The 2024 Oscars is set for March 10 and will celebrate the plethora of cinematic masterpieces that have debuted in recent months.  Such movies include Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon.  These awards remain a beacon of achievement to viewers all over the world, a source of inspiration and entertainment that unifies all of its viewers.  This year, the 95th Academy Awards will take place at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles and air live on ABC at 7 p.m..  The show will be hosted by late night TV personality and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who has already hosted the event three times.  

Oscar nominations were announced on Jan. 23, and left many viewers in shock.  Barbie, the highest-grossing film that came out this year, did not get nearly as many nominations as expected.  In addition, while Ryan Gosling and America Ferreira were both nominated for Best Supporting roles , many believe Margot Robbie, the star of the film, was snubbed for the Best Actress award.  

Fans were also outraged that director Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director.  Overall, people were upset that the two women who made this movie the cultural phenomenon that it is were not up for Academy Awards in their respective categories.  Masses online have pointed out the irony of these “snubs” considering the feminist theme of the movie. 

“I loved Margot Robbie as Barbie, and she definitely should have been nominated for something.  Also, playing Barbie was so much more of a hard and complicated role, so I don’t get why she didn’t get nominated but Ken did, even though Ryan Gosling was really good as Ken,” said junior Leila Hay.

This was also following an unpleasant joke by comedian Jo Koy at the Golden Globe awards a few weeks earlier, in which he referred to Robbie’s portrayal of Barbie in a sexual way.

“The joke is messed up and doesn’t portray the real meaning of Barbie.  It’s disrespectful to the people who worked hard on the movie which made it not funny,” said junior Bella Sinclair. 

After nominations were released, Ryan Gosling, who played Ken in the film, released a statement expressing his disappointment in the Academy for his co-star and director not getting at least a nomination.  

“But there is no Ken without Barbie…To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” said Gosling.  

As for the rest of the nominees, many of the categories are star-studded.  In the Best Director category, 24-time Oscar winner Martin Scorsese and 11-time Oscar winner Christopher Nolan are nominated for their work.  

In fact, Nolan’s Oppenheimer was without a doubt a pop culture  powerhouse this year, and proved to be an immense success at the awards with thirteen nominations, the most of any film.  Apart from Best Director, these thirteen include Best Picture, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey, Jr.), and Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt).

“When I saw Oppenheimer over the summer, the special effects and bombs literally blew me away.  Christopher Nolan definitely deserves the Oscar for this one since it was produced in such a creative way, ” said junior Jaylan Jellabi.  

Another film up for a lot of awards is Killers of the Flower Moon.  Based on the original book by David Grann, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Buckhart, the unscrupulous protagonist of a  western murder mystery.  Featuring former Oscar winners such as Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraiser, the film is up for ten awards at the event.  One of these awards is Best Actress in which Lily Gladstone, who plays Mollie Burkhart in the film, is the first ever Native American woman to be nominated in this category.  

“I feel seen and represented.  I’m processing.  I’m digesting, but I’m so incredibly grateful,” said Burkhart to ABC.  

This year’s Oscar ceremony, despite backlash, is sure to be a memorable one filled with recognition and appreciation for movies, actors, directors, and all the hard work that goes into a production.  Movie lovers everywhere will have the opportunity to see their favorite actors and actresses receive the appreciation they deserve, making the event an unforgettable night.