As awards season moves full steam ahead, we’re getting a very clear picture of who the real contenders are. Now, the Academy has added to the debate with the release of its Oscar shortlists.
Ten categories, including Documentary Feature, International Film, Animated, Live Action and Documentary Shorts, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music Score, Original Song, Sound and Visual Effects are narrowed down to a shortlist of possible nominees, and some of our favorites have made the cut.
“Be Alive” from King Richard by Beyoncé, Kid Cudi & Jay-Z “Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall, Jennifer Hudson “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect and “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the names in the Original Song category.
Summer of Soul continues its critically acclaimed year, making the cut in Documentary Feature. Though it has stiff competition in Attica, Faya Dayi, Flee and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.
The shortlist mentions did provide a few surprises with Coming 2 America in Makeup & Hairstyling, and Candyman in Music Score.
As for the movies most of us have actually seen, those are usually relegated to the Visual Effects category, which includes all four 2021 Marvel blockbusters, The Matrix Resurrections and Godzilla vs Kong.
Daniel Craig’s final Bond outing No Time to Die received the most mentions with five, followed closely by Dune with four.
Be sure to come back for full coverage of the Academy Award nominations Feb. 8 and The Oscars airing March 27 on ABC.
Here are the shortlists:
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Ascension
Attica
Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry
Faya Dayi
The First Wave
Flee
In the Same Breath
Julia
President
Procession
The Rescue
Simple as Water
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
The Velvet Underground
Writing with Fire
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Águilas
Audible
A Broken House
Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis
Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C. Leyendecker
Day of Rage
The Facility
Lead Me Home
Lynching Postcards: “Token of a Great Day”
The Queen of Basketball
Sophie & the Baron
Takeover
Terror Contagion
Three Songs for Benazir
When We Were Bullies
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Austria, Great Freedom
Belgium, Playground
Bhutan, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Denmark, Flee
Finland, Compartment No. 6
Germany, I’m Your Man
Iceland, Lamb
Iran, A Hero
Italy, The Hand of God
Japan, Drive My Car
Kosovo, Hive
Mexico, Prayers for the Stolen
Norway, The Worst Person in the World
Panama, Plaza Catedral
Spain, The Good Boss
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Coming 2 America
Cruella
Cyrano
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci
Nightmare Alley
No Time to Die
The Suicide Squad
West Side Story
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Being the Ricardos
Candyman
Don’t Look Up
Dune
Encanto
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
The Green Knight
The Harder They Fall
King Richard
The Last Duel
No Time to Die
Parallel Mothers
The Power of the Dog
Spencer
The Tragedy of Macbeth
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“So May We Start?” from Annette
“Down To Joy” from Belfast
“Right Where I Belong” from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
“Automatic Woman” from Bruised
“Dream Girl” from Cinderella
“Beyond The Shore” from CODA
“The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Just Look Up” from Don’t Look Up
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto
“Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days
“Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall
“Be Alive” from King Richard
“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect
“Your Song Saved My Life” from Sing 2
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Affairs of the Art
Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice
Bad Seeds
Bestia
Boxballet
Flowing Home
Mum Is Pouring Rain
The Musician
Namoo
Only a Child
Robin Robin
Souvenir Souvenir
Step into the River
Us Again
The Windshield Wiper
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Ala Kachuu – Take and Run
Censor of Dreams
The Criminals
Distances
The Dress
Frimas
Les Grandes Claques
The Long Goodbye
On My Mind
Please Hold
Stenofonen
Tala’vision
Under the Heavens
When the Sun Sets
You’re Dead Helen
SOUND
Belfast
Dune
Last Night in Soho
The Matrix Resurrections
No Time to Die
The Power of the Dog
A Quiet Place Part II
Spider-Man: No Way Home
tick, tick…Boom!
West Side Story
VISUAL EFFECTS
Black Widow
Dune
Eternals
Free Guy
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Godzilla vs. Kong
The Matrix Resurrections
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home