In a year where there is no clear frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars, The Gotham Awards offers some interesting options for the coveted trophy. The Gotham Awards are given to independent filmmakers to honor achievements from smaller creators, and they have become the largest organization dedicated specifically to independent film. While their picks are not previews of the Oscars, they often shed light on films that may be up for contention.
This year, films such as Anora, A Different Man, Challengers, and Nickel Boys all received head nods for the Best Feature category, with Sean Baker’s Anora headlining the group with four nods. The film previously won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, which leads some to think it may be the best bet for Best Picture. However, the Palme d’Or winner has not been chosen for the Oscars’ Best Picture since Parasite in 2020, so it is by no means a sure thing.
Nominees such as Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers and Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man have yet to receive much attention for the Best Picture category, so their nominations here may give them a considerable boost. In the Outstanding Lead Performance category lie heavy hitters such as Colman Domingo in Sing Sing, Mikey Madison in Anora, Adrien Brody in The Brutalist, Justice Smith in I Saw the TV Glow, and Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun. Notable here is Saoirse Ronan, who is eying an Oscar once again after receiving nominations but no wins for Lead Actress in 2016, 2018, and 2020.
In the category for Outstanding Supporting Performance, there are quite a few options with no obvious winner. Kieran Culkin represents A Real Pain, Danielle Deadwyler in The Piano Lesson, Adam Pearson in A Different Man, and Natasha Lyonne in His Three Daughters. Supporting performances are always trickier to decide what qualifies since there are no specific criteria for differentiating lead and supporting actors. In this category, Kieran Culkin borders on being a co-lead of A Real Pain, and Natasha Lyonne stands out as being the only actress nominated from His Three Daughters despite Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon having similar screen time to her.
The Gotham Awards take place on Monday, December 2nd, and the Oscars go live on March 2nd, 2025.
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