The 2025 Academy Awards are shaping up to be one of the most exciting (and let’s not forget controversial) ceremonies in recent history. With record-breaking nominations, diverse representation, and groundbreaking performances, this year’s nominees promise a night to remember.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s nominees, including a full list of contenders in every major category.
Best Picture Nominees 2025
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- I’m Still Here
- Nickel Boys
- The Substance
- Wicked
Best Director Nominees 2025
- Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
- Sean Baker – Anora
- Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
- Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
- James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
Best Actor Nominees 2025
- Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
- Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
- Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
- Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
- Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Best Actress Nominees 2025
- Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
- Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
- Mikey Madison – Anora
- Demi Moore – The Substance
- Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Best Supporting Actor Nominees 2025
- Yura Borisov – Anora
- Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
- Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
- Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
- Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Best Supporting Actress Nominees 2025
- Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
- Ariana Grande – Wicked
- Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
- Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
- Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees 2025
- A Complete Unknown – Jay Cocks and James Mangold
- Conclave – Peter Straughan
- Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard
- Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
- Sing Sing – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
Best Original Screenplay Nominees 2025
- Anora – Sean Baker
- The Brutalist – Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
- A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
- September 5 – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
- The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
Best Original Song Nominees 2025
- Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late
- El Mal – Emilia Pérez
- Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez
- Like A Bird – Sing Sing
- The Journey – The Six Triple Eight
Best Original Score Nominees 2025
- The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
- The Wild Robot
Best International Feature Nominees 2025
- I’m Still Here – Brazil
- The Girl with the Needle – Denmark
- Emilia Pérez – France
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Germany
- Flow – Latvia
Best Animated Feature Nominees 2025
- Flow
- Inside Out 2
- Memoir of a Snail
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- The Wild Robot
Best Documentary Feature Nominees 2025
- Black Box Diaries
- No Other Land
- Porcelain War
- Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
- Sugarcane
Best Costume Design Nominees 2025
- Wicked
- Nosferatu
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Gladiator II
Best Make-Up Nominees 2025
- A Different Man
- Emilia Pérez
- Nosferatu
- The Substance
- Wicked
Best Production Design Nominees 2025
- Wicked
- The Brutalist
- Dune: Part Two
- Nosferatu
- Conclave
Best Sound Nominees 2025
- A Complete Unknown
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
- The Wild Robot
Best Film Editing Nominees 2025
- Anora
- The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
Best Cinematography Nominees 2025
- The Brutalist
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Maria
- Nosferatu
Best Visual Effects Nominees 2025
- Alien: Romulus
- Better Man
- Dune: Part Two
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Wicked
Best Live Action Short Nominees 2025
- Anuja
- I’m Not a Robot
- The Last Ranger
- A Lien
- The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Best Animated Short Nominees 2025
- Beautiful Men
- In the Shadow of the Cypress
- Magic Candies
- Wander to Wonder
- Yuck!
Best Documentary Short Nominees 2025
- Death by Numbers
- I Am Ready, Warden
- Incident
- Instruments of a Beating Heart
- The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Notable highlights from this year’s Oscars
Jacques Audiard’s controversial Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language musical, leads the pack with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and acting nods for Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña. Gascón’s historic Best Actress nomination as the first openly transgender performer is a milestone moment for the Oscars.
There has been much debate as to the viability of the Oscars after Emilia Pérez became one of the lowest rated audience-reviewed films on Rotten Tomatoes to earn so many nominations, currently sitting at 35% on the platform.
Both Wicked and The Brutalist garnered 10 nominations each, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande earning acting nods for their roles in Wicked, while Adrien Brody and Willem Dafoe shone in The Brutalist.
The Wild Robot too is one of the most nominated animated films in Oscars history – everyone will be watching closely to see if it manages to come away with any trophies.
When and where to watch the 2025 Oscars
The 97th Academy Awards will be held on March 2, 2025, at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Hosted by the ever-charismatic Conan O’Brien, the event will be broadcast live worldwide. Tune in to see who takes home the coveted gold statues.
Who are you hoping will take home a trophy? Let me know in the comments below!
