Emilia Pérez has the potential to set an Oscar milestone when the nominations are announced on Thursday. The Spanish-language Netflix musical drama about a trans drug lord could establish a new record for most nominations for an international film. The current mark is jointly held by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Roma (2018) with 10 apiece.
Already picking up major hardware this season, the French export seemingly has multiple major categories on lockdown, according to Gold Derby odds: Best Picture; Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jacques Audiard; Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón; Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña; Best International Film; Best Score; and dual Best Song nods for “El Mal” and “Mi Camino.” That would put Emilia Pérez at nine nominations, with only two more needed to break the record. Here are the remaining categories the film could potentially nab to surpass the record.
SEE 2025 Oscars calendar update
Selena Gomez for Best Supporting Actress
While Saldaña is the runaway favorite to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Gomez should not be counted out when it comes to landing a nomination in a stacked category. Although she currently sits at ninth in the Gold Derby odds, Gomez has received mentions at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs and with such industry support for the film, she could ride Emilia Pérez momentum into the race alongside her costar Saldaña.
Best Sound
Despite missing out on a BAFTA nod for this category, Emilia Pérez is sitting comfortably in fourth place, tied with Gladiator II and behind A Complete Unknown, Wicked, and Dune: Part Two. Musical films tend to do well here and given the assurance Emilia Pérez has with the music categories, combined with the sonic mixture of musical and action sequences displayed, Emilia Pérez looks pretty safe for a nomination here.
Best Film Editing
This category has become one of the technical races to determine the top-tier Best Picture contenders, and since Emilia Pérez has been one of the leaders at every major precursor, there is no reason why the film should not be cited after its showing at the BAFTAs and the American Cinema Editors (ACE Eddie) Awards. This branch especially loves the quantity and flashiness of the cuts, which this movie has in spades with its musical numbers. It sits at the fifth spot behind Anora, The Brutalist, Conclave, and Dune: Part Two.
Best Cinematography
This race is a longer shot, with Emilia Pérez currently sitting just on the outside in the sixth position, according to Gold Derby odds, with the nominees projected to be Conclave, Nickel Boys, Nosferatu, Dune: Part Two, and The Brutalist. Emilia Pérez has had a mixed record at the precursors, managing to get into BAFTA’s five-film slate, but missing out on a nod in the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award’s lineup of seven. With its dramatic camera movements capturing the musical moments, showcase choreography, and action scenes, it would not be a surprise to see Emilia Pérez contend for Oscar here.
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
The film centers around Gascón’s transition from a frightening drug kingpin to a beautiful woman, which was accentuated flawlessly by the makeup and hair team. Even though Emilia Pérez sits in seventh place, momentum might carry the film into this category, especially following its BAFTA showing. Additionally, some of the films above Emilia Pérez in the odds, such as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and A Different Man, could be vulnerable as they have less support and may not work to the branch’s specific taste.
Best Production Design
This is the likeliest category that Emilia Pérez will miss come nomination morning, as history tends to not favor contemporary films outside of fantasy spectacles like Barbie or Tenet. However, several musical numbers were shot on sound stages perfectly utilizing the frame and space, similar to Parasite and The Father, so Emilia Pérez is not out of the running despite its current seventh-place position.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
When the nominations are announced on Thursday, we can see Emilia Pérez becoming the new standard-bearer among international films. Both Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma had surprise recognition in categories they were not expected to contend for (Best Song for the former and the two main actresses for the latter). And if Emilia Pérez lands in all of the categories mentioned, it would break the overall tally, surpassing All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016), each with 14 citations. It has been clear this entire awards season that industry’s love for Emilia Pérez is palpable and that support can work its way to it accomplishing history.
Another gaslighting publicity stunt to boost its chances of winning. Emilia Perez is a mediocre movie and does not deserve a single nomination.
What are YOU smoking? I don’t even have a Netflix subscription, yet I’ve watched the “El Mal” scene on YouTube; that alone secures the Oscar (not just a nom) for both the song AND Zoe Saldaña. Not to mention every single film ever nommed for both Best Picture & Foreign Language/International Feature Film in the same year, as EP almost certainly will do, has won the latter; the only way that will change this year is if I’m Not Here joins EP in getting that dual nom. (The Emigrants didn’t win for Foreign Language Film in 1971, but it didn’t get its Best Picture nom till 1972; that’s no longer possible under Oscar rules. Every other film nommed for both, from 1969’s Z to last year’s The Zone of Interest, won Foreign Language/International Feature Film; 2019’s Parasite won both.)
Hopefully it will get 11 nominations or more. This film is a dazzling masterpiece – so audacious and mesmerising! Love it !
What have you been smoking? LOL.
Obviously not what YOU’RE smoking. As I posted above, EP is likely to win at least three Oscars, and that doesn’t even begin to touch Best Picture or Karla Sofía Gascón. And I’ve only seen the “El Mal” & “Mi Camino” scenes; I’ve never had a Netflix subscription.
That clearly shows that you don’t know a single thing about the film, you haven’t seen it you are just basing your opinion on snippets . Emilia is really a mediocre film with one specially horrendous performance from Selena Gomez doing a lazy and terrible work, clearly shouldn’t be anywhere near awards talk
13 nominations for Emilia Perez! What a wonderful day it is!
Worst movie to be ever nominated, extremely disrespectful towards latinx
If you’re referring to Mexicans who routinely murder trans women just for their gender identity, as Karla Sofía Gascón pointed out after taking over EP’s Globe acceptance speech from a speechless Jacques Audiard, they DESERVE to be disrespected. Maybe EP doesn’t check all the boxes of 2024 politically correct language, but then Audiard was going to cast a cis male & cis female actor to play Emilia before & after surgery until Gascón convinced him she as a trans woman could play both.
You’re the only one murdering the reputation of a whole nation , you have said that you haven’t watched the film, so you don’t have the integrity to make an opinion about a film you haven’t watched. You’re just a xenophobic troll who shouldn’t be anywhere near the opinion thread of a film you haven’t watched
It took me three half hearted attempts to get through Emilia Perez, but when I finally sat down and focused, I found it to be one of the most inspired and audacious films I’ve ever watched. I was mesmerized by Zoe Saldana’s remarkable performance, although I do consider her the lead. Karla Sofia Gascon is memorable and brave in a role that could easily have been played without empathy. Adriana Paz and Selena Gomez are also excellent throughout. I was exhilarated by the end of the movie and felt I had witnessed something truly innovative and exceptional, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. That alone makes it awards-worthy … far superior to Roma but just shy of my love and respect for Crouching Tiger, which remains my favorite all time foreign film.
Selena Gómez excellent?, LOL the level of bad taste and ignorance of the performance art is laughable and disgusting. She does a lazy and terrible job
This is so unusual musical heartbreaking movie I’ve seen in the years.
Glad this movie has so many haters. It means it’s one of the best
I will laugh and laugh out loud with every Oscar it wins. And it wouldn’t be too surprising if it wins BP and BD.
With crazy tyrants and bigots in charge of business and polices – the world needs a film like Emilia Perez more than ever! Stunning and bold. I’ve watched it four times already and each time I love it more !
Of course you do.