--- title: "It’s the 2023 Oscar nominations week – here are the highlights" description: "From Best Picture to Lead Actor, a guide to what you need to know about the nominated Hollywood and foreign competitors for each category of the 95th Academy Awards." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "ACADEMY AWARDS" author: "Tevya Turok Shapiro" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tevya-shapiro/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-01-27-its-the-2023-oscar-nominations-week-here-are-the-highlights/" published: "2023-01-27T20:32:05" updated: "2023-01-29T15:13:49" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 2219 --- # It’s the 2023 Oscar nominations week – here are the highlights > From Best Picture to Lead Actor, a guide to what you need to know about the nominated Hollywood and foreign competitors for each category of the 95th Academy Awards. By Tevya Turok Shapiro · Published 27 January 2023, 22:32 SAST · Updated 29 January 2023, 17:13 SAST ## Key points - On Tuesday 24 January, the 2023 Oscars nominations were announced by hosts Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed. Sci-fi spectacle Everything Everywhere All at Once leads the pack with 11 nominations, followed by Irish dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin and Netflix World War 2 epic All Quiet on the Western Front, both receiving nine nominations. The Best Picture nominees are Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tár, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Fabelmans, Top Gun: Maverick and Triangle of Sadness. Unfortunately all five Best Director nominees are male directors and Brad Pitt's performance in Babylon was overlooked for best actor. South African Bill Nighy was nominated for his role in Living directed by Oliver Hermanus. Hosted once again by Jimmy Kimmel, the awards ceremony will take place on 12 March where we will find out who will be taking home the golden statuettes. - On Tuesday 24 January, the official nominations for the 2023 Oscars were announced by hosts Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed. - The Oscars will be awarded on 12 March, hosted once again by Jimmy Kimmel. - Multiversal sci-fi, 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' is the leader of the pack with 11 nominations. - Best Picture contenders include two sequels - 'Avatar: The Way of Water' and 'Top Gun: Maverick'. ## Content On Tuesday 24 January, the official nominations for the 2023 Oscars were announced by hosts Allison Williams (star and executive producer of [*M3GAN*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-01-17-m3gan-an-ai-doll-designed-to-watch-listen-and-be-a-childs-best-friend-until-it-starts-to-kill/)) and Riz Ahmed (nominated for best actor in 2021 for his role in [*Sound Of Metal*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-30-this-weekend-were-watching-sound-of-metal-a-film-about-deafness-humility-and-the-acceptance-of-life-altering-change/) and co-writer of [*The Long Goodbye*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzz50xENH4g), winner of Best Live Action Short Film in 2022). The Oscars themselves will be awarded on 12 March, hosted once again by Jimmy Kimmel. [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhdaLnKMJHA) The spectacular multiversal sci-fi, [*Everything Everywhere All at Once*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-05-20-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-is-a-dazzling-must-watch-sci-fi-spectacle/)*,* is the deserving leader of the pack with 11 nominations, followed by the Irish dark comedy, [*The Banshees of Inisherin*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRu3zLOJN2c), and the Netflix World War I epic [*All Quiet on the Western Front*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf8EYbVxtCY), which both received nine nominations. For the most part, nominations went as expected, but the few surprises were pretty drastic upsets. #### **Best Picture** The contenders for the most anticipated award at the ceremony this year is particularly dominated by big mainstream productions. The list includes both of the highest-grossing films for 2022: [*Avatar: The Way of Water*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-12-15-avatar-the-way-of-water-once-again-extraordinary-technical-wizardry/) and [*Top Gun: Maverick*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-05-27-top-gun-maverick-a-stunning-feat-of-us-propaganda/), making 2023 the first time ever that two sequels are in the running for Best Picture. The absence of their kindred spirit, [*Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-11-18-black-panther-wakanda-forever-review-say-namor/), opened the door for a few edgier candidates, including [*Triangle of Sadness*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-12-12-triangle-of-sadness-review-shooting-fish-in-a-barrel-and-serving-them-on-a-silver-platter/), a scathing satire of the rich, and [*Women Talking*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD0mFhMqDCE), a drama based on a repressive religious Bolivian community. Janet Yang, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, opened the nomination ceremony by noting that “nominees in most categories are chosen by their peers – actors nominate actors, film editors vote for the best edited movies of the year… But the final and most anticipated award, Best Picture, is chosen by the entire academy membership – that’s around 10,000 filmmakers and artists living and working in over 80 countries.” It’s looking like your best bet to take it home is *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, not just because it received the most awards but because of its extremely wide appeal. Still, it’s anyone’s guess – *The Banshees of Inisherin* is a more typical winner in this category and has been very well received. And Hollywood does love its own reflection, so it would be disappointing (albeit not unexpected) if Spielberg’s autobiographical [*The Fabelmans*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1G2iLSzOe8) came out on top. #### **Best Picture nominees** *All Quiet on the Western Front* *Avatar: The Way of Water**Elvis**Everything Everywhere All at Once**Tár**The Banshees of Inisherin**The Fabelmans**Top Gun: Maverick**Triangle of Sadness**Women Talking* [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxN1T1uxQ2g) **\*\*\*** **Best Director** This year, the directors receiving recognition are exclusively men. The winners of this category in the past two years were both women: Jane Campion won in 2022 for [*The Power of the