Awards pundits were taken by surprise from the first two words spoken at the Oscar nominations on Thursday. 'Elle Fanning, for Sentimental Value,' said hosts Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman, as they kicked off the nominations with the best supporting actress category. Fanning's appearance got things off to a spicy start from the earliest possible moment - she had received praise for her performance in the Norwegian family drama but few had predicted a nomination. The opening category set the tone for a string of snubs and surprises, which started coming thick and fast. Here are eight of the big takeaways.
1. **Some hot favourites missed out**
Although *Hamnet* and *One Battle After Another* did well, both had a slightly softer showing than expected in the acting categories. Paul Mescal missed out on a supporting actor nod for *Hamnet* - a surprising omission, although we're confident it won't have much impact on his co-star Jessie Buckley's frontrunner status for best actress. Meanwhile, four big actors from *One Battle After Another* were recognised, but its break-out star Chase Infiniti missed best actress despite being a red-hot contender. Other actors who had momentum but ended up missing included Jesse Plemons for *Bugonia* and Joel Edgerton for *Train Dreams*.
2. **F1 is a comfort-food movie**
*F1*, which stars Brad Pitt as a racing driver brought out of retirement, was the biggest surprise in the best picture category. It shows the old guard of the Academy still appreciates traditional, well-made films that can simply be enjoyed with a bucket of popcorn.
3. **Sinners were the big winners**
*Sinners* scored a record-breaking 16 nominations, flying way past the previous joint record holders. Ryan Coogler's vampire horror has done particularly well to maintain its momentum with voters.
4. **Wicked did not bewitch the Academy**
The sequel of *Wicked* received no nominations, a significant fall from grace compared to its predecessor.
5. **The Brits showed up**
*Sinners* delivered the only two Brits to be nominated in the acting categories with Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo.
6. **Several actresses carried their films to a nomination**
Three actresses ended up being the only recognition their film received, showcasing their pivotal roles in their respective stories.
7. **New category is a mixed bag**
The newly introduced casting category overlapped with many of the general frontrunners but missed out on some deserving films like *Sentimental Value* despite its impressive individual nominations.
8. **Timothée is even closer to greatness**
Timothée Chalamet is on track to win his first Oscar this year as the frontrunner in best actor, making significant strides in his career as one of the Hollywood greats.
1. **Some hot favourites missed out**
Although *Hamnet* and *One Battle After Another* did well, both had a slightly softer showing than expected in the acting categories. Paul Mescal missed out on a supporting actor nod for *Hamnet* - a surprising omission, although we're confident it won't have much impact on his co-star Jessie Buckley's frontrunner status for best actress. Meanwhile, four big actors from *One Battle After Another* were recognised, but its break-out star Chase Infiniti missed best actress despite being a red-hot contender. Other actors who had momentum but ended up missing included Jesse Plemons for *Bugonia* and Joel Edgerton for *Train Dreams*.
2. **F1 is a comfort-food movie**
*F1*, which stars Brad Pitt as a racing driver brought out of retirement, was the biggest surprise in the best picture category. It shows the old guard of the Academy still appreciates traditional, well-made films that can simply be enjoyed with a bucket of popcorn.
3. **Sinners were the big winners**
*Sinners* scored a record-breaking 16 nominations, flying way past the previous joint record holders. Ryan Coogler's vampire horror has done particularly well to maintain its momentum with voters.
4. **Wicked did not bewitch the Academy**
The sequel of *Wicked* received no nominations, a significant fall from grace compared to its predecessor.
5. **The Brits showed up**
*Sinners* delivered the only two Brits to be nominated in the acting categories with Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo.
6. **Several actresses carried their films to a nomination**
Three actresses ended up being the only recognition their film received, showcasing their pivotal roles in their respective stories.
7. **New category is a mixed bag**
The newly introduced casting category overlapped with many of the general frontrunners but missed out on some deserving films like *Sentimental Value* despite its impressive individual nominations.
8. **Timothée is even closer to greatness**
Timothée Chalamet is on track to win his first Oscar this year as the frontrunner in best actor, making significant strides in his career as one of the Hollywood greats.
