It is that time of year again — the time when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces the films, artists and performances that it has chosen to recognize for their remarkable contributions to cinema in the past year. Many movie lovers watch just about every new release with a kernel of curiosity over what chances it may have at Oscar® glory and now questioning has come to an end.
On January 23, 2024, the nominations for the 96th annual Academy Awards® were revealed — inspiring a fair share of cheerful applause, surprising gasps and, more than anything, anticipation to see who will get to take home the grand prize Sunday, March 10. Before the big night, let’s take a look at this year’s contender in the most esteemed cinematic award ceremony’s most coveted categories.
And the nominees are…
BEST PICTURE

AMC is proud to present nine of the Best Picture nominees back on the big screen as part of the AMC Best Picture Showcase, starting January 26th. This year, seven of the nominees — such as crime drama ANATOMY OF A FALL, intense biopic OPPENHEIMER and the whimsical fantasy POOR THINGS were selected as AMC Artisan Films, which recognizes movies that are driven by innovators in cinema and encourage discussion, with fresh and diverse perspectives.
Of course, the conversations surrounding Cord Jefferson’s thought-provoking satire AMERICAN FICTION, Greta Gerwig surprise blockbuster BARBIE and star and director Bradley Cooper’s Netflix original biopic, MAESTRO, should not go unnoticed. However, only one of these 10 acclaimed masterpieces can take home the award for 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
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

The five performances highlighted in this year’s Best Actor Oscar category include a couple of past nominees, with Bradley Cooper’s turn as Leonard Bernstein in MAESTRO and Paul Giamatti as a disgruntled boarding school teacher in THE HOLDOVERS. However, Colman Domingo’s portrayal of the eponymous civil rights leader in RUSTIN, Jeffrey Wright’s bold turn as an author who finds success by giving in to public demand in AMERICAN FICTION and Cillian Murphy’s world-shattering performance in OPPENHEIMER have earned said actors their first honors from the Academy.
Bradley Cooper, MAESTRO
Colman Domingo, RUSTIN
Paul Giamatti, THE HOLDOVERS
Cillian Murphy, OPPENHEIMER
Jeffrey Wright, AMERICAN FICTION
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

This year’s Best Actress Oscar line-up includes two of the most talked about breakthrough performances of the year — frontrunner Lily Gladstone’s portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and Sandra Hüller’s performance as a suspect in her husband’s death in ANATOMY OF A FALL. Annette Bening’s portrayal of real-life swimmer Diane Nyad in Netflix’s NYAD earned her her fifth Oscar nomination, Carey Mulligan is being recognized a third time for playing Felicia Bernstein in MAESTRO and previous winner Emma Stone — who plays a child-like reanimated corpse in POOR THINGS — is celebrating her fourth nomination as an actor.
Annette Bening, NYAD
Lily Gladstone, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Sandra Hüller, ANATOMY OF A FALL
Carey Mulligan, MAESTRO
Emma Stone, POOR THINGS
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

The only Best Supporting Actor nominee this year who is an Academy Awards newcomer is AMERICAN FICTION’S Sterling K. Brown. The rest of the category includes legendary two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro for playing crime boss William King Hale in KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, three-time nominee Ryan Gosling as Ken in BARBIE and four-time nominee Mark Ruffalo as mad scientist Duncan Wedderburn in POOR THINGS. Frontrunner Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Lewis Strauss in OPPENHEIMER earned him his third nomination.
Sterling K. Brown, AMERICAN FICTION
Robert De Niro, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Robert Downey Jr., OPPENHEIMER
Ryan Gosling, BARBIE
Mark Ruffalo, POOR THINGS
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Two-time Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster — who portrays real-life swim coach Bonnie Stoll in NYAD — is the only Oscar veteran included in this year’s Best Supporting Actress category. Among the first-timers are Danielle Brooks as Sofia in THE COLOR PURPLE, America Ferrera — who gives an eye-opening, inspirational monologue as Gloria in BARBIE — and potential frontrunner Da’Vine Joy Randolph as grieving boarding school cook Mary Lamb in THE HOLDOVERS. It is hard to believe that, among those newcomers, is Emily Blunt, who scores her first-ever nomination for playing Kitty Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s biopic.
Emily Blunt, OPPENHEIMER
Danielle Brooks, THE COLOR PURPLE
America Ferrera, BARBIE
Jodie Foster, NYAD
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, THE HOLDOVERS
DIRECTING

The Best Director category at this year’s Oscars is one of especially intense competition. We have a legendary previous recipient — Martin Scorsese for KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON — as well as two of the most ambitious artists of their time each up for their second nomination — namely OPPENHEIMER’s Christopher Nolan and Yorgos Lanthimos for POOR THINGS. However, this could be the moment that first-timers Justine Triet of ANATOMY OF A FALL fame and THE ZONE OF INTEREST helmer Jonathan Glazer reach the same level of esteem by taking home the gold.
Justine Triet, ANATOMY OF A FALL
Martin Scorsese, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER
Yorgos Lanthimos, POOR THINGS
Jonathan Glazer, THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Don’t miss the Oscar-nominated films now playing at an AMC Theatres location near you. Get your tickets, and see who will win this March. All of the Best Picture nominees will be back on the big screen at our AMC Best Picture Showcase, so get your tickets now!