With the news of the Oscar shortlists from 12 categories by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the race for the 98th Academy Awards has become further defined by the ambition that plays out in the technical aspects, foreign storytelling, and interbranch support. At the forefront of this competition are Warner Bros.’ Sinners and Universal’s Wicked: For Good, both of which have garnered eight nominations, putting them immediately in the mix with the likes of Netflix’s Frankenstein, with six nominations.
While Best Picture itself is not shortlisted, it can be telling to look at the films that make appearances in casting, cinematography, music, sound, and visual effects. Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, was clearly one of the most successful films on the day, picking up nods in casting, cinematography, makeup and hairstyling, sound, visual effects, and two slots for original song. This immediately puts it into a discussion with other likely contenders for Best Picture, including Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, and Sentimental Value.
Oscar’s shortlists show that the awards season is internationally focused
The Oscars have released their shortlist nominations in several categories, and it appears that the awards season is a globally focused event. Many countries are represented in the nominees, which shows that there is a mix of international and domestic talent in the industry.
In fact, the nominees include movies from Ghana, Haiti, Israel, and Mexico, among other places. This indicates that the industry has a global approach and that the participants are from diverse backgrounds. The nominees also include films that were produced in international languages such as Hebrew.
Moreover, some of the shortlist nominees include women who are producers or directors of movies. An example is the nominee for the Best Documentary Feature Award. However, it is important to note that the nominees are shortlisted candidates, and the final list will be determined later.
Wicked: For Good followed suit with nominations in cinematography, original score, original song, sound, visual effects, casting, and makeup and hairstyling. Notably, its nomination for Alice Brooks in cinematography is a welcome recognition that is long overdue, as this category has traditionally ignored female cinematographers. Frankenstein, on the other hand, further solidified its technical merit with nominations in makeup and hairstyling, sound, visual effects, original score, casting, and cinematography, and this further attests to Netflix’s supremacy in below-the-line categories.
New categories, global cinema, and the advent of “Sirât”
The shortlists for this year’s awards also introduced the award for achievement in casting and the best cinematography award, which quickly changed the dynamics of all the other awards. The award for achievement in casting included films such as The Secret Agent, Sirât, Weapons, and One Battle After Another.
The international films category had one of the most impressive presences at the Oscars in recent years, with Neon dominating the field with Homebound, The Secret Agent, Sirât, Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident, and No Other Choice. Of these, Sirât was the clear standout, also shortlisted in the categories of cinematography, score, and sound for a film that is not in English.
Elsewhere, music categories ranged in scale from intimate to expansive, as Wicked: For Good, Sinners, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Tron: Ares, and F1 drove the conversation for original song and score. Sound and visual effects nominees continued the season’s celebration of tech powerhouses Frankenstein, Superman, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and Jurassic World Rebirth. Taken together, these Oscar shortlists point to an Academy ever more eager to honor daring craft, international voices, and technical achievement regardless of whether that is represented by a big-budget blockbuster such as Wicked: For Good or a small, international sleeper hit such as Sirât.
