It’s Oscars season! The Academy Awards can be a tough to wrap your head around, so we’ve assembled a handy guide to what the awards mean, their history and nominations for The Academy Awards 2017. From understanding what appeals to the Academy, to looking at which films are looking to pick up and sweep the floor at the Oscars this year.
The first ceremony was on May 16th, 1929. Fifteen of the now iconic statues were handed out to actors and directors alike. While the academy has made efforts to diversify their judges, you’re able to spot ‘Oscar bait’ a mile away. These films are usually similar in genre and directorial style. The Academy has also been known for discriminating against Science Fiction and Fantasy, the biggest exception being Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.
This year, La La Land looks to sweep many of the awards, with other frontrunners Manchester by the Sea and Arrival also suggested to win big this year. The Oscars on average, raise the market rate of an actor or actress by 20% after a win, making this a life-changing result for some actors or actresses looking to make it big. This has most recently been the case for Felicity Jones, who gained notoriety after her nod in The Theory of Everything.
Whatever way you look at it, the most prestigious film award ceremony is also rooted in its own issues and culture. With that grain of salt taken, the Oscars are a worthy celebration of the Film-making craft. It’s something that, regardless of celebrity culture, should be celebrated. Not only as an industry coming together but also as a great guide for what to watch at the start of the year, where the real blockbuster lull hits.
Here are this year’s nominations for The Academy Awards 2017:
Best Picture
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight
Fences
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Machester by the Sea
Best Directing
Denis Villeneuve – Arrival
Mel Gibson – Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle – La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Performance by Actor in Leading Role
Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling – La La Land
Viggo Mortensen – Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington – Fences
Best Leading Actress
Isabelle Huppert – Elle
Ruth Negga – Loving
Natalie Portman – Jackie
Emma Stone – La La Land
Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel – Lion
Micheal Shannon – Nocturnal Animals
Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis – Fences
Naomie Harris – Moonlight
Nicole Kidman – Lion
Octavia Spencer – Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea
Original Screenplay
Hell or High Water
La La Land
The Lobster
Manchester by the Sea
20th Century Women
Adapted Screenplay
Arrival
Fences
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight
Cinematography
Bradford Young – Arrival
Linus Sandgren – La La Land
Greig Fraser – Lion
Rodrigo Prieto – Silence
Documentary Feature
Fire at Sea
I am not your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J: Made in America
13th
Best Documentary Short Subject
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets
Live-Action Short
Ennemis Interieurs
La Femme et le TVG
Silent nights
Sing
Timecode
Sound Editing
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully
Sound Mixing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Production Design
Arrival
Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Passengers
Visual Effects
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kuo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Costume Design
Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek: Beyond
Suicide Squad
Original Score
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Passengers
Original Song
Audition (The Fools Who Dream) – La La Land
Can’t Stop The Feeling – Trolls
City of Stars – La La Land
The Empty Chair – Jim: The James Foley Story
How Far I’ll Go – Moana
Animated Feature Film
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchio
The Red Turtle
Zootopia
Animated Short Film
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper
Film Editing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight
