Emilia Perez actor Karla Sofia Gascon became the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for the Oscars’s Best Leading Actress category.
The film, a musical thriller released on Netflix, was the most nominated film of this year’s ceremony, putting it ahead of other movies such as Dune: Part II, which got five nominations, and Wicked, which received 10. The plot of Emily Perez focuses on a drug lord, played by Gascon, who recruits the help of a lawyer to stage a fake death and undergo transgender surgery, adopting the new name Emilia Perez.
Gascon already won Best Actress honors at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, though the award ultimately went to Demi Moore for her performance in The Substance.
Beyond being nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars, Emilia Perez was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, and Best International Feature Film.
Netflix opted to take a victory lap on social media, noting that the film is “the most nominated non-English language film” in Oscars history.
EMILIA PÉREZ is a 13x Oscar-nominee — the most nominated non-English language film at the Academy Awards in history.
— Netflix (@netflix) January 23, 2025
Including first-time nominations for Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly trans actress ever nominated for an acting Oscar. pic.twitter.com/nGny10JyHv
Other users, including the Washington Examiner’s Tiana Lowe Doescher, suggested that the 13 nominations for Emilia Perez are part of the reason viewers “have abandoned the big screen,” pointing out that the film boasted the same number of nominations that classics such as Mary Poppins and Gone with the Wind received. Jeff D. Lowe of Barstool Sports also found the nominees for Emilia Perez “baffling.”
If you want to understand why viewers have abandoned the big screen, consider that the Academy gifted Emilia Perez as many nominations as it once gave GONE WITH THE WIND and MARY POPPINS https://t.co/hFRwSc9yeY pic.twitter.com/Y8U7zi6Xfh
— Tiana Lowe Doescher (@TianaTheFirst) January 23, 2025
I can’t even wrap my head around ‘Emilia Pérez’ getting THIRTEEN (13!!!) #Oscars nominations.
— Jeff D. Lowe (@JeffDLowe) January 23, 2025
Quite possibly the worst movie ever (mid-scores from audiences & critics) to get double digit nominations. Baffling. pic.twitter.com/xbIwQnUgSM
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The most nominated film at last year’s Oscars was Oppenheimer, which also received 13 nominations. The film went on to win seven of the nominations, including Best Picture.
This year’s Oscars ceremony will be held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Former late-night star and comedian Conan O’Brien will host the ceremony, a break from late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the last four ceremonies.