Despite the predictability of awards season, the Oscar nominations always lead to interesting surprises. “American Fiction,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “Rustin” are among the Black nominees we’re excited to see get recognized. However, in addition to those fan favorites, there are plenty of other fascinating stories to dive into. Before you watch The 96th Oscars Sunday, March 10 on ABC, check out our recap of the best Oscar nomination surprises and stories.
“Barbie” received eight nominations, but they didn’t include a Best Actress nod for Margot Robbie or Best Director for Greta Gerwig. Remember when the world gave us grief for being pissed about Angela Bassett’s Oscars snub? Yeah, now you get it.
The nods for Colman Domingo and Jodie Foster mark the first time two openly LGBTQ+ actors received nominations for playing LGBTQ+ characters. Lily Gladstone (she/they) was also nominated for Best Actress for “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Do not underestimate how much this representation means.
Thanks in large part to Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Netflix is the most nominated studio with 18 nods. How mad is Warner Bros. right now?
We’re always going to want more Black artists and projects recognized. But it’s also heartening to see BIPOC nominees in all the acting categories.
Lily Gladstone is the first Native American performer nominated for Best Actress for her heartbreaking work in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” It’s beautiful to see her recognized for portraying an important part of her community’s history.
Sterling K. Brown is so extraordinary at eliciting every possible emotion from viewers. In one scene he can take you from anger, to attract, to laughter, to devastation. Even if he doesn’t win, we’re overjoyed to see him get this well-deserved moment of appreciation.
