2019 Oscar nominations: Our biggest heartbreaks — and the ones voters got right
The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards have been announced. “The Favourite” and “Roma” lead the pack with 10 nods, including best picture. The two films will go up against “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Green Book,” “A Star Is Born” and “Vice” for the big prize when the Oscars air live Feb. 24. But the nominations are just the beginning. Scroll through below for more analysis, biggest surprises and snubs, nominee reactions and more.
Critic’s take: ‘Roma,’ ‘Cold War’ lead a bracing foreign invasion
In nine decades, the academy has never recognized a non-English-language feature (or, for that matter, an animated film or documentary) as the year’s finest. Perhaps it will take a cinematic bridge like “Roma” — a giant among art films, a social-realist blockbuster, a Netflix theatrical event — to reverse that trend. But “Roma” was just one of many foreign-language films to figure prominently in the academy’s main categories this year. Read more.
Oscar heartbreaks — and a few that voters got right
Every Oscar season, critics and analysts can’t help rooting for particular films to find the recognition they deserve. Which means nomination morning can send up cries of delight and anguish in the newsroom, as some favorites get exalted and others left behind. Here, our team highlights the 2019 results they found most devastating — or thrilling. Read more.
Jan. 22, 6:05 p.m. | Los Angeles Times Staff
Reactions: Spike Lee on his first directing nomination — three-plus decades in
“Look, here’s the thing, we all know what it is. I cannot answer why it took so long, but I’m happy that it happened today. I am in my fourth decade, though. So look, I got nothing to bitch about today, and it’s a good day.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 6:04 p.m. | Mark Olsen
Reactions: Lady Gaga on her two Oscars nods for ‘A Star Is Born’
“That would be a tremendous honor to perform that song at the Oscars. It was so sweet, I was getting messages this morning from my [‘Shallow’] co-writers, and they wrote something funny: ‘Tell me something, boy, aren’t you happy we made all that noise?’ I think sometimes people forget that even though this is a big movie, we’re all really artists that are like kids playing in a sandbox. To be recognized at this level just makes the heart explode, because truly and deeply, I still very much feel like a child with big dreams.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 4:45 p.m. | Amy Kaufman
Reactions: Paul Schrader’s very candid, conflicted feelings over his first nomination
“You know, this is a very difficult conversation because I have never really respected the Academy for their choices. On the other hand, I’m enormously gratified that they have selected me. So you live in a kind of conflicted world. Where on one hand you say it truly doesn’t matter. And on the other hand you say, ‘Well, I guess it does matter.’” Read more.
Jan. 22, 4:45 p.m. | Mark Olsen
Superhero films bulk up with nods for ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Spider-Verse’
On Tuesday, Marvel’s “Black Panther” made history as the first comic-book adaptation to be nominated for best picture. Additionally, Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and Disney/Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” were both nominated in the animated-feature film category, making it a landmark year for superhero movies. “It’s pretty crazy. I don’t think there’s a one of us that, when we started, had any inkling at all that we would be in the [conversation] for Oscars,” Peter Ramsey, co-director of “Spider-Verse,” told The Times. Read more.
Jan. 22, 4:35 p.m. | Tracy Brown
Reactions: Marvel’s Kevin Feige on ‘Black Panther’s’ nominations
“When we look at that and the importance of the academy recognizing this, what’s so wonderful about it — and by the way, the other films that have been nominated for best picture this year — [is] the importance of telling different kinds of stories. The importance of telling the kinds of stories that haven’t been told before.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 4:05 p.m. | Jen Yamato
Behind Oscar’s snub of box-office smash ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’
The documentary about affable children’s television host Fred Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” was ignored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday. The film, directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (“20 Feet From Stardom”), had been considered a frontrunner in the category due to outstanding critical reviews and strong box-office receipts. Since its release last June, the film has collected more than $22 million, making it the highest-grossing documentary of 2018. It was one of four nonfiction films from 2018 to make more than $10 million — “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” “RBG,” “Free Solo” and “Three Identical Strangers” — a feat never before accomplished at the box office. Read more.
