Image Credits: Lily Gladstone in ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon,’ AppleTV+ (left) | Colman Domingo in ‘Rustin,’ Netflix (center) | Jodie Foster in ‘Nyad,’ Netflix (right)
2023 was another great year for LGBTQ+ film, but did that pan out in the nominations for the 96th annual Academy Awards? Well… yes and no!
While the Oscars once again neglected to nominate some our most accomplished queer filmmakers (Todd Haynes and Andrew Haigh deserve better!), there are a number of features recognized that include major LGBTQ+ characters and performers, so that’s a win.
And, of course, the big story of the morning is that the Academy has nominated not one but two out actors—Colman Domingo in Rustin and Jodie Foster in Nyad—for playing queer roles. Believe it or not, this is only the second and third time this has ever happened in the Oscars’ 96-year history, so this is no small accomplishment, and we feel so immensely proud for our community to be recognized in this way.
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Below, we’ve got a round-up of the nominees in the major categories—as well as some hot takes on who (and who didn’t) make the cut. You can see a complete list of nominees on the Academy’s website, and don’t miss the live show, airing Sunday, March 10 on ABC.
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy Of A Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone Of Interest
Queerty’s Hot Takes: This is the big one! And it more or less shook out how we anticipated—which is not a bad thing. Films like American Fiction, Anatomy Of A Fall, and Maestro all prominently feature LGBTQ+ characters, while others like Barbie and Killers Of The Flower Moon make room for notable LGBTQ+ performers. So we’re not mad…. just a little disappointed to see Andrew Haigh’s masterpiece All Of Us Strangers get completely snubbed, and the great gay filmmaker Todd Haynes blanked again with May December. Does the Academy have a problem with nominating films actually made by queer people?
Best Director
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese, Killers Of The Flower Moon
Justine Triet, Anatomy Of A Fall
Queerty’s Hot Takes: The major snub here has to be Greta Gerwig, who turned what could’ve been a feature length Mattel ad into a beloved, inclusive story that became one of the highest grossing movies of all time! Still, it was a competitive field, and we’re just glad it wasn’t completely male-dominated—shout out to Justine Triet, an incredibly deserved first-time nominee.
Best Actress
Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers Of The Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy Of A Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Queerty’s Hot Takes: This was a fight to the finish, with several worthy contenders missing out (Greta Lee! Natalie Portman! Barbie herself, Margot Robbie!). But we can’t be mad about how the field shook out, and we have to give a special shoutout to Annette Benning—playing real-life lesbian athlete and activist Diana Nyad—and the powerful performance from Lily Gladstone, who notably identifies with she/they pronouns, and whose nod means she’s the first ever Native American performer to vie for a competitive acting award. History!
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Queerty’s Hot Takes: COLMAN DOMINGO! Colman Domingo… words can understate how major this nomination is. After Ian McKellen’s Best Actor nod in 1998 for Gods And Monsters, Domingo’s is only the second instance where an out lead actor has been nominated for playing an out character—the eponymous activist Bayard Rustin in Rustin. The man’s been putting in solid work on stage and screen for years, and this honor could not be more deserved. We’re rooting for you, Colman! (Now if only the Academy had the sense to nominate Andrew Scott for his heartbreaking work in All Of Us Strangers, too.)
If Colman Domingo isn’t already considered a household name, he’s about to be.
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Look, we love all of these women—from America Ferrera and her fiery feminism monologue in Barbie, to Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s quietly moving turn in The Holdovers (who’s been picking up every precursor award all season long, and deservedly so). But we’d be lying if we didn’t let out a little hoot and chug a can of Diet Coke in honor of Jodie Foster’s performance as Bonnie Stoll in Nyad, a rare instance where an out actor is actually getting recognition for playing a queer character—and a brassy, tough-talking lesbian at that!
Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers Of The Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Are we a little heated that Riverdale star-turned-internet “babygirl” Charles Melton was snubbed for his breakthrough work in queer filmmaker Todd Haynes’ May December? Yes, very much so! But it is amazing to see Sterling K. Brown get recognized for his sensitive (and funny!) role as a newly out gay man in American Fiction. And, yeah, of course we’re thrilled to see Ryan Gosling had enough Ken-ergy to make it into the category. In his words: “SUBLIME!”
Part satire, part family drama, ‘American Fiction’ is a crowd-pleasure with a scene-stealing performance from Sterling K. Brown.
Best Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone Of Interest
Queerty’s Hot Takes: You can argue whether Barbie warranted the “adapted” or “original” screenplay categorization, but you can’t argue that Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s brilliant, beautiful script deserved this nomination! This might end up being one of the more competitive categories of Oscar night—another Barbenheimer showdown perhaps?
Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy Of A Fall
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
The Holdovers
Queerty’s Hot Takes: The trailblazing queer filmmaker Todd Haynes was looked over once again—impossibly, his sole nomination is for the screenplay of 2002’s Far From Heaven—but at least the provocative, dark, and frequently hilarious script for his film May December was recognized here, earning young writer Samy Burch a worthy nomination for her first feature screenplay.
Best Original Song
“I’m Just Ken” (performed by Ryan Gosling), Barbie
“It Never Went Away” (performed by Jon Batiste), American Symphony
“The Fire Inside” (performed by Becky G), Flamin’ Hot
“What Was I Made For?” (performed by Billie Eilish), Barbie
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” (performed by Osage Tribal Singers), Killers Of The Flower Moon
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Just to set the record straight: A single film can only receive up to two different nominations in this category, so Dua Lipa’s disco bop “Dance The Night” always had an uphill battle against Barbie comedic highlight “I’m Just Ken” and the stunning, soulful “What Was I Made For?” And, yes, “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot? It was written by none other than 15-time nominee Diane Warren, who’s never met a Best Original Song category she couldn’t find her way into. Congrats, queen!
Best Animated Feature
The Boy And The Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Queerty’s Hot Takes: It’s hard to argue with this bunch, which include the latest masterpiece from legend Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy And The Heron, and the jawdropping, multi-verse hopping fun of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. But a special shoutout to Netflix’s Nimona, a beautifully realized and highly queer-inclusive story about identity and found family.
Best Documentary Feature
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
Four Daughters
To Kill A Tiger
The Eternal Memory
20 Days In Mariupol
Queerty’s Hot Takes: We won’t lie, we have our homework in this category, with a number of titles to catch up on before Oscars night. We’re bummed to see Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project—the story of the Black queer activist—miss out here, and we’re still miffed D. Smith’s electrifying Kokomo City wasn’t part of the long list for the category to begin with; without a doubt one of the most exciting documentaries of the year (and films, period!).
Best Documentary Short
The ABCs Of Book Banning
The Barber Of Little Rock
Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai And Wài Pó
Queerty’s Hot Takes: Quick shout-out to The ABCs Of Book Banning, an urgent and powerful doc short that addresses the shameful reality that the majority of books banned from young people in American schools happen to be those that center LGBTQ+ and POC voices. Seek this one out!
Best Live Action Short
Invincible
Night Of Fortune
Red, White And Blue
The After
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Queerty’s Hot Takes: And we wanted to include mention of this category because it might just be one of the most disappointing crops of the night—as far as we’re concerned—because it had the opportunity to be very, very queer. The sweet Ben Whishaw-starring dramedy Good Boy was snubbed, as was the Elliot Page-produced An Avocado Pit, which had the opportunity to be the first film ever recognized int his category written and directed by a trans person (emerging filmmaker Ary Zara). And you know what else missed out? The great Pedro Almodóvar’s answer to Brokeback Mountain, the gay Western Strange Way Of Life. Does the Academy not want an excuse to invite Pedro Pascal to their ceremony?
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