Oscar Nominations Include Several LGBTQ Stars and Films

Last week, nominations for the 94th Annual Academy Awards were announced, and we are over the moon that several LGBTQ stars and films were included.

Kristen Stewart, who identifies as queer, landed her first-ever Oscar nomination and is up for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” for her stunning portrayal of the late Princess Diana in Spencer. The dramatic biopic, directed by Pablo Larraín, depicts the princess over a three-day weekend in 1991 while she stays at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate for Christmas festivities. The film emphasizes the mental health struggles of the royals, and the emotional pain she endured in the final moments of her marriage with Prince Charles.

Ariana DeBose joins Stewart as a fellow out nominee for her star-making turn as Anita in Stephen Spielberg’s West Side Story and is up for “Best Supporting Actress.” Debose is also the co-founder of the LGBTQ-focused Unruly Hearts Initiative, and if she wins, she will be the first out, queer woman of color ever to take home and Oscar.

Another historic first is the critically acclaimed animated documentary Flee landing nominations across three categories: “Best Animated Feature,” “Best International Feature Film,” and “Best Documentary Feature.” Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, the film is the true story of a gay Afghan refugee reflecting on his past as he prepares to marry his future husband.

Also nominated for “Best Animated Feature” is The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which centers on a queer character named Katie, played by out actress Abbi Jacobson. She must work with her family to save the world from a robot apocalypse.

Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog is this year’s most nominated film, including “Best Picture,” and it chronicles deeply sublimated queer desire in the American West. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kodi Smit-McPhee both received nods for their performances as characters grappling with same-sex yearning, and Cumberbatch, who is straight, addressed the question of playing a repressed queer character when the film was released last fall.

“I feel very sensitive about representation, diversity, and inclusion,” he told IndieWire. “One of the appeals of the job was the idea that in this world, with this specific character, there was a lot that was private, hidden from view.”

LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD celebrated this year’s nominees, but says LGBTQ representation is still profoundly lacking in the nominations. The organization pointed out that LGBTQ stars who were snubbed include Tessa Thompson for Passing, Colman Domingo for Zola, and Jacobson, herself, for her role in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. However, the most shocking snub was Lady Gaga not being nominated for her role as Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci.

The 94th Annual Academy Awards are scheduled to air Sunday, March 27, 2022.

Photos Courtesy of Social Media