The absurdist dramedy Everything Everywhere All at Once received 11 nominations|@a24|via Giphy
The 2023 Oscar nominations turned out to be breathtakingly refreshing, with the absurdist dramedy Everything Everywhere All at Once hitting the home run with 11 nominations.
All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin followed closely with nine nominations. Box office hits and the two top-grossing films of 2022 globally, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water received nominations for best picture.
Lot of first-timers
This year’s Academy Awards would be the first for 16 out of the 20 actors nominated overall.
Film critics and award season followers were thrilled to see new nominees like Michelle Yeoh, Brendan Fraser, Paul Mescal, Andrea Riseborough and Ana de Armas make it to the list. Veterans like Cate Blanchett, Michelle Williams, and Colin Farrell, among others, received nominations, too. Notably, all best actor contenders are first-time nominees.
Trying to stay relevant
Many believe Academy Awards’ diminishing viewership has led to the refreshing take on contenders this year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences risks losing its major revenue, the Oscar broadcast license fees, if nobody tunes in for the annual awards.
It is the first time since 2020 the Academy Award nominees were announced in a live press conference. A-listers Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams were the hosts.