Jan. 22, 3:10 p.m. | Amy Kaufman
In the Oscar nominations, progress — and there was some — comes in fits and starts
This year’s Oscar slate serves as a snapshot of a motion picture academy in transition. Three years into a diversity initiative aimed at doubling the number of women and minorities in its ranks by 2020, the academy has added nearly 2,400 members, including 2018’s record class of 928 invitees.That means roughly 30% of the current 7,902 voters weren’t around when “Spotlight” won best picture in 2016. Read more.
Jan. 22, 2:25 p.m. | Glenn Whipp
Glenn Close doesn’t need an Oscar, but this year she deserves one
Glenn Close doesn’t need to win an Oscar. This really needs to be said, out loud and with conviction, possibly several times, as a protection spell against the alarming awards season narrative that followed her outstanding performance in “The Wife,” for which she did indeed receive an Oscar nomination.
Ever since the film’s fall debut, and especially after her Golden Globe win (over, gasp, Lady Gaga), a narrative has formed in which Close could win this year even though her film slid beneath the awards radar because, well, she has never won before. And for Close to have been nominated for an Oscar seven times and not win once would be, according to that always just and sympathetic entity conventional wisdom, just plain wrong. Read more.
Jan. 22, 2:18 p.m. | Mary McNamara
Reactions: ‘Roma’s’ Yalitza Aparicio on her historic Oscar nod
“[Director Alfonso Cuarón] reflected us, indigenous people. This has allowed people to reflect on what exists in our environment and it shows other faces in film. It shows the rest of the world that there is great diversity in Mexico.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 1:58 p.m. | Carolina Miranda
Reactions: Willem Dafoe on his fourth Oscar nomination for ‘At Eternity’s Gate’
“It’s not a traditional biopic, and I think that’s quite amazing. Julian did a beautiful thing where he avoided the traps of doing the traditional biopic and found a very good spot where it’s a very personal film. It draws on some facts and some invented things, but it really expresses experience, and to some degree my experience, of being in those places.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 1:40 p.m. | Mark Olsen
Critic’s take: 2019 Academy Award nominations are all over the map
A cold and bright full moon shone over Los Angeles at 5:20 a.m. Tuesday when the 91st Oscar nominations were announced, a moon as pitiless and implacable as a police spotlight. And when that spotlight shone on the Motion Picture Academy’s choices for the best the movie world had to offer in 2018, especially the eight-film best picture list, what it revealed was a borderline irrational split vision as to what represents quality in film. Read more.
Jan. 22, 1:20 p.m. | Kenneth Turan
Here’s how the Oscars made history with today’s nominations
With the 91st Oscar nominations, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences achieved a series of historical firsts and set up a few records to be broken. Take a look at how history was made Tuesday — or is poised to be made when the Academy Awards take place Feb. 24 — in some of the top races. Read more.
Jan. 22, 1:05 p.m. | Nardine Saad
Reactions: ‘Incredibles 2’ director Brad Bird on our fascination with superhero stories
“We were kind of swimming against the tide on the first film,” Bird says. “On this film I was a little worried too much time had lapsed and the market was now oversaturated with superhero movies. It seemed like there were too many superhero films several years ago when we first pitched the idea for this movie, and I was saying if there’s too many now, there’s going to be way too many by the time this one’s ready to be released. I got enthused about the idea because really the core idea is more about family than the superhero aspect.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 12:15 p.m. | Tracy Brown
AMC, Regal cinemas won’t show Netflix’s ‘Roma’ as part of Oscars showcases
Two of the largest cinema chains in the U.S. won’t show Netflix’s “Roma” as part of their annual best-picture Oscars showcases, in a further sign that chilly relations haven’t thawed between major exhibitors and the streaming entertainment company. Neither AMC Theatres nor Regal have exhibited “Roma” prior to Tuesday’s announcement of the Academy Award nominations. The theater chains have cited Netflix’s windowing strategy for the movie, which involved a three-week limited theatrical run prior to its streaming debut. Read more.
