Flee is the first documentary to be nominated for Animated Feature Film, and the first animated film to be nominated for Documentary Feature. It is the second animated film, following Waltz with Bashir (2008), and the fifth documentary, following Waltz with Bashir, The Missing Picture (2013), Honeyland (2019) and Collective (2020), to be nominated for International Feature Film. It is the first film to be nominated in all three categories since the creation of the Animated Feature Film category in 2001.
Steven Spielberg receives his eleventh nomination for Best Picture, a record for an individual producer (since 1951 when producers were first named as nominees). Jane Campion becomes the first woman to have more than one nomination in the Directing category. She is the fourth woman to be nominated for Directing, Writing and Best Picture for the same film, following Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, 2003), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman, 2020) and Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, 2020).
For the fourth consecutive year, the director of a film nominated in the International Feature Film category has also received a nomination in the Directing category. Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog) is the second woman to be nominated for Cinematography. The first was Rachel Morrison, who was nominated for Mudbound (2017).
“No Time To Die” is the sixth song from the James Bond franchise to be nominated for Original Song. Previous nominees were the title song from Live and Let Die (1973); “Nobody Does It Better” from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); the title song from For Your Eyes Only (1981); the title song from Skyfall (2012), which won the award; and “Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre (2015), which won the award.
Sound mixer Andy Nelson now has a record 22 nominations in the combined Sound categories. He is tied with composer song writer Randy Newman for the third highest number of nominations among living persons (John Williams is first with 52; Woody Allen is second with 24).
Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are the sixth married couple to be nominated for acting in the same year. Previous nominees were Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, 1931/32; Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, 1953 (in separate films); Elsa Lanchester and Charles Laughton, 1957; Rex Harrison and Rachel Roberts, 1963 (in separate films); and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, 1966.
Troy Kotsur is the second deaf actor to be nominated for playing a deaf character. Previously, Marlee Matlin won an Oscar for her leading role in Children of a Lesser God (1986). With his nomination this year for Best Live Action Short Film, Riz Ahmed becomes the fifth person to have nominations in both an acting category and a short film category (not necessarily in the same year). Previous nominees were Peter Sellers, Dyan Cannon, Kenneth Branagh, and Christine Lahti, who won for Best Live Action Short Film in 1995.
In the acting categories, nine individuals are first-time nominees (Jessie Buckley, Ariana DeBose, Kirsten Dunst, Aunjanue Ellis, Ciarán Hinds, Troy Kotsur, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Kristen Stewart). Seven of the nominees are previous acting winners (Javier Bardem, Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, J.K. Simmons and Denzel Washington). Olivia Colman is the only acting nominee who was also nominated last year.
Best Picture qualifying release dates:
CODA – August 13, 2021 (day-and-date theatrical and streaming)
Dune – October 21, 2021 (theatrical)
Belfast – November 12, 2021 (theatrical)
The Power of the Dog – November 17, 2021 (theatrical)
King Richard – November 19, 2021 (day-and-date theatrical and streaming)
Drive My Car – November 24, 2021 (theatrical)
Licorice Pizza – November 26, 2021 (theatrical)
West Side Story – December 9, 2021 (theatrical)
Don’t Look Up – December 10, 2021 (theatrical)
Nightmare Alley – December 16, 2021 (theatrical)
Pic Courtesy : By The Oscars, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60976416
