From Ariana Grande to Demi Moore and Timothée Chalamet, here are the first-time nominees and trailblazers you need to know

The 2025 Academy Award nominees are preparing for what could be many historic moments when the ceremony is broadcast live on Sunday, March 2, on ABC.

Leading the pack is Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language musical crime comedy with 13 Oscar nominations — the most ever for a non-English-language film. It has dominated awards season, winning Best Motion Picture and Best Non-English Language Film at the Golden Globes. However, the film will be competing with Anora, another Best Picture nominee that’s gotten a lot of buzz in recent weeks.

Zoe Saldaña, who won both the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez, remains a frontrunner in the category. However, much of the attention has shifted to the film’s lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, who made history as the first trans actress nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. Gascón’s nomination has been mired in controversy, however, as resurfaced tweets deemed racist by many added drama to the awards race — though she is still expected to attend the ceremony.

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Close behind are The Brutalist and Wicked, each earning 10 nominations.

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist had a strong showing at the Golden Globes, winning Best Motion Picture — Drama, while Adrien Brody took home a Best Actor in a Drama win and Corbet won Best Director. Meanwhile, Wicked’s Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo secured their first Oscar nominations, with Erivo on the verge of making history as the youngest EGOT winner if she takes home the trophy.

Another major moment belongs to first-time nominee Demi Moore, who won both a Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Substance. If she takes home the Oscar, it will mark the veteran actress’s first Academy Award win.

The milestones don’t stop there! This year’s nominations include a host of artists that are breaking fresh ground in Hollywood.

First-time acting nominees

Demi Moore

Demi Moore. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images)

At 62, Moore celebrates her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role in The Substance. The performance not only reignited her passion for acting but also earned her a Golden Globe earlier this year.

Mikey Madison

The young actress is making waves as a first-time Oscar nominee for Best Actress, thanks to her breakout performance in Anora.

Fernanda Torres

Fernanda Torres. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images)

After winning a Golden Globe earlier this awards season, Torres earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role in I’m Still Here, making her only the second Brazilian actor ever nominated in an acting category. The first? Her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who received a Best Actress nomination for Central Station in 1999.

Sebastian Stan

The actor steps into the Oscar spotlight with his first nomination for Best Actor, earned for his portrayal of Donald Trump in The Apprentice.

Ariana Grande

The pop star captivated audiences with her role as Glinda in Wicked, earning her a Best Supporting Actress nomination in her Oscars debut.

Kieran Culkin

Kieran Culkin. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Best known for his work in Succession, Culkin earned his first Oscar nomination for his standout supporting role in A Real Pain, a performance that also garnered him a Golden Globe.

Isabella Rossellini

After decades in the industry, Rossellini received her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Sister Agnes in Conclave.

Zoe Saldaña

The actress earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Pérez, a role that also brought her Golden Globes recognition.

Jeremy Strong

The actor joins the Oscar race with his first nomination for Best Supporting Actor, thanks to his portrayal of Roy Cohn in The Apprentice.

Monica Barbaro

Barbaro earned her first Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress, delivering a standout performance as Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown.

Guy Pearce

The Australian actor and musician secured a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. in The Brutalist.

Yura Borisov

Not only did Borisov receive his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Anora, but he’s also the first Russian actor to be recognized in a performance category since 1977.

Cynthia Erivo’s double milestones

Already an Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner, Erivo could become the youngest EGOT winner at 38, thanks to her Best Actress nomination for Wicked.

Cynthia Erivo. (TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic via Getty Images)

But that’s not all — she is also the second Black woman to earn multiple Best Actress nominations, after Viola Davis.

Erivo’s first nomination in the category came for her performance in Harriet (2019). Davis, meanwhile, was recognized for The Help (2011) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020). She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Fences in 2017.

Timothée Chalamet: The youngest actor to get two Best Actor nods since James Dean

At 29, Chalamet becomes the youngest actor to receive two Best Actor nominations since James Dean, earning his latest for portraying Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. He was previously nominated for Best Actor in 2017’s Call Me By Your Name at age 22. Dean was a 1956 nominee for East of Eden and a 1957 nominee for Giant. Both came posthumously, as Dean died in 1955 at 24.

Back-to-back noms for Colman Domingo

Following his nomination for Rustin last year, Domingo achieved consecutive Best Actor nominations with his role in Sing Sing, a feat last accomplished by Denzel Washington for Fences in 2017 and Roman J. Israel, Esq. in 2018. Domingo is also the first out LGBTQ+ actor and Afro-Latino actor to achieve such a feat.

Karla Sofía Gascón makes trans history

Karla Sofía Gascón. (John Nacion/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty Images)

Gascón is the first openly trans actress nominated for an Oscar, recognized for her lead role in Emilia Pérez. In the film, Gascón plays a Mexican crime boss who seeks out a lawyer (Saldaña) who helps the character transition into living as a woman.

Emilia Pérez makes more history

With 13 nominations, the Spanish-language film surpasses previous records, becoming the most-nominated non-English language film in Oscar history.

The film is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Jacques Audiard), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (Gascón), Best Supporting Actress (Saldaña), Best International Feature (France), two for Best Original Song (“El Mal” and “Mi Camino”), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Cinematography.

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