"Mank," David Fincher's portrait of the man who jointly wrote "Citizen Kane," has led nominations to the 93rd Oscars with 10 nominations.
In a first, the list of contenders for best director included two women: Chloé Zhao for "Nomadland" and Emerald Fennell for "Promising Young Woman." Zhao also became the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated in the category.
The other nominees for the directing trophy are Lee Isaac Chung for "Minari," Fincher for "Mank" and - in a surprise to awards season pundits - Thomas Vinterberg for "Another Round."
Eight films were nominated for best picture, the most prestigious prize in Hollywood. "Mank" was joined by "The Father," "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Minari," "Nomadland," "Promising Young Woman," "Sound of Metal" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7."
Nine of the 20 acting nominees are people of color, including Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal"); Andra Day ("The People vs. Billie Holiday"); Steven Yeun ("Minari"); and Chadwick Boseman, who was recognized posthumously for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
Bagging a best actress nom for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," Viola Davis became the most-nominated Black actress in Oscar history. The category also features two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand ("Nomadland"), Carey Mulligan ("Promising Young Woman"), Andra Day ("The United States vs. Billie Holiday"), and Vanessa Kirby ("Pieces of a Woman").
The nominations for acting awards this year are strikingly diverse, in comparison to five years earlier, when an all-white list of nominees fueled the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag.
Many of the nominees came from streaming services in a year marked by lockdowns and theater closures. Netflix launched "Mank," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and "The Trial of the Chicago 7," while Amazon released the "Borat" sequel, "One Night in Miami," and "Sound of Metal."
The nominations were announced via livestream from a London set by actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas and pop star Nick Jonas.
The 93rd Academy Awards will be conducted April 25, eight weeks later than expected owing to the impact of the pandemic on the film industry. So far, there is no host for the ceremony, which, if history repeats itself, would be the third year in a row.
