And the Oscar Goes to…

Vanessa Obioha

Hollywood’s klieg lights will illuminate the Dolby Theatre tonight as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts the 97th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars. While Nigeria has yet to make a significant splash at the Oscars, the films, directors, and actors vying for tonight’s top prizes are worthy of mention.

Leading the nominations is the Netflix film ‘Emilia Pérez,’ a story about gender and identity, with 13 nods, including Best Picture, Best Actress (both leading and supporting for Karla Sofia Gascón and Zoe Saldaña), and Best Directing, among others. However, the film has been marred by controversy following resurfaced racist remarks made by Gascón, who is also the first openly transgender actor to receive an Oscar nomination. Despite the controversy, ‘Emilia Pérez’ continues to perform well in the awards circuit. Zoe Saldaña recently won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

With 10 films contending for Best Picture, the race is tight. ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘Conclave,’ and ‘Anora’ have each won Best Picture at various awards ceremonies, making them the top contenders. At the Golden Globe Awards, ‘The Brutalist’ took home Best Motion Picture, while ‘Anora’ claimed Best Picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards. ‘Conclave’ won Best Film at the British Academy Film Awards. That said, anything can happen at the Oscars, and films like ‘Wicked’ or ‘A Complete Unknown’ could pull off an upset for the top prize.

It has been quite the year for Demi Moore, who has been sweeping up Best Actress awards for her role in ‘The Substance.’ Will her winning streak continue tonight as she faces tough competition from equally talented actresses like Cynthia Erivo in ‘Wicked?’

The Best Actor category features an impressive lineup, including Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Sebastian Stan, and Ralph Fiennes, all of whom delivered standout performances in their respective films. Chalamet is considered a strong favourite in this category.

In the Best Directing category, the five nominated directors are also contenders for Best Picture. They include Sean Baker (Anora), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), James Mangold (A Complete Unknown), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), and Coralie Fargeat (The Substance).