Oscars: America Ferrera, Colman Domingo, Lily Gladstone and John Williams Among 2024 Nominee Milestones
Following the nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards on Tuesday, Lily Gladstone, Martin Scorsese and Emma Stone were among the stars and films setting new records or carving out their own unique place in Oscar history.
Gladstone achieved a historic nomination, with the Killers of the Flower Moon star paving a new path for Native American women in the lead actress category. Meanwhile adding to his list of accolades, Scorsese has surpassed Steven Spielberg with having the most best direction nominations and, at 81, is also recognized as the oldest directing nominee. Then, Emma Stone is going into the race eyeing two possible Oscar wins for Poor Things, with both nominations making history as she follows in the footsteps of Frances McDormand’s Nomadland Oscars wins.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
'Chicken Shop Date' Host Amelia Dimoldenberg to Hit Oscars Red Carpet as Social Media Ambassador
Bill Maher Chimes in on 'Barbie' Oscars Controversy on 'Real Time': "Is This Really the Patriarchy?"
Famed musicians like John Williams and Diane Warren continue making their mark on the Academy — adding to their existing achievements while continuing their reigns as being the most decorated nominated person in their respective categories.
On the director side, this year’s race is fronted by three women filmmakers vying for the coveted best picture prize, including Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Celine Song’s Past Lives.
The 96th annual Oscars, once again hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 10, at 4-7:30 p.m. PT from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Below The Hollywood Reporter rounds up some of the records and fun facts about the 2024 Oscar nominations.
Killers of the Flower Moon Leads to Historical Recognition
Among those nominated in this year’s race are Native American actor Lily Gladstone and late composer Robbie Robertson. Gladstone received a best actress Oscar nominee, her first, for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Gladstone marks the first Native American acting nominee. Amid the ancestry of Buffy Sainte-Marie, who won in 1983 for best song, now being speculated and challenged, Gladstone could also now be tied for the first Native American Oscar nominee in any category.
Meanwhile, Killers also secured a posthumous nomination for another Native American, the late composer, Robertson, who was Canadian by nationality but whose mother was Cayuga and Mohawk, He received a nomination for best original score. According to Apple, Robertson is the first indigenous person to be nominated in the original score category. Prior to Killers of the Flower Moon, Robertson collaborated with Scorsese as a composer of several of the director’s films, including The King of Comedy, Silence, The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street. Robertson died at the age of 80 last August.
Poor Things Lead to Great Nominations
Emma Stone not only stars in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things as a woman brought back to life by a scientist, but the actress also serves as a producer on the film, alongside the director and
Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe. In addition to Stone receiving a lead actress nom, the film is also in the best picture race alongside American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. With a nomination in both categories, Stone now follows in Frances McDormand’s footsteps as the second woman to be nominated for acting and best picture for the same film — McDormand was nominated in 2020 and won for Nomadland in both categories.
Meanwhile, Stone’s co-star Mark Ruffalo’s supporting actor nomination also proved notable. With the nomination, Ruffalo has now received his fourth nomination for the supporting actor nomination, tied for the most all-time. He is joined by Walter Brennan, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, Arthur Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Claude Rains.
John Williams Keeps Scoring Nominations
Composer John Williams already holds a notable record number of music-scoring nominations (49), but now he’s adding more. After receiving the nom for best original score for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Harrison Ford’s last outing as the archeologist, Williams has now racked up an overall 54 nominations (five of which are for original song). Williams is now the most decorated living person nominated. He is second to Walt Disney who racked up 59.
Diane Warren: Could 15 Times Be the Charm?
Diane Warren has already been nominated for an original song Oscar 14 times for films such as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, RBG and more. However, the musician has never won the gold statuette in a competitive category, having picked up an Academy Honorary Award in 2023. Warren will now have another opportunity after securing her 15th original song nomination for “The Fire Inside” from the Eva Longoria-directed film, Flamin’ Hot, and performed by Becky G. With the new nomination, Warren continues to hold the record for the most nominated best original song artist in history.
Three’s a Female Director’s Crowd in Best Picture Race
This year’s best picture race includes American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest. Most notably, this year’s race includes three films directed by women filmmakers, setting a historic feat. For the first time, three of the 10 films nominated for best picture were directed by a female, the most recognized by the Academy. Nominees include Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Celine Song’s Past Lives.
Steven Spielberg’s Lucky 13
With Maestro in the running for best picture, Steven Spielberg has earned his 13th nomination in the category, a record for an individual producer (since 1951 when producers were first named as nominees).
