The Wins (Because We Gotta Give Credit Where It’s Due)

Let’s start with the good before we torch the mess. Karla Sofía Gascón made history as the first openly transgender performer nominated for Best Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez. That’s groundbreaking and absolutely deserves to be celebrated.

Another standout? Cynthia Erivo, who secured a Best Actress nomination for Wicked. Her performance was electrifying, and it’s about damn time Hollywood recognized her brilliance.

And while we’re at it, Zoe Saldaña landed a nod for Emilia Pérez, continuing to showcase her powerhouse presence and the representation of Afro-Latina talent in Hollywood. Her performance was nothing short of mesmerizing.

Meanwhile, in a major milestone for the Asian community, Shiori Ito became the first Japanese filmmaker ever nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category for Black Box Diaries.

The Biggest Snubs: Hollywood’s Favorite Tradition

Where the Hell Is Jon M. Chu?

So Wicked gets multiple nominations, including a Best Picture nod, and yet the man who directed the entire spectacle, Jon M. Chu, is nowhere to be found in the Best Director category? Make it make sense. The Academy continues to overlook Asian directors in major categories, and it’s getting ridiculous at this point.

Why Does the Academy Hate Black Directors?

Seriously. It’s 2025, and we still barely see Black directors getting the recognition they deserve. Where is Ava DuVernay? Where is Blitz Bazawule? Once again, Black filmmakers were largely left out of the Best Director race.

Meanwhile, Denzel Washington, who took on the role of a slave owner in Gladiator II, didn’t even get a nomination. And despite earning a Golden Globe nomination, Zendaya didn’t land a spot in the Best Actress category for Challengers.

And let’s talk about Sing Sing—a film celebrating the power of acting and storytelling—failing to land a Best Picture nod. At least Colman Domingo got his well-earned recognition in the Best Actor category, but Clarence Maclin, making his feature debut playing a younger version of himself, was completely ignored.

‘Emilia Pérez’: Acclaimed, But At What Cost?

Look, Emilia Pérez getting 13 nominations is a big deal. But let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: it’s a Spanish-language film about Mexico, made by a French director (Jacques Audiard). Would this film have received the same level of acclaim if it had been made by an actual Mexican director? Would it have been so widely embraced if it was led by an entirely Mexican creative team instead of just being about Mexico? Probably not, and that’s the problem. The industry still favors Western perspectives when telling non-Western stories.

Craft Categories: Still A Boys’ Club

In visual effects, not a single woman is named among the 20 nominees across five films. And in the Best Sound category, just one woman—Nancy Nugent Title for Wicked—made the cut out of 23 names.

Exceptions? Paul Tazewell scored a nomination for Costume Design on Wicked, and Juliette Welfling was nominated for Editing on Emilia Pérez. But the overall landscape remains bleak for gender representation behind the scenes.

Women Directors Still Fighting for Space

In a category that often ignores women, Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) made history as only the ninth woman ever nominated for Best Director. For perspective? Only three women have ever actually won—Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog). So, yeah, Hollywood still has a long way to go.

Hollywood’s Diversity Problem Isn’t New—But It’s Exhausting

We’ve been here before. Remember when #OscarsSoWhite trended in 2015 and 2016? The Academy swore they’d make changes. And to be fair, there has been progress. But when we’re still having the same conversations a decade later, something is broken.

The Academy loves to pat itself on the back for incremental change, but at this point, bare minimum isn’t enough. Diverse filmmakers, actors, and crews continue to push the industry forward, but if the Oscars are meant to reflect the best of cinema, then they need to do better.