It’s a new year for The Walt Disney Company when it comes to the Academy Awards. With the purchases from 20th Century Fox firmly under its belt, the Mouse House has racked up an impressive 15 nominations for this year’s Oscars.
More than a third of the nominations are for one film – Nomadland. The film from Searchlight Pictures (The former Fox arthouse label) is now playing on Hulu.
Since 1994, Searchlight Pictures has amassed 28 Golden Globe Awards, 45 BAFTA awards, and 40 Academy Awards including four Best Picture winners since 2009: “Slumdog Millionaire,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Birdman,” and “The Shape of Water.”0
Former CEO Bob Iger has said Disney plans to continue making these arthouse style movies since it was a club missing from Disney’s bag for many years. We hope so.
We’re rooting for Chloé Zhao as Best Director. The Academy rarely nominates women for the Best Director award. Including this year’s two nominees, there have only been seven total. Zhao is also the first woman of color to be nominated for Best Director.
We’re not surprised to see the nominations for Mulan, Onward, or Soul either. Having Disney+ and Hulu to showcase movies when people could not get out to movie theaters was also a big plus.
2021 Oscar nominations for The Walt Disney Company
NOMADLAND (Searchlight Pictures)
Best Motion Picture – Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Dan Janvey, Mollye Asher, Chloé Zhao
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Frances McDormand
Best Achievement in Directing – Chloé Zhao
Best Adapted Screenplay – Chloé Zhao
Best Achievement in Editing – Chloé Zhao
Best Achievement in Cinematography – Joshua James Richards
SOUL (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+ / Disney Music Group)
Best Animated Feature
Best Original Score – Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor
Best Achievement in Sound
MULAN (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+)
Best Costume Design
Best Visual Effects
ONWARD (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Best Animated Feature
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+)
Best Visual Effects
BURROW (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+)
Best Animated Short Film
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (Hulu)
Best Actress – Andra Day
Congratulations to all the nominees.
Nomadland is considered a favorite to pick up a few Oscars, including for Best Director. Andra Day was a bit of a suprise win at the Golden Globes, but that moves her into the favorite position to win an Oscar now.
Disney and Pixar are always a contender when it comes to animation as well. Add in the two nominees for Mulan and this could be a big year for Disney at the Academy Awards.
Place your guess as to how many Oscar statuettes Disney will take home this year in the comments below.