Spielberg and his producing partner Kristie Macosko Krieger are now only the third team of producers to receive best picture nominations in three consecutive years. Previously nominated producer teams include Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Barrie M. Osborne for the Lord of the Rings films (2001-2003), and Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner for four films across four consecutive years (2013-2016).
Spielberg’s previous best picture nominations include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Munich (2005), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012), Bridge of Spies (2015), The Post (2017), West Side Story (2021) and The Fabelmans (2022).
Martin Scorsese Hits Big 10 Milestone With 2024 Nominations
The Oscars regular and Killers of the Flower Moon filmmaker has racked up yet another Oscar nomination for best directing and firmly solidified himself as the second most nominated director in Academy Awards history. On Tuesday, Scorsese earned his 10th nomination in the category, breaking his tie with two-time award-winner Spielberg and making him the most nominated living director. (The late Ben-Hur director William Wyler is the only one who surpasses Killers of the Flower Moon helmer, who was nominated 12 times before winning three Oscars. Scorsese also notched another achievement with the nomination, becoming the oldest directing nominee at 81 years old, with Prizzi’s Honor’s director John Huston setting the previous record in 1985 at 79 years old.
Robert De Niro Notches Historic Ninth Acting Nomination
Along with his Killers of the Flower Moon director, De Niro’s nomination Tuesday helped him set a new personal record for Oscar nominations. He scored his ninth total nomination in his decades-long career, this time for best supporting actor in Scorsese’s latest film about the murderous plot to steal land rights and resources from the Indigenous Osage Nation. He is now tied with seven other actors for the honor: Marlon Brando, Jack Lemmon, Cate Blanchett, Geraldine Page, Judi Dench, Peter O’Toole and Glenn Close.
Bradley Cooper Directs Himself (Again) to an Acting Nom
Maestro, the biographical romantic drama about celebrated composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre managed to snag seven nominations heading into the 96th annual Oscars. Within that, Cooper personally garnered three nominations for his producing in the best picture category, writing for best original screenplay, which he co-wrote with Josh Singer, and best leading actor. His acting nom is particularly notable as it is the second time he’s directed himself to an acting nomination, following his recognition for leading actor in 2019’s A Star Is Born. His 2024 acting nomination also marks his fourth time being nominated in the category and his 12th nomination overall.
Justine Triet Made History for Female Directors
As a result of the loudest conversation about the best director noms being focused on who didn’t get recognized, Triet’s presence in the category quietly made long overdue history. The French director, screenwriter and editor is now only the eighth woman to ever be nominated in the category and is the only woman nominated this year for her work as a director. Her nomination serves as the ninth-ever nomination for a woman.
Jodie Foster Gets Second Supporting Actress Nod Nearly 50 Years After Her First
Nyad star Foster scored her second-ever nomination for best supporting actress on Tuesday and her fifth overall following best lead actress nods for a string of films within seven years: The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs and Nell. But Foster’s Nyad nom is even more historically significant for when it happened — 47 years after her first Oscar nomination for Taxi Driver in 1977. That is the longest amount of time for an actor between two nominations in the same category, following Kristine Samuelson’s 45-year gap between nominations for best documentary short.
It also bests the overall record for the longest time between nominations for an actor, set by The Fabelmans star Judd Hirsch last Oscars season when he garnered his second supporting actor nomination 42 years after Ordinary People. Foster could also make history for the LGBTQ community if she wins as the first out actress to garner three performance Oscars, and her personal first in the supporting actress category.
American Fiction Makes American History for Black Lead and Supporting Actors
American Fiction stars Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown play brothers in Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut about the publishing machine, race and artistic identity, but when they arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, their respective honors will be linked in a historic bond unlike any other. That’s because, together, it is the first time Black actors in the lead and supporting category, respectively, have been nominated for their work on the same film. Additionally, alongside Colman Domingo’s lead actor nomination, Wright is now just the 22nd Black actor nominated in the category, and he could become just the sixth-ever to win it. Brown, meanwhile, is just the 19th Black actor to be nominated in the supporting actor category, with the possibility of becoming only the eighth to win.
