Emilia Perez, The Brutalist and Wicked take the lead in the 2025 Oscars
Oscars focus on progressive films like The Brutalist, Emilia Perez and Wicked for this years contenders
By: Rachel Meatte
The Academy Awards nominations are here and have already begun to spark conversation online. “Emilia Perez” leads with 13 nominations, one off from tying the record of most nominations for a single film.
Emilia is one nomination from joining “Titanic,” “La La Land” and “All About Eve” which had 14 total nominations during previous award years.
“The Brutalist” is a big contender with ten nominations after winning three out of the seven Golden Globes (GG) it was nominated for back in January. “Wicked” comes in with ten nominations after winning one out of the four golden globes it was nominated for. The film has trailblazed the entire industry since its release back in November. Brand deals, Saturday Night Live mentions and award nominations have been the least of its effect on pop culture.
The main actors of “Wicked,” Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are popular choices for the Best Actress categories. Grande is no stranger to acting, although she is a first-time nominee for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars this year. Erivo has been previously nominated for Best Actress for her performance of Harriet Tubman in the 2019 film “Harriet.”
She was also nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the series “Aretha.” To no surprise, she has already won a Tony and Grammy award, which would make her a potential “EGOT” (Emmy, Grammy, Oscars, Tony) if she were to win the Oscar and an Emmy. “Wicked” has dominated the theatres while raining in over $680 million in the past three months. While they didn’t win big at the GG, they have a strong chance of winning big, since they are nominated in more categories than the GG.
“The Substance” starring Demi Moore also received five nominations following Moore’s win for Best Actress at the Globes. The film follows a fading celebrity struggling to maintain her image. At 50 years old, she is fired on her birthday, leading her to take a black-market pill to transform her back into her youth.
The film deals with ageism, misogyny, self-harm and the societal pressure to remain looking young forever. This was the first Academy Award Moore has been nominated for. During her speech at the Globes, she mentioned how she “never wins anything” and that “she has learned to trust herself and stop comparing herself to others.”
This hits hard after Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, at 62 was the first Asian Actress to win an Academy Award back in 2023 said, “Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you, you are ever past your prime.” It’s clear Hollywood is pushing the barriers that kept out older actresses who didn’t fit the youthful mold stereotype.
The Academy has chosen to focus on progressive politics and diversity this year. The films “Emilia Perez” and “The Brutalist” are showering in nominations including Best Picture,?Best Director,?Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. The films venture into different topics like self-identity, grief, motherhood and the immigrant experience.
“The Brutalist” is a time-period piece about a visionary architect fleeing postwar Europe to start a new life in the U.S., only to navigate the difficulties and struggles as an immigrant. The film touches on the immigrant experience and the American Dream, a dream so many immigrants fleeing war were trying to achieve.
During a time where tension and art collide, László Tóth, played by Academy Award Winner and Actor Adrian Brody, finds a way to usher in a new style of architecture while discovering what personal costs it requires.
“Emilia Perez” is now the front runner of the awards with nominations in a variety of categories. The Queer musical drama directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, follows the story of a Mexican lawyer played by Zoe Saldana who is offered a job. Saldana’s role is to help notorious cartel boss Juan (Manitas) Del Monte retire and transition into living as a woman.
Saldana must find a way to help Perez fake her death for the cartel boss to transition and become her authentic self, hence the title and name “Emilia Perez.”
The film has reigned in some controversy over not accurately portraying Mexican culture and its lack of talented singing from singers like Selena Gomez. Yet the controversy didn’t stop the film from having the first ever transgender actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. Emilia Perez, played by actress Karla Sofía Gascón is a first time Oscar nominee.
Recently, Gascón has gotten into hot water over past comments she made on X, formerly Twitter, regarding different minority groups. According to an article published by the Guardian newspaper, Gascón referenced Muslims in a now deleted tweet saying that “Islam is becoming a hotbed of infection for humanity.”
She also posted that “George Floyd was a drug addict swindler” and made comments about a slew of other disparaged groups. While she has apologized and said that those comments were taken out of context, Netflix is beginning to distance themselves from her. She has also cancelled all events leading up to the Oscars and now reports of her attendance are in question.
Other notable mentions for this year’s nominees include Dune Part Two, which came out in March of 2024. Directed by four-time Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve, the film made over $700 million worldwide.
“A Complete Unknown” starring Timothee Chalamet playing Bob Dylan racked in eight nominations including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. In addition, “Conclave” starring Ralph Fiennes is up for eight nominations as well and is Fiennes’ third Oscar nomination.
While we don’t know who will win yet, my bets are going towards Emilia Perez and “The Brutalist” as the biggest contenders for Hollywood’s biggest night. If you want to look up the full list of nominees, you can go to the Academy Award website
