‘Anora’ and ‘Challengers’ win Oscars thanks to ‘Gotham’ nominations

Awards season is in full swing, and Gotham’s nominations are just a small part of what might be on Oscar voters’ radar.

While any nomination (or win) from any industry group offers a chance to gain momentum, it’s important to follow the Oscar experts’ golden rule: It’s not about what everyone else is doing. wants to win, it’s about will win. And critics are not Oscar voters. Each Gotham category is determined by a panel of five different critics and journalists from various disciplines.

List of feature film nominees featuring Sean Baker’s hilarious and touching drama “Anora” led the charge with four nods, another good reason why Palme d’Or winner Neon has what it takes to go all the way in the race. On the other hand, I wouldn’t put too much stock in the complete shutdown of films like Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language crime musical Emilia Perez or Edward Berger’s political religious thriller Conclave as a sign of trouble on the Oscars horizon (at least in terms of in terms of chances of nomination).

However, some films received a significant boost at launch after Gotham announced its nominations this year.

Sports drama by Luca Guadagnino”Contenders” from Amazon MGM was a surprise entry in the Best Feature category, marking the film’s only nomination. The sexy love story of a tennis couple, starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Feist, was one of the highlights of the first half of the year and could be the dark horse of an awards season I’ve quickly dubbed: The Year Without a Leader.” In this scenario, anything can come up and contribute to getting a lot of recognition.

Along with Challengers is the Amazon MGM equivalent The Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel directed by Oscar nominee RaMell Ross. Receiving three nominations, including best feature, director and outstanding performance, the coming-of-age drama has a rabid following after receiving strong reviews at the Telluride and New York film festivals. This could indicate early signs of appeal among niche industry groups, leaving room for maneuver in categories such as directing (an industry that loves an auteur’s vision).

In the Lead Actor category, several Oscar contenders received love, including best actor contenders Adrien Brody (“Brutalist”) and Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), as well as actress nominee Saoirse Ronan (“Brutalist”). Overtaking”) and Mikey Madison (“Anora”), who will perform in the gender-neutral category. This was reported by sources directly familiar with the voting process in the committee. Diversity that Tilda Swinton (“The Room Next Door”) and Julianne Nicholson (“Planet Janet”) were on the cusp of the final spots.

The same competitive situation can be seen in the supporting actor category, with Kieran Culkin (Real Pain), Daniel Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson), Clarence MacLean (Sing Sing) and Guy Pearce (Brutalist). everyone is fighting for the trophy after getting off to a good start in their campaigns.

Dark horse candidates also received a noticeable boost, such as Natasha Lyonne, the only actor from Azazel Jacobs’s Three Daughters to receive a nomination. Additionally, Yura Borisov, a standout performer in Anora, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, giving a career-best performance in Mike Leigh’s character study Hard Truths, have some energy to get through what is sure to be a tumultuous phase. one period over the next few weeks.

While international feature films are not in the running for best feature film, the notable failures of “Emilia Perez” and “Conclave” did not go unnoticed.

This is the second year that the $35 million budget limit for eligible films has been lifted at the annual ceremony hosted by the Gotham Film and Media Institute. Past winners of Gotham’s top prize include Spotlight (2015), Moonlight (2016) and Everything Everywhere at Once (2022), all of which went on to win best picture at the Oscars.

Next up on the awards calendar is the Screen Actors Guild Awards submission deadline, which is Friday at 5:00 pm PT. Now this group could change the entire trajectory of the Oscar race.

Gotham Awards will take place on Monday, December 2.