The Impact of Colman Domingo on the Oscars Is as “Limitless” as the Actor
Portraying the architect of the March on Washington, Bayard Rustin, has not only brought his work, life and impact into the spotlight, it has put Domingo on the road to making history for not one but three of Hollywood’s historically marginalized communities. The gay Afro-Latino star is the first out Black actor and out Latino actor to be nominated in the best leading actor category. (Like Nyad’s Foster, Domingo is also among a group of out actors being nominated for playing LGBTQ characters.) If he wins, he could become just the second-ever Latino, the first gay Latino, the sixth Black actor, the second-ever Black gay actor, and the second gay actor to win the leading role statue.
Martin Scorsese Collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker Scores Record-Breaking Nomination
A trusted and frequent editor for Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker’s latest work on Killers of the Flower Moon is responsible for a history-making 2024 Oscar nomination and potential win. It marks her ninth nod in the best film editing category, making her the most nominated film editor ever, surpassing Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan editor Michael Kahn’s eight noms. She is now also the most nominated female editor in the award show’s history, followed by All About Eve editor Barbara McLean, who earned seven across 15 years. Schoonmaker currently shares the title of most awarded film editor with Kahn, Ralph Dalson (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Anthony Adverse, The Adventures of Robin Hood) and Daniel Mandell (The Pride of the Yankees, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Apartment). If she wins, she could become the most awarded editor, and female editor, in history.
10 First-Time Nominees Join the Exclusive Club
This year saw a number of first-time nominees across major above-the-line categories, including Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Cord Jefferson as producers in the best picture category; Colman Domingo, Cillian Murphy, Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Hüller, Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, America Ferrera and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in performance categories; as well as Celine Song and David Hemingson in screenplay categories.
Willie D. Burton Is Now the Most Oscar-Nominated Black Creative
For years, sound designer Willie B. Burton (Dreamgirls, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Roots) had been tied with Hollywood music legend and Grammy winner Quincy Jones for the title of most Oscar-nominated Black creative. But with the 2024 nominations, Burton pulled ahead with a nomination for his work with fellow Oppenheimer sound team members Richard King, Kevin O’Connell and Gary A. Rizzo. Other Black creatives with the most nominations include Denzel Washington with 10 nominations, Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman at five each and Jordan Peele at four.
The Zone of Interest Adds to a Growing List of International Features Nominated for Best Picture
A24’s Zone of Interest not only racked up a number of key nominations, including best director and best adapted screenplay, but also it earned nods in the best picture category. Its honors in the latter two categories put it in small company as just the ninth-ever non-English language film nominated for both awards. It was preceded by Z (1969); Life Is Beautiful (1998); Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000); Amour (2012); Roma (2018); Parasite (2019); Drive My Car (2021); and All Quiet on the Western Front (2022).
Best Feature Animation Includes Many First-Time Nominees, One Storied Animator and a Potential LGBTQ+ History Maker
This year’s best animated feature category doesn’t include any Walt Disney Studios film (Elemental was made by Pixar and distributed by Disney), underscoring the Academy’s growing appreciation for titles outside the industry’s biggest legacy company. But this year’s nominees also included a number of creatives earning first-time nods like Peter Sohn and Denise Ream (Elemental), Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary (Nimona), Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz (Robot Dreams), and Justin K. Thompson (Spider-Verse).
Nimona’s win in particular could also mark a major milestone in terms of recognition of LGBTQ storytelling if it wins, with the film being led by multiple LGBTQ characters, including its titular gender-nonconforming shapeshifter. A win for Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron could also turn the Studio Ghibli creator’s fourth animation nomination into an honor, making him the oldest Oscar winner in the animated feature category in history.
Barbie Could Dance the Night Away to Multiple Milestone Wins
Much of the talk around the town about Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar box office take on one of the most influential toys in American pop culture focused on her and star-producer Margot Robbie being left out of the best director and lead actress nominations. But the film itself could still make history with several of its eight overall nominations, including two that — beyond those best picture and best adapted screenplay noms — showcase the power of women. Best supporting actress nominee America Ferrera could become just the third Latina to win best supporting actress, following Rita Moreno and Lupita Nyong’o. Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer both also racked up their seventh nomination together since 2006’s best achievement in art direction for Pride & Prejudice.
Wes Anderson Joins the Five Nominations in Five Categories Club
Oscar winner Wes Anderson can add yet another thing to the list of his Academy Awards accomplishments. Following Tuesday’s announcements, Wes Anderson scored a nod for best live-action short film for his work on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, his first recognition in the category. But it also puts Anderson squarely in the five-timers club as just the third person to be nominated in five or more award categories. That includes writing, animated feature, directing, best picture and live-action short film.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter