With many awards shows airing at this time such as the Golden Globes and Grammys, the one that continues to stand out from the rest is the Oscars. Although the famous awards show is set to occur on April 25, there has already been an abundance of opinions regarding the nominees.

The Oscars have received both praise and criticism for the nominees this year, the most prominent of the former being in regards to the diversity amidst the nominations: diversity that has even made history.

For example, two of the nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role were Riz Ahmed from “Sound of Metal,” and Steven Yeun from “Minari.” This marked the first time in history when two Asian men were nominated for Best Actor, the Oscars now taking an initiative with the diversity of nominees. 

“I was happily surprised with how diverse the nominees were this year,” Pascack Hills senior Maeve Rossig said, “There was definitely an overall lack of films to work with this year, but there are some great ones in the running, and I’m glad the academy is turning over a new leaf to focus on the importance of representation and diversity.”

“I think it is clear that there is more emphasis on inclusion with the academy and how they are trying to include more minorities and genders, such as more female director nominees, into the mix which shows improvement and awareness,” Hills junior Alexis Soohoo explained. “There isn’t enough variety within the nominations, however.”

As Soohoo mentioned, there has also been more diversity in the directors that were nominated. Chloé Zhao, the director of the gorgeously shot “Nomadland,” was nominated for Best Director along with Emerald Fennell, who directed the enticing “Promising Young Woman.” 

“I believe this is the first time two female directors have been nominated in the best picture category in over 50 years,” Hills junior Sara Galbraith stated. “As a female aspiring to pursue a career in film and hopefully be a director one day, it’s so inspiring to see women finally getting the chances they deserve at the Oscars.”

Which film do you think should win Best Picture at the Oscars?

• "Minari" (50%, 1 Votes)
• "Nomadland" (50%, 1 Votes)
• "Sound of Metal" (0%, 0 Votes)
• "Mank" (0%, 0 Votes)
• "Promising Young Woman" (0%, 0 Votes)
• "The Father" (0%, 0 Votes)
• "Judas and the Black Messiah" (0%, 0 Votes)
• "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 2

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Despite the Oscars making strides, there is still a lot to be done with how the nominees are picked not only for the Oscars but other award shows as well. Hopefully, this progress will grow exponentially in the future. 

When Hills students were asked what their predictions were for what movies, actors, and directors will win, there was a huge variety in answers. Nevertheless, there were a lot of students who predicted that “Nomadland” would be taking a lot of awards home. 

“I think that ‘Mank’, ‘Nomadland’, ‘Trial of Chicago 7’, and ‘Minari’ will definitely be winning some awards since they are the most nominated movies,” Soohoo pointed out. “I also think ‘Nomadland’ will win best-adapted screenplay and ‘Minari’ for best original screenplay.”

Galbraith had a similar response to Soohoo: “For best picture, my bets are on ‘Nomadland’ winning. I’ve seen so much praise for that film.” 

The Oscars are still about a month away, yet there is already a lot of excitement among Hills students over who will win. With the incorporation of more diversity into its lineup, as well as the overwhelming talent that comes along with it, this will be an award show to remember.