The 2025 Academy Awards are right around the corner, and it has already started making noise among fans and critics alike. Featuring genre-bending films and celebrating innovative acting, this year’s lineup shows an incredible range of modern cinema.
With an emphasis on diversity, bold storytelling, and creative cinematography, the Academy has nominated a wide range of films that have quite different approaches to cinema than traditional films.
Despite the diversity and bold genres being selected, this year’s nominations have not outrun controversies. The Apprentice’s lead actor Sebastian Stan received a nomination for Best Actor for a Leading Role, while actors like Daniel Craig did not get listed despite his solid performance in a critically acclaimed film like Queer. Another film dominating conversations is Emilia Pérez.
The Jacques Audiard-directed film has taken center stage with its record-breaking thirteen nominations. Increasing the possibility of being the night’s winner, all eyes are on the musical to see if it cements itself in Hollywood history.
Emilia Pérez creates history at the Oscars 2025
The 2025 Oscars is witnessing history in the making as the French director’s musical dramedy Emilia Pérezhas secured a groundbreaking 13 nominations and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 76%, gaining “fresh” status and securing the hearts of audiences and voters. Despite the film being rated highly, top critics claim it is loud and gimmicky.
Before its groundbreaking performance at the Oscars, Emilia Pérez had already begun its winning streak at the Golden Globes, where it secured 10 nominations and went on to bag major awards for Best Musical Film, Zoe Saldana winning Best Supporting Actor, Best Foreign Film, and Best Original Song. The unique and bold story revolving around a cartel boss undergoing a gender transition to leave behind a life of crime has been praised for its fresh premise, storytelling, and cast performances.
The multiple wins at the Golden Globes and its unimaginable Oscar nominations show how the theme resonates with the board of voters. The film is also the first-ever non-English language film to secure 13 nominations at the Academy.
Emilia Pérez breaks several records in Academy Awards History
With its 13 nominations, Emilia Pérez has entered the elite group of films that have garnered widespread attention from the Academy. The movie now stands alongside cinematic giants like Titanic, Ben-Hur, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). While Ben-Hur (1959) won eleven out of twelve nominations and The Lord of the Rings converted all eleven nominations into wins—mind-boggling if you think about it; Titanic (1997) acquired fourteen nominations and converted eleven of those into wins.
Meanwhile, some other films that touched or had the edge over the thirteen nomination mark are All About Eve (1950) and La La Land (2016), both with fourteen nominations and six wins, including Best Picture. Forrest Gump (1994) received thirteen nominations and won six awards, while The Shape of Water (2017) had thirteen nominations and won four awards.
This year, Emilia Pérez sets a groundbreaking example by becoming one of the most unconventional films to receive such widespread recognition. With its musical narrative and layered story, it definitely feels new compared to the other giants usually favored by the Academy.
However, the competition is still quite steep, and it is hard to say if Emilia Pérez will convert all those nominations into wins and create a historic moment or if it will forge its own unique legacy. Some movies to look out for that might have an edge over the French director’s film are The Brutalist, Wicked, and Dune: Part Two, as these films are also fighting to secure the top positions.
Emilia Pérez’s chances at creating history at this year’s Oscars
While Emilia Pérez leads the pack with the most nominations for the season, there are fierce competitors it must face in major categories that have the potential to disrupt its domination and opportunity to create history.
One of its toughest competitors is The Brutalist, which not only earned widespread acclaim but also went toe-to-toe with Emilia Pérez at the Golden Globes by acquiring four and three awards respectively.
The Brady Corbet movie, which features Adrien Brody, the youngest Oscar winner, revolves around the journey of Hungarian-Jewish architect László Toth as he flees post-World War II Europe to pursue the American dream.
At the Golden Globes, The Brutalist achieved significant recognition, winning accolades for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture. Additionally, the film received nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), and Best Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones).
Both movies are nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and five other titles at the Academy. If The Brutalist wins even a few of these titles, it could put a huge dent in Emilia Pérez‘s legacy.
Some other movies that could rob Jacques Audiard’s film of reaching new heights are Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, a Broadway adaptation. With its stunning visuals, emotional impact, and amazing performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, its musical theme pleased a large audience.
James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, featuring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, has also gained widespread attention and has eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Additionally, Dune: Part Two, a visually stunning sci-fi epic, while having comparatively fewer nominations (just five), is nominated in major categories like Best Picture and Best Cinematography.
Each of these films has unique strengths, making the race for Best Picture and other top categories fiercely competitive.
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