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Oscar nominees: Adding up the ways the field changed this year

Actors of color and female directors are better represented this year among the nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards. Hollywood has been under pressure to diversify ever since #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 drew attention to the lack of minority nominees. 

First Look

A look, by the numbers, at notable facts, figures, and trivia from the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards:

11 鈥� First-time acting nominees. With the pandemic prompting Hollywood to hold back most of its major motion pictures in 2020, pulling big stars from the competition, newbies became the norm in the four acting categories. First-timers include Amanda Seyfried for 鈥淢ank,鈥� Andra Day for 鈥淭he United States vs. Billie Holiday,鈥� and Paul Raci for 鈥淪ound of Metal.鈥� The best director category has even fresher faces, with only one repeat nominee, David Fincher, among the five up for the coveted Oscar.

10 鈥� Nominations for 鈥淢ank,鈥� the most of any film this year, with nods for best picture, best director for Fincher, best actor for Gary Oldman and best supporting actress for Seyfried.

9 鈥� Actors of color nominated, a record. They include Steven Yeun, whose nod for 鈥淢inari鈥� makes him the first Asian American to be nominated for best actor, and Riz Ahmed, who became the first person of Pakistani descent to be nominated in an acting category with his own best actor nod for 鈥淪ound of Metal.鈥�

8 鈥� Career nominations for Glenn Close, who is up for best supporting actress this year for 鈥淗illbilly Elegy.鈥� Her first was for 鈥淭he World According to Garp鈥� in 1983. She has never won an Oscar.

7 鈥� Actors who have been nominated for Oscars after their deaths, now that Chadwick Boseman has received a posthumous nomination for best actor for 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom.鈥� The tragic honor puts him in elite company that includes James Dean, Spencer Tracy, Massimo Troisi, and Peter Finch, who became the only man to win best actor posthumously, for 鈥淣etwork鈥� in 1977. In the best supporting actor category, Heath Ledger and Ralph Richardson were nominated, with Mr. Ledger winning for 鈥淭he Dark Knight鈥� in 2009. Mr. Boseman died in August after a long and largely secret battle with colon cancer.

6 鈥� Black actors nominated,聽Mr. Boseman, Ms. Day, Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, Leslie Odom Jr., and LaKeith Stanfield, after only one, Cynthia Erivo, was nominated last year.

5 鈥� African nations that have received nominations for best international feature, now that Tunisia has its first nominee, 鈥淭he Man Who Sold His Skin.鈥� Those five nations have combined for 10 nominated films. Along with Tunisia鈥檚 one, Algeria has had five, South Africa has had two, and Ivory Coast and Mauritania have had one apiece.

4 鈥� Nominations received by 鈥淣omadland鈥� director Chlo茅 Zhao, a record for a woman in a record year for women. An unprecedented 70 women received 76 nominations, led by Ms. Zhao, who was nominated for director, adapted screenplay, editing, and best picture as a producer. That tops Sofia Coppola and Fran Walsh, who each got three nominations in 2003. Ms. Zhao, who is also the first woman of color to be nominated for best director, is joined by 鈥淧romising Young Woman鈥� director Emerald Fennel in the category, making it the first time two women have been nominated.

3 鈥� Career nominations for Sacha Baron Cohen, thanks to Abbie Hoffman and Borat. Mr. Baron Cohen is nominated for best supporting actor for playing Hoffman in 鈥淭he Trial of the Chicago 7.鈥� And just as he was for the first 鈥淏orat鈥� film in 2007, he is nominated for best adapted screenplay this year for 鈥淏orat Subsequent Moviefilm.鈥�

2 鈥� Career nominations for Olivia Colman, whose nod for 鈥淭he Father鈥� follows 2019鈥檚 for 鈥淭he Favourite.鈥� She is one-for-one after winning best actress, and is nominated for best supporting actress this year.

1 鈥� Man nominated for both best actor and best original song.聽Mr. Odom, who came to fame singing and acting in 鈥淗amilton,鈥� has become the first man nominated for both in the same year for 鈥淥ne Night in Miami,鈥� in which he plays singer Sam Cooke. Three women have done it, all very recently: Mary J. Blige for 鈥淢udbound鈥� in 2018, Lady Gaga for 鈥淎 Star is Born鈥� in 2019, and Cynthia Erivo for 鈥淗arriet鈥� in 2020. Barbra Streisand was the first to be nominated for both, but for different films in different years.

0 鈥� Nominations for director Spike Lee or actor Delroy Lindo, whose 鈥淒a 5 Bloods鈥� was among Monday鈥檚 biggest snubs. The film received just one nomination, for best score.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