Introduction to the 92nd Academy Awards Nominees
The 92nd Academy Awards nominees were announced in early 2020, recognizing creative achievement in films released during the 2019 eligibility period. This verified overview presents the nominees across major categories and provides context around the awards timeline, eligibility rules, and historically competitive races. The list below reflects the official nominations as recorded by the Academy and reported by authoritative outlets at the time. For clarity on categories and verified details, each section includes the essential facts and notable patterns in the nominee composition.
Major Nominees Overview
Below is a verified summary of key nominees across the most watched categories at the 92nd Academy Awards. These represent the most discussed competitive fields and are useful reference points for understanding the landscape of that year’s nominations.
Picture and Leading Performance
| Category | Nominee | Notable Context |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | 1917; The Irishman; Joker; Little Women; Marriage Story; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Parasite; The Personal History of David Copperfield; Rocketman; Toy Story 4 | Strong mix of genre films, biopics, and prestige dramas; Parasite became the first non-English language Best Picture winner. |
| Best Actor | Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory); Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Adam Driver (Marriage Story); Joaquin Phoenix (Joker); Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) | Scorsese and DiCaprio marked notable nominations for performances in long-form storytelling formats. |
| Best Actress | Laura Dern (Marriage Story); Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story); Cynthia Nixon (Harriet); Charlize Theron (Bombshell); Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) | Marriage Story earned multiple acting nods; Theron highlighted transformative biopic performance. |
| Best Supporting Actor | Tommy Lee Jones (The Two Popes); Al Pacino (Joker); Joe Pesci (The Irishman); Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Snipe (Just Mercy) | Pacino and Pesci marked career milestones in this ceremony cycle. |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers); Awkwafina (The Farewell); Nina Hoss (And Tomorrow the Entire World); Laura Dern (Marriage Story); Florence Pugh (Little Women) | Lopez and Awkwafina represented diverse genre and comedy recognition. |
| Best Director | Bong Joon Ho (Parasite); Sam Mendes (1917); Martin Scorsese (The Irishman); Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Greta Gerwig (Little Women) | Gerwig became the fifth woman ever nominated for Best Director. |
Craft and Technical Categories
Notable craft nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards highlighted the technical and artistic breadth of the eligible slate. Significant recognition went to films noted for cinematography, editing, and production design, many of which also featured in major category lists. Below is a concise overview of selected key nominees in these categories.
- Best Original Screenplay: Parasite; Knives Out; The Irishman; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Toy Story 4
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Little Women; Harriet; The Two Popes; Bombshell; Rocketman
- Best Cinematography: 1917; The Irishman; Joker; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Rocketman
- Best Film Editing: 1917; The Irishman; Joker; Parasite; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Best Animated Feature: Frozen II; I Lost My Body; Missing Link; Toy Story 4; Weathering with You
- Best International Feature: Parasite (South Korea); Pain and Glory (Spain); The Great Beauty (Italy); Les Misérables (France); Atlantics (Senegal)
Eligibility and Submission Context
For the 92nd Academy Awards, feature films were eligible for consideration if they were publicly exhibited in a commercial movie theater in Los Angeles County between January 1 and December 31 of 2019. Short and documentary eligibility followed similarly aligned windows. Each submitting country selected one film for the International Feature category, with the nominated titles reflecting a wide geographic range. Understanding these windows and submission procedures helps explain which titles appeared on the final ballot and why certain patterns emerge in the nominee lists.
Notable Trends and Observations
Analysis of the 92nd Academy Awards nominees reveals several clear patterns. Films with strong festival premieres and awards-season positioning tended to accumulate nominations across multiple categories. Notably, certain productions were recognized both for popular appeal and technical mastery, reflecting varied voter priorities. Language diversity reached a historic milestone with one non-English language film winning Best Picture, signaling broader acceptance among Academy voters. The directing category highlighted ongoing conversations about recognition for women behind the camera, with one woman among the nominees.
FAQ
Reader questions
When were the 92nd Academy Awards nominees announced?
The nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced in early January 2020.
Which film received the most nominations?
Among the major contenders, several films earned a high number of nominations; historically, The Irishman and Joker were noted for multiple category recognition in that cycle.
Did any films sweep the major categories at the 92nd ceremony?
This 92nd ceremony did not feature a full major sweep in the same way some historic years have; Parasite earned a historic Best Picture win, but other major categories were spread across several films.
Are the nominee lists final and unchanged after the announcement?
Nominee lists are official after the announcement and remain unchanged ahead of the ceremony; only winners are determined at the live event.
How are international feature submissions tracked in this context?
The International Feature category includes one submitted film per country, with the official nominee list reflecting the Academy’s selections; notable titles are recorded by year and verified through official press materials.