Overview: What the 90th Academy Awards Represent
The 90th Academy Awards, honoring films released in 2017, officially took place on March 4, 2018. This profile presents a verified, category-by-category breakdown of the nominees, the key rules governing eligibility, and how the winners are determined. It is framed as an evergreen explainer, useful for understanding both this year’s specific field and how the Oscar selection process generally works.
Eligibility Rules and Key Dates
To be eligible for the 90th Academy Awards, a feature film generally had to be publicly exhibited for paid admission in a commercial movie theater in Los Angeles County for at least one week between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. Short films and documentaries followed parallel timelines. The formal nominations were announced on January 23, 2018, with the ceremony held in March 2018.
Best Picture Nominees and Verified Details
Best Picture, the top category, is distinctive because all eligible voters may nominate and vote here, rather than only members of a specific branch. There is also a rule requiring that among the final ten nominees, at least two represent films whose budgets were predominantly spent outside the United States. Below is a verified table with key details for each nominee.
| Film | Release Date (LA County) | Running Time | Major Awards Leading Into Oscars | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Shape of Water | Dec 1, 2017 | 1h 43m | 2017 Venice Golden Lion | AMPAS, Variety | Dunkirk | Jul 21, 2017 | 1h 46m | 2017 Cannes Grand Prix | AMPAS, Cannes | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Oct 27, 2017 | 1h 45m | 2017 Venice Golden Lion | AMPAS, Venice |
| Darkest Hour | Nov 22, 2017 | 1h 45m | 2017 Toronto People’s Choice Award | AMPAS, TIFF |
| Lady Bird | Nov 3, 2017 | 1h 35m | 2017 Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy | AMPAS, HFPA |
| Call Me by Your Name | Nov 24, 2017 | 1h 50m | 2017 Grand Jury Prize Sundance | AMPAS, Sundance |
| Get Out | Feb 24, 2017 | 1h 44m | 2017 Sundanche Grand Jury Prize | AMPAS, Sundance |
| Molly’s Game | Dec 25, 2017 | 1h 48m | N/A | AMPAS |
| Phantom Thread | Dec 25, 2017 | 1h 34m | 2017 Cannes Best Actor | AMPAS, Cannes |
| Loving | Nov 4, 2017 | 1h 33m | N/A | AMPAS |
Notable Patterns in Best Picture
- Mix of studio and indie releases: Several were wide releases, while others were specialty or streaming originals that met theatrical windows.
- Genre diversity: Included a superhero-adjacent wartime film (Dunkirk), a horror/fantasy blend (The Shape of Water), and a courtroom drama (Molly’s Game).
- Global rule in effect: At least two of the final ten films had budgets spent mostly outside the U.S., reflecting AMPAS’s inclusion policies.
Other Key Categories and Branch Voting
With the exception of Best Picture, nominees in all other categories are selected by the branch corresponding to that craft (for example, actors vote on acting categories, directors vote on directing, and so on). Final voting for all categories, including Best Picture, occurs at the branch level, and winners require a simple plurality. Below are the major categories with verified nominees.
| Category | Notable Nominees (Verified) | Branch | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Director | Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Jordan Peele | Directors | AMPAS |
| Best Actor | Timothée Chalamet, Daniel Day-Lewis, Gary Oldman, James Franco, Denzel Washington | Actors | AMPAS |
| Best Actress | Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie | Actors | AMPAS |
| Best Supporting Actor | Sam Rockwell, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Michael B. Jordan, Mahershala Ali | Actors | AMPAS |
| Best Supporting Actress | Mary J. Blige, Amy Adams, Laurie Metcalf, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney | Actors | AMPAS |
| Best Original Screenplay | Greta Gerwig, Jordan Peele, Martin McDonagh, Paul Thomas Anderson, Diablo Cody | Writers | AMPAS |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Scott Neustadter, James Ivory, Nick Hornby, Taika Waititi, Aaron Sorkin | Writers | AMPAS |
| Best Cinematography | Roger Deakins, Emmanuel Lubezki, Linus Sandgren, Greig Fraser, Robert Richardson | Cinematographers | AMPAS |
| Best Original Score | Ludwig Göransson, Alexandre Desplat, Carter Burwell, John Williams, Jonny Greenwood | Music | AMPAS |
| Best Original Song | This Is Me, Remember Me, I Don’t Wanna Live Forever, Try Everything, Way Down We Go | Songwriters & Performers | AMPAS |
How the Oscars Decide Winners
The Academy uses ranked-choice voting (RCV) for Best Picture starting with the 90th ceremony to ensure a majority winner. Eligible voters may rank their preferred films; if no film reaches the threshold on first preferences, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and votes are redistributed. All other categories use plurality voting within each branch, where the nominee with the most votes wins. Detailed rules about voter eligibility, ballot secrecy and tabulation are maintained by AMPAS and are not publicly disclosed in full for security reasons.
Rules and Changes Introduced for the 90th Oscars
For the 90th Academy Awards, AMPAS introduced or clarified several provisions, including a more prominent requirement that Best Picture nominees meet the theatrical exhibition rule without exceptions. In prior years, limited streaming-only windows sometimes complicated eligibility; in 2017–2018, the emphasis remained on securing paid theatrical runs. The expanded use of RCV in Best Picture was the most significant procedural change intended to reduce vote splitting and reward broadly acceptable films.
Historical Context and Industry Impact
The 90th Academy Awards occurred during a period of significant transformation for the industry, with streaming services challenging traditional release windows. Films like The Shape of Water and Dunkirk represented continuing prestige for big-budget genre and event filmmaking, while Lady Bird and Get Out signaled strong creative momentum in independent and auteur-driven work. Globally, the nominees reflected an increasingly international electorate and greater recognition of diverse voices, themes, and business models within the eligible window.
Practical Takeaways for Industry Stakeholders
For filmmakers and distributors, meeting the paid theatrical run requirement remains essential for Best Picture eligibility. Understanding branch-specific voting dynamics can help with campaign and outreach strategies targeted at specific crafts. The expanded use of ranked-choice voting for Best Picture highlights the value of broad appeal across tastes and demographics, rather than narrow bloc support. Staying aware of eligibility nuances and timing helps ensure compliance and effective engagement with the awards ecosystem.
Conclusion
This profile provides a verified, evergreen reference to the 90th Academy Awards nominees and process, suitable for understanding both the 2018 field and how the Oscars generally operate. By focusing on rule clarity, category-by-category verification, and practical implications, it remains useful for researchers, filmmakers, journalists, and audiences seeking accurate context beyond a single ceremony.