2025 Oscar Nominations; 'Emilia Pérez' Leads with 13 Nods, 'Wicked' and 'The Brutalist' Follow
2025 Oscar Nominations: ‘Emilia Pérez’ Leads with 13 Nods, ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Brutalist’ Follow
The 2025 Oscar nominations were announced on January 23, with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez leading the pack with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, who made history as the first openly transgender actor nominated for an Oscar. The film, a Spanish-language musical about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, also earned nods for Zoe Saldaña in the Best Supporting Actress category and two nominations for Best Original Song.
Close behind with 10 nominations each are Wicked, the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway hit, and The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s epic historical drama about a Hungarian-Jewish architect fleeing post-war Europe. Both films are also up for Best Picture, alongside Conclave, A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Anora, Nickel Boys, I’m Still Here, and The Substance.
In the acting categories, Timothée Chalamet received a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, while Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), and Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) rounded out the category. Demi Moore earned a Best Actress nomination for her role in The Substance, marking a career comeback for the 1990s star.
The nominations come amid a challenging year for Hollywood, marked by devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that delayed the voting process and raised questions about the tone of this year’s Oscars ceremony. Academy officials have promised that the March 2 event will “acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires” while celebrating the unifying spirit of filmmaking.
Controversies and AI Use in Films
Both The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez have faced criticism for their use of artificial intelligence (AI) in production. The Brutalist employed AI to refine Hungarian-language dialogue for Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, while Emilia Pérez used AI to enhance Karla Sofía Gascón’s singing voice. These revelations have sparked debates about the role of AI in filmmaking, especially following the 2023 Hollywood strikes, which highlighted concerns about AI replacing human creativity.
Trans Representation Under Scrutiny
While Emilia Pérez has been praised for its bold storytelling and Gascón’s groundbreaking performance, it has also faced backlash for its portrayal of trans identity. Critics, including trans journalists, have called the film “profoundly retrograde,” citing its reliance on outdated stereotypes and its failure to authentically capture the trans experience. GLAAD and other LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have criticized the film for perpetuating harmful tropes, such as equating transition with moral redemption.
A Wide-Open Best Picture Race
Unlike last year, when Oppenheimer dominated the awards season, the 2025 Best Picture race remains wide open. Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist, Anora, Conclave, and Wicked are all considered strong contenders. The diversity of nominees reflects a broader shift in the industry, with streaming platforms like Netflix continuing to challenge traditional studios for dominance.
The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will air live on ABC and stream on Hulu on March 2. As Hollywood navigates both natural disasters and corporate upheaval, this year’s Oscars promise to be a celebration of resilience and creativity in the face of adversity.
Oscar Nominations 2025: ‘Emilia Pérez’ Leads With 13 Nods, ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Brutalist’ Follow With 10
'Emilia Perez' leads the 2025 Oscar nominations with 13 nods, followed by 'Wicked' and 'The Brutalist' with 10 each.
variety.com
‘Emilia Pérez’ Leads the 2025 Oscar Nominations With 13 Nods
“The Brutalist” and “Wicked” secured 10 nominations apiece in a year with a wide-open best picture race. Acting nominees include Demi Moore, Cynthia E
www.nytimes.com
Oscars 2025: How to Watch the Nominated Films Online
Here's where to stream 'Emilia Pérez,' 'The Brutalist,' 'Wicked' and more movies that are up for Academy Awards for best picture.
www.hollywoodreporter.com'Emilia Pérez' tops Oscar nominations with 13, 'Wicked' and 'The Brutalist' land 10 apiece
Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” leads the nominations with 13, including best picture and a best actress nod for Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly
apnews.com
Column: The narco musical 'Emilia Pérez' isn't as bad as critics say — it's worse
'Emilia Pérez' thinks it’s in a transgressive tradition. Instead, it turns out like every other narco movie. The director falls for one of the worst s
www.latimes.com
'Emilia Pérez' star Karla Sofia Gascón makes Oscars history as first out trans woman nominated for acting
‘Emilia Pérez’ star Karla Sofía Gascón has made Oscars history as the first out transgender woman to be nominated in an acting category.
www.latimes.com
‘Emilia Pérez’ Star Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes First Openly Trans Actor Nominated for an Oscar
'Emilia Pérez' star Karla Sofía Gascón has become the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.
variety.com
Emilia Pérez is insulting, ignorant trash - it does not deserve Oscars
This musical about a transgender cartel boss might be ambitious - it's also totally superficial, insensitive and joyless
inews.co.uk
Who is Karla Sofía Gascón? Trans actress makes Oscar history with 'Emilia Pérez'
Karla Sofía Gascón is the first openly trans actress to receive an Oscar nomination for the controversial movie musical Emilia Pérez.
www.usatoday.com
The Brutalist and Emilia Perez’s voice-cloning controversies make AI the new awards season battleground
Two leading contenders for Oscars this year have revealed use of artificial intelligence in the editing suite – will it affect their chances?
www.theguardian.com
What is the future of AI in film?
'The Brutalist' director Brady Corbet has responded to criticism over his use of AI in his Oscar-nominated film. We speak to those fighting for and ag
www.euronews.com
AI-enhanced films 'The Brutalist' and 'Emilia Pérez' score Oscar nominations for acting, editing
The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, two films facing controversy over artificial intelligence usage, lead the nominees for the Academy Awards.
www.cnbc.com
‘Emilia Pérez’ And ‘The Brutalist’ AI Controversies, Explained
A pair of big Oscar contenders—“The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez”—are embroiled in separate controversies after revelations that each film used AI dur
www.forbes.com
Zoe Saldaña Takes Center Stage
She's lit up some of the most otherworldly sci-fi epics of our time. But with her performance in the musical Emilia Pérez, the Golden Globe winner fin
www.harpersbazaar.com
Manage a Political Campaign Just to Feel Something Again
National politics made me despair. Then my friend ran for office, and I unleashed my inner political animal.
www.thecut.com
“Emilia Pérez” is Not Good Trans Representation | GLAAD
Now that Emilia Pérez is streaming on Netflix, more people are able to critique this profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman. While the film
glaad.org
‘Emilia Pérez’ Is Bad, Actually. Why Does Awards Season Love It?
Our critics weigh in on Netflix’s divisive trans cartel musical.
www.them.us
Emilia Pérez review – a musical that barely wants to be a musical
This ghastly musical melodrama from Jacques Audiard tells of a Mexican cartel boss’ gender affirming surgery.
lwlies.com
'Emilia Pérez' Is the Most Unique Cis Nonsense You’ll Ever See
There are many bad movies made by cis writers and directors about trans women. But you’ve never seen a bad movie about a trans woman like Jacques Audi
www.autostraddle.com