Dog*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRDPo0CHrko), a lengthy Western about toxic masculinity, and Chloe Zhao won in 2021 for [*Nomadland*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sxCFZ8_d84), a character study about a woman traveling the US in a van. Still, it’s understandable that some are disappointed and maddened that Sarah Polley wasn’t included for *Women Talking*. #### **Best Director nominees** Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for *Everything Everywhere All at Once*Martin McDonagh for *The Banshees of Inisherin* Ruben Östlund for *Triangle of Sadness*Steven Spielberg for *The Fabelmans* Todd Field for *Tár* **\*\*\*** #### **Best Lead Actor** Academy favourite Brad Pitt’s performance in [*Babylon*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-01-21-babylon-not-even-brad-pitt-margot-robbie-or-tobey-maguire-could-save-this-box-office-flop/) was overlooked for best actor, likely collateral damage of Damien Chazelle’s overzealous screenplay, and the result is that all five actors are first-time nominees. South Africans may notice that Bill Nighy’s nomination is for his performance in [*Living*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2L8CP31-14)*,* (also nominated for best adapted screenplay) directed by brilliant director, [Oliver Hermanus](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-03-19-moffie-a-brutal-and-beautiful-film-of-innocence-lost/), who directed [*Moffie*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-03-19-moffie-a-brutal-and-beautiful-film-of-innocence-lost/) and [*Skoonheid*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-07-24-skoonheid-a-film-that-confronts-truths-both-beautiful-and-ugly/). [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2L8CP31-14) A surprise nomination was Brendan Fraser, whose career as a leading man in action flicks was cut short by health issues. He has completely changed tact in his earnest performance as an estranged morbidly obese father trying to reconnect with his daughter in the A24 drama [*The Whale*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWiQodhMvz4). #### **Best Lead Actor nominees** Austin Butler in *Elvis*Bill Nighy in *Living*Brendan Fraser in *The Whale*Colin Farrell in *The Banshees of Inisherin*Paul Mescal in *Aftersun* **\*\*\*** #### **Best Lead Actress** Probably the most surprising inclusion of the nominations this year was that of Andrea Riseborough for her performance as a Texan alcoholic who wins the lottery in [*To Leslie*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_k63vvm3mU), an indie film that flew largely under the radar. A group of A-list actors including Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett, Edward Norton and Gwyneth Paltrow joined a [social media push](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/to-leslie-andrea-riseborough-2023-oscar-nomination-campaign-interview-1235308641/) to get her the recognition she deserved. [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlTDdhouBlg) Less surprising but still unexpected was Ana de Armas’s nomination for her role in the Marilyn Monroe Netflix biopic [*Blonde,*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIsFywuZPoQ)which bombed, in large part due to its overindulgent length*.*De Armas apparently squeaked in due to international support – industry folk do tend to have a soft spot for nostalgic pop culture. The surprise nominations meant that there wasn’t room in the limelight for powerhouse actress Viola Davis, whose starring role in [*The Woman King*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-10-07-the-woman-king-bringing-empowering-black-histories-to-hollywood/) was certainly worth some recognition. #### **Best Lead Actress nominees** Ana de Armas in *Blonde*Andrea Riseborough in *To Leslie*Cate Blanchett in *Tár*Michelle Williams in *The Fabelmans*Michelle Yeoh in *Everything Everywhere All at Once* **\*\*\*** #### **Best Supporting Actor** Ke Huy Quan’s nomination for his role in *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, was assured pretty much as soon as the film was released, but just a couple years earlier it would have seemed impossible, even to him. Quan was a child actor most famous for his role as Short Round in [*Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBdyLyijZhU)*.*Until *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, he was convinced that his career in film was over. #### **Best Supporting Actor nominees** Barry Keoghan in *The Banshees of Inisherin*Brendan Gleeson in *The Banshees of Inisherin*Brian Tyree Henry in *Causeway*Judd Hirsch in *The Fabelmans*Ke Huy Quan in *Everything Everywhere All at Once* **\*\*\*** **Best Supporting Actress** Angela Bassett’s nomination for her powerful, show-stealing performance in *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*makes her the first actor ever to be nominated for a role in a Marvel film. Many MCU films have been nominated in technical categories, and the first [*Black Panther*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU) film was nominated for Best Picture in 2019, but Bassett’s is the first nomination based on acting prowess. #### **Best Supporting Actress nominees** Angela Bassett in *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*Hong Chau in *The Whale*Jamie Lee Curtis in *Everything Everywhere All at Once*Kerry Condon in *The Banshees of Inisherin*Stephanie Hsu in *Everything Everywhere All at Once* **\*\*\*** #### **Best International Feature Film** *All Quiet on the Western Front* has done surprisingly well overall, particularly in the technical categories, and is the favourite of the international features. An unfortunate exclusion in this category is the phenomenal Danish crime-thriller, [*Holy Spider*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugq_aTKMh4U)*,*directed by Ali Abbasi, about a fictional female journalist investigating a real serial killer who targeted sex workers. [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugq_aTKMh4U) #### **Best International Feature Film nominees** *All Quiet on the Western Front* (Germany) *Argentina, 1985* (Argentina) *Close* (Belgium) *EO* (Poland) *The Quiet Girl* (Ireland) **\*\*\*** #### **Best Cinematography** [*Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-12-23-bardo-false-chronicle-of-a-handful-of-truths-review/) was probably banking on being nominated for Best International Feature, but perceptions of the film as being over-indulgent and pretentious got in the way despite director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s best efforts