On Wednesday, Michelle Yeoh appeared on the Today show to discuss the recently announced Oscar nominations. The Malaysian actress, who won Best Actress at the 2023 Oscars for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, shared her thoughts on the nominations, particularly the snubs faced by Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie.
Yeoh expressed her disappointment for Gerwig and Robbie, who were not nominated for Best Director and Best Actress respectively, despite the critical and commercial success of their film Barbie. Yeoh stated that it was a competitive year and there were not enough nominations to go around. She also reflected on her own experience of winning an Oscar after several decades in the industry.
The exclusion of Gerwig and Robbie from individual categories has sparked criticism, with many pointing out that their film was one of the most successful and beloved of the year. Yeoh also acknowledged this, mentioning the film’s box office performance and expressing hope that Gerwig and Robbie would not have to wait as long as she did for their own recognition.
Christopher Nolan’s ‘OPPENHEIMER’ is the most nominated film at the 2024 #Oscars with 13 nominations. pic.twitter.com/o67brwT6Qd
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) January 23, 2024
Even some cast members have spoken out about the omissions, including America Ferrera and Ryan Gosling. Ferrera, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Barbie, stated that she was incredibly disappointed that Gerwig and Robbie were not nominated. Gosling, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, praised Gerwig and Robbie for making history and pushing the culture with their film.
This complaint about the nominations is not just about the exclusion of Gerwig and Robbie, it is also about the lack of diversity in the nominees. Yeoh noted that it was a competitive year and there was no guarantee of a nomination because there are many voters involved in the process. However, there were also many nominations that showcased a notably diverse class of nominees.
Some of the history-making nods this year include Best Actress nominee Lily Gladstone, who is the first Native American actress to ever be nominated for an Oscar. There are also many first-time nominees across various categories, including Ferrera, Emily Blunt, Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown and Cillian Murphy.
Another significant highlight of this year’s nominations is the high number of female nominees. Nine women are up for awards in the Best Picture category and one-third of all nominees across all categories are women. This is higher than the last three years.
2024 #Oscar nominations count:
Oppenheimer: 13
Poor Things: 11
Killers of the Flower Moon: 10
Barbie: 8
Maestro: 7
The Holdovers: 5
American Fiction: 5
The Zone of Interest: 5
Anatomy of a Fall: 5
Napoleon: 3
Nyad: 2
Past Lives: 2 pic.twitter.com/qbbxwCYUzT— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) January 23, 2024
Yeoh concluded her interview by acknowledging the joy and disappointment that often come hand in hand during awards season. She praised the competitiveness of the year’s nominations and the widespread involvement in the voting process. The Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 10, with Jimmy Kimmel as the host.
