The 2019 Oscar nominations are out, and there are some major Australian surprises in the mix.
Nicole Kidman, who has thrilled critics, captured audiences the world over and stunned on the red carpet, was pipped at the post for an Oscar nom following her stellar performance in new film Destroyer.
But it’s not all bad news for the land Down Under, with some very exciting homegrown names in the running for the coveted prize.
Nicole was sadly pipped at the post for a Best Actress nomination at this year’s Oscars. (Image: Getty)
Nicole, who was widely touted as an Oscar front-runner in the Best Actress category, missed out to the likes of Glenn Close for her performance in The Wife, Lady Gaga for A Star is Born, Olivia Colman for The Favourite, Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Yalitza Apariciao for Roma.
Margot Robbie, another strong contender for a nomination following her incredible act in Mary Queen of Scots, was also noticeably absent from the category.
But Australia’s knack for talent in the film industry did not go unnoticed – Sydney-born and Adelaide-raised Fiona Crombie and Victorian Tony McNamara both received nods for their work on The Favourite.
WATCH: Nicole Kidman Looks Nearly Unrecognizable On Set of New Movie, ‘Destroyer’. Post continues after video…
Speaking to AAP, production designer Crombie said the pair were “shrieking” when they heard the news.
“We were laughing and crying,” she said.
Meanwhile screenwriter McNamara was also flabbergasted by the high-brow recognition, telling the BBC that it was a “pretty amazing moment that’s for sure”.
The Favourite also received a nomination for Best Picture, alongside other 2018 blockbusters including A Star Is Born.
Fiona Crombie and Tony McNamara have both been nominated for their creative work in The Favourite. (Image: Getty)
Another big moment for this year’s batch of nominee’s comes as streaming giant Netflix receives its first Oscar nod for film Roma, which is nominated for Best Picture.
The Spanish-language film is also in the running to become the first foreign-language film to win in the category.
Best actor nominees include Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born), Christian Bale (Vice), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book).
The glitzy event will be somewhat different this year, with the Academy reportedly planning to go host-less following a Twitter scandal surrounding Kevin Hart – who was originally announced as host.
Hart was forced to withdraw and apologised after years-old homophobic tweets were unearthed from the actor.
Host or no host, there’s no doubt we’ll be tuning in – bring on February 24!
