93rd Academy Award Showcase Series: The Nominations

This day is one that I eagrly anticipate every year. Oscar Nomination day. Celebrating the best of the best in film each and every year and pushing the standard of great filmmaking into the next generation. Each year the nominations bring surprises, snubs and those moments that make us get emotional. Deep dives into the films will be coming as we inch closer to the show but for now this is just a quick glance at some of the highlights from the announcements

Maria Bakalova nominated for Borat Subsequent Movie Film is a win for sequels and it's a win for comedy. She has been such a great story since the movie came out and definitely was the reason the sequel stood out as its own part of this weird and wacky character Sacha Baron Cohen created so many years ago.

Steven Yuen becoming the first Asian American and Riz Ahmed becoming the first Muslim nominated actor is such great news. This is a huge step forward for the Academy in moving towards inclusion and representation and Yuen may is one of the frontrunners to take home the award coming show night. This will surely create more conversation in the future that should have already been happening. However as the old saying goes, better late than never. This is a big moment and we will see what it means for the future.

Double Acting Nominations in the same Category for Judas and the Black Messiah. Stars Daniel Kuulaya and Lakeith Standfield were phenomenal and now they can both add Oscar Nominee to their billings. Unfortunately only one can win and it easily could be one of these two men. Judas and the Black Messiah was deep, rich with characterization and these two men were the reason for that along with the rest of the cast.

The Academy sure loves films about the art of film making and Mank leading the way with 10 noms is more proof of that. Nominated for best picture, A lead actor nom for Gary Oldman, A best director nod for Fincher (His third in his critically acclaimed career) and even for the score. However the one category it was noticeably missing from either of the two writing categories. Mank is a film that dives deep into the making of one of Hollywoods age old classic and is the type of film we are used to seeing the Academy hand the Best Picture award to but this year we have some powerhouses that could very well challenge for that top crown.

Chadwick Boseman received a posthumous acting nomination for his work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Chadwicks passing from Cancer in 2020 was a blow to everyone. He commanded the screen like very few and did so much in a short window. He lived through his characters and gave everyone something they could relate to. Chadwick will leave a legacy and his passion and continued drive to bring the best out of people is what lead him to this nomination. Chadwick is the latest example of doing the most with an opportunity you have been given.

This year having such amazing nominees will hopefully lend it's hand to a few surprises come show night. As we lead up to the show I will begin showcasing the things that make a good film such as writing, sound, acting, directing and the overall presentation of the picture. Beginning with writing we will see what films hold up and have the best chance of winning. If any of the information above intrigues you or you just want to see how this year's awards shake out, tune into the show Sunday April 25th.