Remember last year’s Oscars? Neither do we. The forgettable 2021 ceremony, a hostless and socially distanced affair, was marked by all-time low viewership and Glenn Close doing “Da Butt.”
This year, the Academy is hoping that their big night registers a more memorable impression. The 2022 nominations, announced this morning by Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan, are off to a good start. The Power of the Dog leads the pack with 12 nominations; meanwhile, Dune is close behind with ten, and West Side Story and Belfast are hot on their heels with seven apiece. Bright spots in the nominations include top honours for much-hyped performances from first-time nominees, like Kristen Stewart, Jessie Buckley, and Ariana DeBose. Joining the first-timers pack is Beyoncé herself, who makes her Oscar debut in the “Best Original Song” category.
We’re also witnessing some history in the making: 28 years after her first nomination, Jane Campion has become the first woman to be nominated twice for Best Director, first for The Piano and now for The Power of the Dog. Ari Wegner, nominated for Best Cinematography for The Power of the Dog, could make history as the first woman ever to win in that category, which remains the only category no woman has ever won. Meanwhile, with Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, as well as Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem nominated, it’s also the first time we’ve had two real life couples covering all four acting categories in one year.
But as with any Oscars, there were snubs. Shockingly, Dune visionary Denis Villeneuve was dealt an egregious snub for Best Director, though perhaps the Academy will do right by him when Dune: Part Two rolls around. Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg has become the first person to receive a Best Director nomination in six different decades—did he really need this one at Villeneuve’s expense??? Passing, a remarkable film anchored by two sensational performances from Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, was criminally overlooked by the Academy. House of Gucci, once considered a major Oscar contender, was shut out entirely (somewhere, Lady Gaga and Jared Leto are punching holes in their walls).
On March 27, vaxxed and waxed stars will take to the Dolby Theater for a ceremony with an as-yet unannounced host (their first since 2018). In an uneven year for movies, during which tentpole releases like Dune and King Richard went straight to streaming, the customary divide between streamers and big screen releases feels different. Will it make any difference in which camp ultimately takes home the gold? We'll soon find out. Stick with us for more coverage in the weeks to come.
Best Picture
Belfast
Coda
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Best Director
Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
Best Actor
Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom!
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Best Supporting Actor
Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
Troy Kotsur, Coda
Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Best Supporting Actress
Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Judi Dench, Belfast
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Best Animated Feature
Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon
Best Adapted Screenplay
Coda, screenplay by Siân Heder
Drive My Car, screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe
Dune, screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth
The Lost Daughter, written by Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Power of the Dog, written by Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay
Belfast, written by Kenneth Branagh
Don’t Look Up, screenplay by Adam McKay, with story by Adam McKay and David Sirota
King Richard, written by Zach Baylin
Licorice Pizza, written by Paul Thomas Anderson
The Worst Person in the World, written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
Best Original Song
“Be Alive,” from King Richard, music and lyrics by Beyoncé and Dixson
“Dos Oruguitas,” from Encanto, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Down to Joy,” from Belfast, music and lyrics by Van Morrison
“No Time to Die,” from No Time to Die, music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
“Somehow You Do,” from Four Good Days, music and lyrics by Diane Warren
Best Original Score
Don’t Look Up, Nicholas Britell
Dune, Hans Zimmer
Encanto, Germaine Franco
Parallel Mothers, Alberto Iglesias
The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood
Best Documentary Feature
Ascension
Attica
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing With Fire
Best International Feature
Drive My Car
Flee
The Hand of God
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
The Worst Person in the World
Adrienne Westenfeld is the Books and Fiction Editor at Esquire, where she oversees books coverage, edits fiction, and curates the Esquire Book Club.