to preempt them. Luckily for him, Darius Khondji’s cinematography was utterly breathtaking from the first moments, putting the film in good stead to win in that category and save some face. [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCQimQfDuTs) #### **Best Cinematography nominees** *All Quiet on the Western Front* for James Friend *Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths* for Darius Khondji *Elvis* for Mandy Walker *Empire of Light* for Roger Deakins *Tár* for Florian Hoffmeister **\*\*\*** #### **Best Original Song** The Indian action drama [*RRR*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgBoMJy386M) has developed a bit of a cult international following since its American debut, so it was probably a bit of a disappointment for director SS Rajamouli that it wasn’t selected as India’s official submission. Its only nomination has been for its vibey song, [*Naatu Naatu*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsU0CGZoV8E). [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsU0CGZoV8E) *Applause*from*Tell It Like a Woman*, Music and Lyric by Diane Warren *Hold My Hand* from*Top Gun: Maverick*, Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop *Lift Me Up*from *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*, Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson, Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler *Naatu Naatu*from *RRR*, Music by MM Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose *This Is a Life*from *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski, Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne #### **Best Original Screenplay** *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert *Tár*, written by Todd Field *The Banshees of Inisherin*, written by Martin McDonagh *The Fabelmans*, written by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner *Triangle of Sadness*, written by Ruben Östlund #### **Best Adapted Screenplay** *All Quiet on the Western Front* by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery* by Rian Johnson *Living*, Written by Kazuo Ishiguro *Top Gun: Maverick* by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks *Women Talking* by Sarah Polley #### **Best Documentary Feature Film** *A House Made of Splinters*, Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström *All That Breathes*, Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer *All the Beauty and the Bloodshed*, Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov *Fire of Love*, Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman *Navalny*, Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris #### **Best Documentary Short Film** *Haulout*, Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev *How Do You Measure a Year?* Jay Rosenblatt *Stranger at the Gate*, Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones *The Elephant Whisperers*, Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga *The Martha Mitchell Effect*, Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison #### **Best Film Editing** *Elvis*, Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, Paul Rogers *Tár*, Monika Willi *The Banshees of Inisherin*, Mikkel EG Nielsen *Top Gun: Maverick*, Eddie Hamilton #### **Best Production Design** *All Quiet on the Western Front*, Production Design: Christian M Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper *Avatar: The Way of Water*, Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole *Babylon*, Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino *Elvis*, Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn *The Fabelmans*, Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara #### **Best Visual Effects** *All Quiet on the Western Front*, Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar *Avatar: The Way of Water*, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*, Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R Christopher White and Dan Sudick *The Batman*, Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy *Top Gun: Maverick*, Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R Fisher #### **Best Animated Feature Film** *Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio*, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley *Marcel the Shell With Shoes On*, Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*, Joel Crawford and Mark Swift *The Sea Beast*, Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger *Turning Red*, Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins #### **Best Animated Short Film** *An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It*, Lachlan Pendragon *Ice Merchants*, João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano *My Year of Dicks*, Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon *The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse*, Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud *The Flying Sailor*, Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby #### **Best Costume Design** *Babylon*, Mary Zophres *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*, Ruth Carter *Elvis*, Catherine Martin *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, Shirley Kurata *Mrs Harris Goes to Paris*, Jenny Beavan #### **Best Live Action Short** *An Irish Goodbye*, Tom Berkeley and Ross White *Ivalu*, Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan *Le Pupille*, Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón *Night Ride*, Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen *The Red Suitcase*, Cyrus Neshvad #### **Best Makeup and Hairstyling** *All Quiet on the Western Front*, Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová *Black Panther: Wakanda Foreve*r, Camille Friend and Joel Harlow *Elvis*, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti *The Batman*, Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine *The Whale*, Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley #### **Best Original Score** *All Quiet on the Western Front*, Volker Bertelmann *Babylon*, Justin Hurwitz *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, Son Lux *The Banshees of Inisherin*, Carter Burwell *The Fabelmans*, John Williams #### **Best Sound** *All Quiet on the Western Front*, Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte *Avatar: The Way of Water*, Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges *Elvis*, David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller *The Batman*, Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson *Top Gun: Maverick*, Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor. **DM/ML**