The Academy Awards — dubbed the ‘Oscars’ after its famous statuette named Oscar — honour the film industry’s finest work over the past 12 months. Awards range from best picture and best actor all the way to best hairstyling and best sound.
This year, Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, a western starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst, leads the way with 12 nominations.
Dune, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic starring Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet is close behind with 10 nominations.
Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story follow with seven nominations each.
Reinaldo Marcus Green’s King Richard has six, while Don’t Look Up, Nightmare Alley and Drive My Car have four each.
The list sees Sir Kenneth becoming the first person to be nominated in seven different Oscar categories throughout his career.
He already has director, actor, supporting actor, adapted screenplay and live-action short nominations, but can now add best original screenplay and best picture.
He has never won in any category, however.
In a statement after the nominations were announced, he said: “It’s a long way from the streets of Belfast to the Academy Awards.
“Today, I think of my mother and father, and my grandparents ‒ how proud they were to be Irish, how much this city meant to them.
“They would have been overwhelmed by this incredible honour ‒ as am I.
“Given a story as personal as this one, it’s a hell of a day for my family, and the family of our film. I thank Academy voters for their incredible and generous recognition.”
New Zealand director Jane Campion becomes the first woman to have been nominated for best director twice, having been nominated for The Piano in 1993.
Many of the nominees took to social media to express their joy after the shortlist was announced on Tuesday.
Jessica Chastain, nominated for her leading performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, tweeted: “This morning felt like a dream”.
Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee said he was “deeply honoured” to have been recognised as a best supporting actor nominee for the Power of the Dog.
Belfast star Ciarán Hinds, another nominee for best supporting actor, said in a statement: “Having worked in this industry for nearly 50 years, I thought there wasn’t much that could surprise me still.
“Today, I can honestly say, I am astounded, thrilled and deeply grateful.”
British actor Andrew Garfield said he was “deeply humbled” to be recognised for his portrayal of the late composer Jonathan Larson in Tick Tick… Boom!
He joins fellow UK stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead acting categories.
Published at Wed, 09 Feb 2022 08:40:00 +0000
Oscars 2022 POLL: Which film gets your vote for best picture?
