On Tuesday, 10 Oscar categories were announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 97th Academy Awards. , the categories include documentary feature film, documentary short film, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song) animated short film, live-action short film, sound, and visual effects.
Academy Awards and Oscar Nominations
The contenders in several categories were revealed including Emilial Pérez, The Apprentice, and Dune: Part Two at the top of the lists. Moreover, other films included in the shortlists are Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Nosferatu, Wicked, Challenges, The Wild Robot, Blitz, and Gladiator 2. Key dates have also been announced for the 97th Oscars with voting occurring from January 8 at 9 a.m. PT to January 12 at 5 p.m PT. Moreover, the nominees were revealed on January 17.
Final voting will occur following the nomination announcements between February 11 at 9 a.m. and February 18 at 5 p.m. PT, f. As of now, preparations for the 2025 Oscars ceremony are underway with the event scheduled for March 2. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the Oscars ceremony will be televised on ABC and will broadcast in over 200 countries worldwide. The production team, consisting of Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, is also in place with both returning as executive producers. While Kapoor will also be the showrunner, Hamish Hamilton will direct the ceremony.
Documentary Feature Film Category
The Documentary Feature Film category has narrowed its contenders down from 169 eligible films to 15 documentaries. Advancing to the next round, these films showcase a diverse range of topics and storytelling styles. Listed alphabetically, the fifteen films include The Bibi Files, The Bibi Files, Black Box Diaries, Dahomey, Daughters, Eno, Frida, Hollywoodgate, No Other Land, Porcelain War, Queendom, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, Sugarcane, Union, and Will & Harper. Notably, members of the Documentary Branch determined the shortlist and nominees through their votes.
Documentary Short Film Category
For the Documentary Short Film category, 15 documentaries out of 104 qualified films were chosen. Listed alphabetically, the 15 selected films include Chasing Roo, Death by Numbers, Eternal Father, I Am Ready, Warden, Incident, Instruments of a Beating Heart, Keeper, Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World, Once Upon a Time in Ukraine, The Only Girl in the Orchestra, Planetwalker, The Quilters, Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr, A Swim Lesson, and Until He’s Back.
International Feature Film Category
For the International Feature Film categories, 15 films were considered contenders for an Oscar. Initially, 85 countries and regions were chosen for this specific category with Academy members across all branches playing a significant role in voting in the preliminary round. The nominations round, however, had these members opt-in and view all 15 shortlisted films before voting.
Listen in alphabetical order by country, the 15 selected films include Brazil’s I’m Still Here, Canada’s Universal Language, Czech Republic’s Waves, Denmark’s The Girl With the Needle, France’s Emilia Pérez, Germany’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Iceland’s Touch, Ireland’s Kneecap, Italy’s Vermiglio, Latvia’s Flow, Norway’s Armand, Palestine’s From Ground Zero, Senegal’s Dahomey, Thailand’s How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, and United Kingdom’s Santosh.
Makeup and Hairstyling Category
10 films were chosen as Oscar contenders for the Makeup and Hairstyling category. On January 11, 2025, the selection process’ next stage will have all members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch to view excerpts and interviews from artists of each shortlisted film. Afterward, these branch members will vote for their final 5 nominees for Oscar consideration. Listed alphabetically by title, these 10 shortlisted films include A Different Man, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Apprentice, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Maria, Nosferatu, The Substance, Waltzing With Brando, and Wicked.
Original Score Category
For the Original Score category, the Academy chose 20 out of 145 eligible scores for Oscar consideration. Moreover, the Music Branch members determined the nominees through their votes. Listed alphabetically by film title, the 20 selected scores include Alien: Romulus, Babygirl, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Blink Twice, Blitz, The Brutalist, Challengers, Conclave, Emilia Pérez, The Fire Inside, Gladiator II, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1, Inside Out 2, Nosferatu, The Room Next Door, Sing Sing, The Six Triple Eight, Wicked, The Wild Robot, and Young Woman and the Sea.
Original Song Category
For the Original Song category, 15 out of 89 eligible songs were selected for Oscar consideration. Like the Original Score category, the members of the Music Branch selected these films through voting. Coming from various motion pictures, the 15 original songs that were selected include Better Man’s “Forbidden Road,” Blitz’s “Winter Coat,” Challengers’ “Compress/Repress,” Elton John: Never Too Late’s “Never Too Late,” Emilia Pérez’s “El Mal” and “Mi Camino”, Kneecap’s “Sick In The Head,” Moana 2’s “Beyond,” Mufasa: The Lion King’s “Tell Me It’s You,” Piece by Piece’s “Piece By Piece,” Sing Sing’s “Like A Bird,” The Six Triple Eight’s “The Journey,” Twisters’ “Out Of Oklahoma,” The Wild Robot’s “Kiss The Sky,” and Will & Harper’s “Harper And Will Go West.”
Animated Short Film Category
In the category of Animated Short Film, the Academy chose 15 films as Oscar nominees out of 88 potential films. Academy members from both the Animation and Short Films Branches are participating in the voting process. Listed alphabetically, the selected short films include Au Revoir Mon Monde, A Bear Named Wojtek, Beautiful Men, Bottle George, A Crab in the Pool, In the Shadow of the Cypress, Magic Candies, Maybe Elephants, Me, Origami, Percebes, The 21, Wander to Wonder, The Wild-Tempered Clavier, and Yuck!
Live Action Short Film category
For the Live Action Short Film category, the Academy has chosen 15 films as Oscar contenders out of 180 qualified films. Members from every branch determined the shortlist and are still involved in voting. Listed alphabetically, the 15 films include Anuja, Clodagh, The Compatriot, Crust, Dovecote, Edge of Space, The Ice Cream Man, I’m Not a Robot, The Last Ranger, A Lien, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, The Masterpiece, An Orange From Jaffa, Paris 70, and Room Taken.
Sound Category
For the Sound category, the Academy chose 10 films as Oscar contenders with eligible members of the Sound Branch determining the shortline and nominees. Further facilitating the voting process, Academy members are expected to view excerpts from each selected film in various locations, including the San Fransisco Bay Area, New York, London, and Los Angeles. Listed alphabetically, the chosen films include Alien: Romulus, Blitz, A Complete Unknown, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Gladiator II, Joker: Folie à Deux, Wicked, and The Wild Robot. For Oscar consideration, Branch members will vote to determine the five films to be nominated.
Visual Effects Category
The Academy selected 10 films for Oscar consideration for the Visual Effects category, with the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determining the shortlist. Moreover, all Branch members must view excerpts and interviews from artists of each shortlisted film before voting on the five films worthy of an Oscar. Mainly, these films include Alien: Romulus, Better Man, Civil War, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Gladiator II, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mufasa: The Lion King, Twisters, andWicked.
Final Thoughts
So, which one of these films will win an Oscar award is anyone’s guess. However, with the Academy Awards just around the corner, film enthusiasts and industry insiders continue to build excitement for the show. The talented individuals and outstanding films with this year’s nominees make the competition more fierce and hard to predict. Considered Hollywood’s biggest night, fans eagerly anticipate the reveal of the winners and the glamorous festivities on the red carpet.