Jan. 22, 11:55 a.m. | David Ng
Reactions: Glenn Close reflects on her seventh nod and that ‘spontaneous’ Globes speech
“In this highly competitive profession, to be singled out as one of five is amazing. How the winner gets chosen, that’s a whole other deal, but I don’t feel I have to validate myself. I don’t want to come off as not caring. But I guess, in the eyes of the world, to have a prize in your hand can mean something. And [the category] is so varied. How do you say who’s going to win, out of that? There’s no losers in that group.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 11:05 a.m. | Ashley Lee
Here’s why Dolly Parton got snubbed in the Oscars original song category
Among the game-changing 15 Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday morning for Netflix — whose “Roma” finally put the powerful streaming service in contention for best picture — was an expected nod in the original song category for a plaintive roots-music number by a woman with plenty of experience in that field.
Nope, not Dolly Parton. Although the veteran country star’s “Girl in the Movies,” from “Dumplin’,” was widely tipped to be nominated, Oscar voters instead chose “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings,” from Netflix’s Coen brothers anthology, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 11:05 a.m. | Mikael Wood
Reactions: Rami Malek on how fans can resolve Bryan Singer’s involvement with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
“I think the thing that I will take away the most from this is, I don’t know if this is self-aggrandizing, but I’m proud of the way I held myself in the most tumultuous, I would say dire circumstances. I tried to be as much of a leader as I possibly could. Sometimes I surprised myself with what I was able to accomplish, on- and off-screen.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 10:20 a.m. | Jen Yamato
GLAAD celebrates ‘banner year’ for LGBTQ-inclusive films
GLAAD is celebrating a “banner year for LGBTQ inclusion” with this year’s crop of Oscar nominees, which were announced early Tuesday morning. The advocacy group celebrated a fine showing in the best-picture field that included several films boasting narratives about real-life LGBTQ individuals. Five of the eight films nominated for the top prize are LGBTQ-inclusive, the highest number of such films that have ever been nominated for best picture in a single year, the media watchdog organization said. Read more.
Jan. 22, 9:55 a.m. | Nardine Saad
What would have happened if there had been a popular film Oscar category this year?
The Motion Picture Academy’s idea for a popular film Oscar category proved unpopular enough for the group to shelve it — or, at least, pause it — less than a month after it announced its creation in August. That cancellation did disappoint a few people, though — namely, the producers of the movies that likely would have been the inaugural nominees in the fledgling category. “Oh, yeah, we wanted to see it happen,” said Brad Fuller, one of the producers of the critically acclaimed box office hit “A Quiet Place.” “Who doesn’t want to be nominated for an Oscar?”
By coincidence, or perhaps subliminal suggestion, several commercial hits wound up being nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday for best picture, including “A Star Is Born,” “Black Panther” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 8:45 a.m. | Glenn Whipp
See Ruth E. Carter’s reaction to her ‘Black Panther’ Oscar nod
Get to know the acting nominees
Reactions: ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ co-director Peter Ramsey becomes first African-American director to be nominated for a feature animation Oscar
“Obviously it’s kind of mind-blowing to think of yourself as the first anything. I mean, how do you do that? All we were trying to do is honestly make a good movie and be true to our story and our character. That was the goal all along and in doing that if it connects with people… And obviously I’m so proud that we’re able to tell this particular story especially at this particular time in history and the world, really. It’s an honor to be associated with something that’s actually going to mean something to people’s lives.”
Jan. 22, 8:39 a.m. | Sonaiya Kelley
With ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ Sony Animation becomes an Oscars front-runner
Not since “Rango” in 2012 has a movie won the best animated feature Oscar that wasn’t made by Disney or Pixar. But that streak could end this year thanks to a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. With the acclaimed “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Sony Pictures Animation is in the unusual position of front-runner in the category. According to experts polled by awards prediction website Gold Derby, “Into the Spider-Verse” has a 23% chance of winning the prize, slightly ahead of Pixar Animation Studios’ “Incredibles 2.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 8:00 a.m. | Ryan Faughnder
Will Ruth Bader Ginsburg attend the Oscars? The directors of ‘RBG’ say…
Co-director Betsy West was hesitant to say anything definitive considering the Supreme Court Justice’s recent health issues. “I can only imagine the designers wanting to dress her. But this is an unusual year on top of her extremely packed court schedule -- she’s had this major surgery she’s recovering from,” she told the Times. “Her No. 1 responsibility in life is her work on the Supreme Court. She puts that first and foremost beyond anything, so I’m sure that’s uppermost in her mind right now.” So will she tune in? Co-director Julie Cohen was more optimistic on those chances. “She doesn’t ordinarily watch television at home, but I feel like she might watch this. She does stay up late!”
