in "The Color Purple."
Best Actor: Colman Domingo, "Rustin"
Colman Domingo, whose performance as Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr.'s adviser and a key organizer of the March on Washington, uncovers the story of an essential figure in history who's been overlooked and under-credited for years because he was openly gay. His best actor nod makes him just the second openly gay actor ever nominated for an Oscar for playing a gay character, according to The New York Times. (The first was Ian McKellan for his work in "Gods and Monsters.")
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"
Though he failed to pick up a directing nomination, Bradley Cooper's tour de force performance as the acclaimed composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein earned him a spot in the 2024 best actor nominee pool.
Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers"
Paul Giamati, who won a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for the same performance, famously joked about his viral In-N-Out moment after the former ceremony while accepting his award at the latter. "Wow, guys, I didn't think my week could get any better than going viral for eating a cheeseburger," he deadpanned at the Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 14.
Best Actor: Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"
In the satirical comedy "American Fiction," first-time Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright gives "a funny, bitter, sharply controlled performance, fueled by barely suppressed bile and an exasperated incredulity at modern culture," according to a January 2024 review in People. Other critics (and fans) have praised his best actor nod as "long overdue."
Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"
Among the 13 Oscar nominations "Oppenheimer" raked in was a best actor nod for Cillian Murphy, who stars as the conflicted J. Robert Oppenheimer in the epic film.
Snub: Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Actor, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
The Academy's long shown their affection for Leo, handing him eight nominations over the years. But he walks away from "Killers" without a best actor nod, despite initial predictions. On the other hand, as EW points out, Leo didn't get the all-important SAG Awards nomination from his fellow Screen Actors Guild members or their counterparts across the pond.
From the Daily Beast's perspective, Andrew Scott also deserved some best actor love for "All of Us Strangers," a miss the outlet deemed "devastating."
Best Supporting Actress: America Ferrera, "Barbie"
When Margot Robbie presented her fellow "Barbie" star with the SeeHer honor at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, she praised America for having "blazed a trail for Latina actresses while teaching everyone we are so much more than what we think we are." In return, America thanked the "Barbie" star and producer in her acceptance speech for seeing "the value in Barbie, an entirely female idea that most would have dismissed as too girly, too frivolous or just too problematic." America's turn as the all-too-relatably frustrated mom in "Barbie" snagged the star her first Oscar nomination.
Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"
That Da'Vine Joy Randolph earned a well-derved best supporting actress nomination for her contribution to "The Holdovers" should come as no surprise to her growing crowd of fans and critics. As USA Today recently put it, she's "been the standout of everything she's in." According to Da'Vine, "The Holdovers" works because "it's real and biting and sarcastic and rude." She added that "holidays are triggering" because "they bring up a lot of suppressed emotions." Discussing her character with the outlet, she explained, "I love that Mary is honest, and in her feelings, and not in any way trying to mute it. She's just like, 'This is where I'm at.'"
Best Supporting Actress: Emily Blunt, "Oppenheimer"
As J. Robert Oppenheimer's wife, "Kitty," Emily Blunt picked up her first Academy Award nomination for "Oppenheimer." And she did it, as the New York Times points out, by turning in one of "the most memorable performances in a film packed with movie stars and acclaimed character actors."
Best Supporting Actress: Danielle Brooks, "The Color Purple"
Will the new take on "The Color Purple" finally yield some Academy love? That remains to be seen, but "Orange Is the New Black" alum Danielle Brooks appeared on multiple critics' lists for a best supporting actress nod for her turn as Sofia in the beloved cinema classic. Speaking to IndieWire about playing the character she "was born to play," Danielle said earlier this year that she "knew" Sofia and was grateful to be able to "make her my own" in the film.
Best Supporting Actress: Jodie Foster, "Nyad"
Two-time Oscar winner and five-time nominee Jodie Foster returns to the Academy Awards this year with a nomination for her performance as swimmer Diana Nyad's trainer, Bonnie Stoll, in another surprise vote of confidence for the less-than-buzzy film.
Best Supporting Actor: Sterling K. Brown, "American Fiction"
"This Is Us" star Sterling K. Brown has nine Emmy nods and three wins on his c.v. He snagged his first Oscar nomination for his supporting role in "American Fiction."
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"
Critics have long predicted RDJ's turn as U.S. Atomic Energy Commission-member Lewis Strauss could result in a statuette, with multiple outlets expressing relief that the actor took a break from his high-paying superhero habit to show off his serious acting chops.
Best Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Will Robert De Niro's latest collaboration with his old pal and frequent colleague Martin Scorsese earn him Oscar gold? The screen icon plays yet another villain in "Killers of the Flower Moon," marking his ninth Academy Award nomination. Of those, he's won two so far.
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things"
Yet another feather in the proverbial cap of "Poor Things" comes in the form of a best supporting actor nod for Mark Ruffalo. Mark plays the cad Emma Stone's Bella Baxter takes up on his offer to show her the world — including his bed — in return for her company and good spirits.
Best Supporting Actor: Ryan Gosling, "Barbie"
Ryan Gosling's hilarious, borderline bananas performance as Barbie's wanna-be boyfriend, Ken, snagged the star a nod for best supporting actor (as fans griped online about Margot Robbie's snub). Fingers crossed he brings his musical "Kenergy" to the Academy Awards on March 10…
