The Oscar, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award, is the most prestigious film award. On February 8, 2022, the film academy announced the nominations for its 94th Academy Awards.
Who are the nominees?
Ten films will compete for Best Picture: "Belfast," "CODA," "Don't look up," "Drive my car," "Dune," "King Richard," "Licorice Pizza," "Nightmare Alley," "The Power of the Dog" and "West Side Story."
Best Director nominations include Kenneth Branagh ("Belfast"), Ryusuke Hamaguchi ("Drive My Car"), Paul Thomas Anderson ("Licorice Pizza"), Jane Campion ("The Power of a Dog") and Steven Spielberg ("West Side Story").
Surprisingly, "Dune" has ten nominations, but Denis Villeneuve wasn't included in the category Best Director – the actors were also neglected.
It is worth noting that Jane Campion became the first woman director in the history of the award to receive a second nomination in this category – the first time she received such an honor in 1994 for "The Piano." She was never awarded Best Director, but Campion won the statuette for Best Screenplay. In 2022, her film "The Power of the Dog" won 12 nominations.
Speaking of acting talent, Kristen Stewart ("Spencer"), Penelope Cruz ("Parallel Mothers"), Nicole Kidman ("Being the Ricardos"), Olivia Colman ("The Lost Daughter") and Jessica Chastain ("The Eyes of Tammy Faye") will compete for the Best Actress category.
Will Smith ("King Richard"), Andrew Garfield ("tick, tick... BOOM!"), Denzel Washington ("The Tragedy of Macbeth"), Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Power of a Dog"), and Javier Bardem ("Being the Ricardos") will vie for Best Actor.
Best Supporting Actress features Jessie Buckley ("The Lost Daughter"), Kirsten Dunst ("The Power of the Dog"), Ariana DeBose ("West Side Story"), Judi Dench ("Belfast"), Aunjanue Ellis ("King Richard").
Best Supporting Actor features J.K. Simmons ("Being the Ricardos"), Troy Kotsur ("CODA"), Jesse Plemons ("The Power of a Dog"), Ciaran Hinds ("Belfast"), Kodi Smit-McPhee ("The Power of a Dog"). Also, note separately the nomination for Best Costume Design: "Dune," "Cruella," "Cyrano," "West Side Story," and "Nightmare Alley."
When and where?
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 27, 2022.
Last year's event took place at the Los Angeles Union Station building, but this time it's back to square one: the ceremony will return to the Dolby Theater.
In what format?
The exact format of the awards ceremony is not yet known, but two points are clear – for the seventh time in a row, Emmy Award winner Glenn Weiss will direct the ceremony, and Will Packer will take the producer's chair.
Who will be the presenters?
After three years of ceremonies without hosts, the Oscar will finally get a "human face." It was announced on January 11, 2022, by the head of ABC's entertainment division Craig Erwich. So far, the question remains open, but most likely, Will Packer will be the host. "Will is well versed in the areas of pop culture and entertainment.
He's got a lot of potential. Pretty soon, we'll be able to share details," Craig said. Other potential presenters include Jimmy Kimmel, Chris Rock, and Neil Patrick Harris. The award may be entrusted to a new generation of actors, from Selena Gomez to Tom Holland.
