In the race for Oscar nominations, Netflix has outshone its streaming competitor Apple, securing a total of 18 nods, with “Maestro” even earning a nomination for Best Picture. Apple trailed behind with a respectable 13 nominations.
The standout performer for Netflix was the Bradley Cooper-directed Leonard Bernstein biopic, “Maestro,” which garnered an impressive seven nominations, including a nod for Best Picture. Apple made a strong showing with nominations for “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon.” Meanwhile, the Walt Disney Company, with its diverse content portfolio from 20th Century Studios, Disney+, Hulu, Lucasfilm Ltd., Marvel Studios, National Geographic Documentary Films, Pixar Animation Studios, and Searchlight, amassed a total of 20 nominations. It’s worth noting that Variety tallies each label separately.
Netflix and Apple’s success in the nominations marked the culmination of a year marked by significant awards-season spending from studios. Some films spared no expense, boasting eight-figure budgets. The impact of last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes lingered, leading studios to trim marketing campaigns due to restrictions on talent promotions. However, this circumstance freed up additional funds that studios redirected toward awards-season endeavors, such as tastemaker screenings and panel discussions.
Notable big spenders included films like “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” and “Oppenheimer.” Universal’s “Oppenheimer” stood out, leading the nominations with an impressive 13 and securing recognition in major categories like Best Picture and Best Director for Christopher Nolan.
The conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November prompted stars to intensify their campaigning efforts, making up for lost time. Bradley Cooper, in particular, garnered attention for “Maestro,” surpassing even his promotional efforts for the 2018 drama “A Star Is Born” from Warner Bros. The private actor made headlines when he attended the Academy Museum screening of “Maestro” in December, accompanied by his 6-year-old daughter Lea de Seine.
