Thursday morning’s Oscar nominations were released, which saw no people of color nominated for acting and major snubs of the MLK biopic Selma. While the film did receive nominations for best picture and best song, it did not pick up nods for best director for Ava DuVernay or best actor for David Oyelowo, a shock to many fans and industry insiders.
Meanwhile, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Cheryl Boone tells New York magazine’s Vulture blog that she doesn’t think the Academy has a diversity problem “at all” and that she’s thrilled Selma is in the best picture race.
“The good news is that the wealth of talent is there, and it’s being discussed, and it’s helpful so much for talent — whether in front of the camera or behind the camera — to have this recognition, to have this period of time where there is a lot of publicity, a lot of chitter-chatter. … (Selma is) a terrific motion picture, and that we can never and should not take away from it, the fact that it is a terrific motion picture. There are a lot of terrific motion pictures, it’s a very competitive time, and there’s a lot of great work that has been done. I am very happy that Selma is included in our eight terrific motion-picture (nominations).”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its nominations for the 87th Academy Awards today:
BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya