It’s Oscar season and there is much to celebrate as women are recognized for their film contributions both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. The nominees for the 97th edition of the Academy Awards were announced on January 23, a few days later than scheduled given the wildfires in Los Angeles.

Many of this year’s Oscar contenders are being recognized by the Academy for the first time, which shows that it is never too late for seasoned performers to get their opportunity to shine. From Demi Moore finally getting her flowers after her career-defining comeback to Karla Sofia Gáscon’s historic nomination, this year’s awards race is shaped by women making their mark.

Although it was surprising to see veterans like Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie absent from the Best Actress lineup after their praised performances in Babygirl and Maria, it’s exciting to see actresses and creatives receiving their first-ever nominations. 

As March 2 draws near, here are some notable names nominated for the night’s major categories, paving the way for more women to be recognized in the awards circuit.

Photo by Shanna Besson/Pathé © 2024.

Karla Sofia Gáscon Is the First Trans Woman to be Nominated for Best Actress

After the women of Emilia Pérez won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Karla Sofia Gáscon is up for one of the most coveted awards at this year’s Oscars. The Spanish actress known for playing the titular character is the first openly trans woman to be recognized for Best Actress. Emilia Pérez is also the most nominated international film in Oscar history, with a total of 13 nods. 

The race for this particular category is tight, with Hollywood star Demi Moore and Brazilian icon Fernanda Torres fresh off Golden Globe wins. Despite being a seasoned performer, only at age 62 is Moore finally getting accolades for her work onscreen. This is especially significant given The Substance’s criticism of ageism in Hollywood.

As for Torres, she is the second Brazilian to ever be nominated for Best Actress, the first being her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, in 1998. In I’m Still Here, she gives a compelling performance as a stay-at-home mother seeking justice for her family amid the Brazilian dictatorship.

Other nominees include Anora’s dynamic lead Mikey Madison and Cynthia Erivo, who quite literally defied gravity in her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked. The latter only needs an Oscar to reach EGOT status, a title that only a select few have earned by winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. 

Photo by Kyusung Gong / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Ariana Grande Leads a Best Supporting Actress Roster of First-Time Nominees

Erivo isn’t the only Wicked cast member to receive Oscar love. Ariana Grande, who played Glinda, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the first time. In fact, most stars featured in this category had never been up for an Academy Award. Frontrunner Zoe Saldaña might’ve led Avatar (the highest-grossing film of all time), but it was only after playing the lawyer at the heart of Emilia Pérez that she received a nod. 

Other high-calibre names in this category include Monica Barbaro for her portrayal of Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, Felicity Jones for embodying the wife of a visionary architect in The Brutalist, and Isabella Rossellini for her depiction of a nosy nun in the papal election that drives Conclave. Much like Torres, Rossellini is following in her mother’s footsteps—Ingrid Bergman was nominated for an Oscar seven times, winning three Golden Statues throughout her career. 

Courtesy of MUBI

‘The Substance’s Coralie Fargeat Lands Nods for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay & Best Picture

After Justine Triet was nominated for Best Director last year for the French court drama Anatomy of a Fall and won an award for Best Original Screenplay, Coralie Fargeat is up for the same categories at the 2025 ceremony. The latter is the ninth female filmmaker to be acknowledged for her directorial skills. 

What sets Fargeat apart from previous nominees is that her work is within the body horror genre. In addition to The Substance, only two horror films have been considered for Best Picture in the 21st century—Black Swan and Get Out. Fargeat is the first female director to be nominated for a horror film, making her recognition historical. 

Although The Substance is the only woman-helmed film up for Best Picture, there are several female producers nominated in the category. Samantha Quan and Alex Coco are credited as producers of Anora, Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell are credited as producers of Conclave, and Mary Parent and Tanya Lapointe are credited as producers of Dune: Part Two.

Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Toronto Creatives Nominated in Documentary, Makeup, Hairstyling & Costume Design Categories

In addition to the acting nods, this year’s edition is also honouring women who were working behind the camera, including creatives from Toronto. Journalist Emily Kassie directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Sugarcane alongside Julien Brave NoiseCat. The film investigates the long history of child abuse at St. Joseph’s Mission, a Catholic-run residential school near the Sugarcane reserve in B.C. that was shut down in 1981.

Another Canadian in the running for an Academy Award is Traci Loader. Her work crafting the haunting blood tears in Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu led her to receive a nomination for Best Makeup & Hairstyling. Loader’s peer, Toronto’s Linda Muir, is up for Best Costume Design for her gothic couture. Nosferatu’s clothing takes direct inspiration from 16th-century Transylvanian attire, bringing both shades of macabre and realism to this vampire thriller. 

The 97th Academy Awards will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre on March 2 and air on CTV.