It was a very exciting morning for the world of movies, as the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards were announced. Hosted by the always delightful Tracee Ellis Ross and Kumail Nanjiani, the film industry and fans tuned in to see which projects were recognized by the Academy, and will be battling to snatch some trophies when the ceremony airs in February.
Ryan Coogler's Black Panther had a ton of buzz surrounding it before the nominations, with the Academy flirting with a new category to give the blockbuster a better chance. The new category was tabled until a future year, but Black Panther still had a very strong outing, as it was nominated for an impressive seven Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture.
Black Panther got a ton of nods this morning, largely related to the technical and design prowess of the MCU-- specifically the team assembled by Ryan Coogler and producer Kevin Feige. This includes categories like Costume Design, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. Wakanda was a vibrant and musical world unlike anything the MCU has ever seen, so it's no doubt validating to be recognized in this way by The Academy
The music of Black Panther was one of the many ways the film succeeded; the soundtrack was super popular upon its release, with artists like Kendrick Lamar, SZA, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott all contributing tracks. "All The Stars" ended up getting a Best Original Song nomination, competing against A Star Is Born's "Shallow" and Mary Poppins Returns tear-jerker "The Place Where Lost Things Go." Plus, Black Panther's score also got an Oscar nomination.
Overall, the 91st Oscar Noms have broken new ground, especially when it comes to how much Black Panther was recognized. The superhero genre isn't usually considered for the biggest awards, as ceremonies like the Academy Awards and Golden Globes don't always take comic book adaptations seriously. Black Panther is the first superhero movie to be nominated to Best Picture, showing what the genre is truly capable of.
Black Panther wasn't the only superhero flick nominated for an Oscar this year, either. Avengers: Infinity War snagged a nom for Visual Affects, while Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is competing in the Animated Feature category alongside Disney frontrunners The Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Still, Black Panther's seven Oscar nominations are the most remarkable, and it should be fascinating to see how the blockbuster ultimately performs on Oscars night. T'Challa's solo movie is in the same category as Oscar favorites like A Star Is Born, BlackKklansman, and Roma, so the pressure is certainly on. Especially as Ryan Coogler's movie is breaking new ground for superhero flicks in general.
All will be revealed when the Oscars take place on February 24th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.