Jan. 22, 7:34 a.m. | Amy Kaufman
See Richard E. Grant’s hilarious nomination reaction video
Following Oscar nods, ‘Roma’ screenings will be held for domestic workers and their employers
Cleo, the indigenous worker whose harrowing personal story unfolds in Alfonso Cuarón’s acclaimed “Roma,” is getting more screen time outside of Netflix. Following the announcement of the film’s 10 Oscar nominations by the Motion Picture Academy on Tuesday, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Participant Media unveiled plans to host community screenings of “Roma” for domestic workers and employers across the nation. Organizers noted that the screenings will not be open to the general public. The screenings will be held next month in 12 cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle and New York. Read more.
Jan. 22, 7:15 a.m. | Nardine Saad
See ‘RBG’ filmmakers react to their documentary nomination
Listen to the Oscar nominees for original song
Hip-hop heavyweight Kendrick Lamar, songwriting powerhouse Diane Warren, Broadway darlings Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, pop star and actress Lady Gaga and Americana heroes Gillian Welch and David Rawlings all found themselves in the same Oscar race for original song when Motion Picture Academy nominations were announced Tuesday morning. Their songs bolstered Oscar momentum for “Black Panther,” “RBG,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” “A Star Is Born” and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 7:13 a.m. | James Reed
Reactions: Mark Ronson, nominated for best original song for ‘Shallow’
“When I saw a rough cut of the film and saw how [Bradley Cooper] put the song in -- starting with the parking lot scene -- I thought, ‘This song could potentially be something special, because it’s so good and the scene is beautiful.’ The song is so intertwined with the thing of falling in love. But I didn’t want to be greedy -- there are a lot of good songs in the movie, and I thought, I wonder which is gonna be the song. It could have been ‘Always Be This Way.’ But when I saw the trailer, I thought, ‘They’re obviously picking the best song for the trailer.’ The trailer was just incredible. That build-up, and punching Sam Elliott. I was obviously so over the moon that the song was linked to something that was so good.”
Jan. 22, 7:02 a.m. | Amy Kaufman
Oscar snubs and surprises: Bradley Cooper, Peter Farrelly out as ‘Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ sneaks in
Of course, the morning of the 2019 Oscar nominations had its share of surprise mentions and snubbed contenders. From the mysteriously overlooked documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” to the unexpected recognition for Netflix’s “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” here are the top surprises and snubs. Read more.
Jan. 22, 6:10 a.m. | Ashley Lee
The Times’ Glenn Whipp and Jen Yamato break down the 2019 Oscar nominations and analyze what the Motion Picture Academy got right... and what they got wrong.
Oscar nominations shut out female directors — again
Once again, the Oscar race to be named best director has narrowed down to five male nominees. The 2019 Oscar nominations, which were announced Tuesday morning, did not include any female directors. Instead, this year’s nominees in the directing category are Spike Lee (“BlacKkKlansman”), Adam McKay (“Vice”), Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Favourite”) and Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”). Read more.
Jan. 22, 6:05 a.m. | Ashley Lee
Oscar nominations deliver milestones for Netflix’s ‘Roma,’ Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’
One of the more unpredictable Oscar races in recent years finally came into focus Tuesday morning with the announcement of the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards, with two of this year’s eight best picture contenders — “Roma” and “Black Panther” — setting milestones for the film industry.
Alfonso Cuarón’s poetic, autobiographical “Roma” earned Netflix its first-ever best picture nomination, an honor the streaming giant has long coveted even as it has disrupted traditional ways of doing business that stretch back to the earliest days of Hollywood. And the Marvel blockbuster “Black Panther” became the first comic-book movie to ever land a shot at a best picture trophy, a landmark for a genre that, for all of its importance to Hollywood’s bottom line, has often often been dismissed as popcorn fare. Read more.
