The nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards see Aussie director Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog leading the way with an impressive 12 nods.
Among the accolades for the film are nominations in the categories for best picture, best director for Campion, and acting nods for Benedict Cumberbatch and supporting players Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune came in a close second with a total of 10 nominations, including for best picture, but many were surprised that Villeneuve himself was overlooked in the best director category. Similarly, none of the film’s stars (including Timothée Chalamet and Jason Issacs) were recognised in the acting sections.
The films that will be going head to head for the coveted best picture prize are Belfast, Coda, The Power of the Dog, King Richard, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley and West Side Story — with Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci being a noticeable snub.
When it comes to best actress, the category will see Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter), Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers), Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) and Kristen Stewart (Spencer) duke it out.
Meanwhile, in the best actor category, Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!), Will Smith (King Richard) and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) will all be hoping to take home the statuette.
The 2022 Oscars will take place on March 27, marking not only a return to a pre-COVID spectacle, of sorts, but also the first time the prestigious event will have a host since 2018, with Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes overseeing the proceedings. Lady Gaga, Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock, Kevin Costner, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Perez and Simu Liu are some of the names who will take on presenting duties.
The show will also return to its traditional home of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles after the 2021 ceremony was held as a pared-down version at Union Station due to the ongoing pandemic.
If you are keen to catch all of the action of entertainment’s most anticipated night the 94th Academy Awards will air exclusively on Channel 7 and 7plus, LIVE AEDT on Monday, March 28 which works out to be 11am. This means you can see all of the glitz and glamour at exactly the same time as the US.
And, if the red carpet is calling your name, four-time Emmy-nominated actress Laverne Cox will host Live From E!: Oscars 2022 on Monday, 28th March at 8am AEDT, on E! (channel 121 on Foxtel). The exclusive red carpet coverage will also encore on E! that night at 7.30pm.
And, while you wait for the actual ceremony, why not brush up on all of your Oscars trivia by reading up on the greatest (and occasionally awkward) moments in the history of the Academy Awards?
You can also check out all our Oscars coverage here.
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