Jan. 22, 6:05 a.m. | Josh Rottenberg
Yalitza Aparicio becomes second Mexican best actress Oscar nominee
Newcomer Yalitza Aparicio was nominated for her first Oscar on Tuesday morning for her performance as a domestic worker in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma.” The 25-year-old aspiring preschool teacher was also nominated for a Critics Choice award for the role but had been overlooked by key Oscar precursors the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and BAFTAs. With her nomination, Aparicio becomes the second Mexican actress to be nominated for lead actress. Salma Hayek was the first for her role as the titular painter in 2002’s “Frida.” Read more.
Jan. 22, 6:00 a.m. | Sonaiya Kelley
With ‘Black Panther,’ Marvel Studios swoops in with first best picture Oscar nomination
With “Black Panther,” Marvel Studios scored its first Oscar nomination in the coveted category of best picture. The superhero hit was nominated alongside “BlacKkKlansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book,” “Roma,” “A Star Is Born” and “Vice.” The Wakanda-set blockbuster was also nominated for costume design, sound mixing, sound editing, original score, original song and production design. Read more.
Jan. 22, 5:50 a.m. | Ashley Lee
Glenn Close is the most nominated living actor to never win an Oscar
Glenn Close was nominated for an Academy Award for the seventh time Tuesday morning, for her role in Sony Pictures Classics’ ”The Wife.” With six prior nods, for “The World According to Garp” (1982), “The Big Chill” (1983), “The Natural” (1984), “Fatal Attraction” (1987), “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988) and “Albert Nobbs” (2011), the 71-year-old stands as the most nominated living actor to have never won an Oscar. (Richard Burton also received seven nominations and Peter O’Toole holds the record at eight nominations with no wins.) Read more.
Jan. 22, 5:50 a.m. | Sonaiya Kelley
Spike Lee scores first director Oscar nomination for ‘BlacKkKlansman’
Spike Lee is officially an Oscar-nominated director. The “BlacKkKlansman” mastermind was included in the directing category alongside Paweł Pawlikowski (“Cold War”), Adam McKay (“Vice”), Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”) and Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Favourite”) when the nominations were announced on Tuesday morning. Read more.
Jan. 22, 5:45 a.m. | Ashley Lee
See the complete list of nominations
Tracee Ellis Ross and Kumail Nanjiani were up bright and early to announce the first group of nominations for the 91st Academy Awards. “The Favourite” and “Roma” lead the pack with 10 nominations each, including best picture. See the full list.
2019 Oscar nominations including best supporting actor and actress are revealed.
The Academy Awards unveil new poster
Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross tapped to announce the nominees
How to watch Tuesday’s announcement
Get ready to rise and shine: Oscar nominations are nearly here.
The 91st Academy Award nominees will be announced early Tuesday morning in a two-part live presentation that begins at 5:20 a.m. Pacific, both on television and online. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the voting body that hosts the annual ceremony, will stream its selections live online at Oscar.com, Oscars.org and on the academy’s digital platforms, including Twitter, YouTube and Facebook Live. The announcement will also be shown on a satellite feed and by local broadcasters. Read more.
Jan. 18, 8:40 a.m. | Nardine Saad
Our official Oscar predictions in all 24 categories
“Roma” could become the first Netflix movie nominated for best picture. “Black Panther” might transform Marvel into an Oscar powerhouse. Bradley Cooper could earn nominations for producing, directing, co-writing and acting in “A Star Is Born.” Alfonso Cuarón could go one step better, picking up five nods as a producer, director, writer, cinematographer and co-editor on “Roma,” a movie that will also be nominated for foreign-language film. And roughly three decades after “Do the Right Thing,” Spike Lee might finally earn his first directing nomination, for “BlacKkKlansman.” Read more.
Jan. 18, 3:00 a.m. | Glenn Whipp
From ‘Black Panther to ‘Zama,’ our critic’s dream Oscar ballot...
Ahead of the nominations reveal, Times film critic Justin Chang presents his own personal preferences in the big eight Oscar categories (picture, director, the acting and screenplay races), plus a few other races in which he’s taken a specific interest. Read more.
Jan. 12, 3:00 a.m. | Justin Chang
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