Meryl Streep and La La Land headline Oscar nods

IF THERE'S one thing Hollywood knows how to pull off, it's a surprise ending - and after last year's criticism for failing to cast any non-white actors at the Oscars, yesterday's list of nominees represented a significant volte-face.
Meryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron LadyMeryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron Lady

In naming seven people of colour in the four main performing categories, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was not only striking a blow for the liberal left but also thumbing its nose at the new occupant of the White House, whose election has done much to unnerve the film community.

The inclusion of Meryl Streep for a record-breaking 20th time will also not have gone unnoticed on Capitol Hill: she famously called President Trump out at the Golden Globes two weeks ago and he replied in unstatesmanlike terms, calling her “overrated”.

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After last year’s demand for a boycott by the likes of Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith, the academy had been at pains to expand its voting body to include more diverse voices.

Meryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron LadyMeryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron Lady

Yet there was irony in its acclamation of La La Land, the story of an aspiring actress and a musician who sing and dance their way around Los Angeles. Though adored by many, the film has been criticised in some quarters for its own lack of diversity, with Ryan Gosling - a nominee for Best Actor - cast as a white man who tries to save jazz.

The film is the most nominated musical ever, beating the 13 racked up in 1965 by Mary Poppins and the 12 the same year by My Fair Lady. Only the non-musicals Titanic and All About Eve have ever matched its 14 nominations.

Gosling’s co-star, Emma Stone, will compete with Miss Streep for the best actress statuette, along with Isabelle Huppert for Elle, Ruth Negga for Loving, and Natalie Portman for Jackie.

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Meanwhile, Andrew Garfield, Naomie Harris and Dev Patel led the British charge, with nominations for their work in Hacksaw Ridge, Moonlight and Lion respectively.

Naomie Harris and Dev PatelNaomie Harris and Dev Patel
Naomie Harris and Dev Patel

But there was no recognition for Ken Loach’s northern benefits drama I, Daniel Blake, while Hugh Grant, Miss Streep’s co-star in Florence Foster Jenkins, was also disappointed.

Garfield, born in Los Angeles but raised in Surrey, was nominated for his performance in Mel Gibson’s drama as a pacifist US Army medic who refuses to carry weapons. Gibson himself was nominated as best director.

Garfield’s previous roles include one as a Yorkshire Post reporter in the TV adaptation of David Peace’s Red Riding novels.

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Denzel Washington and Viggo Mortensen make up the Best Actor nominees.

Meryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron LadyMeryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep with the 2012 Best Actress award, received for The Iron Lady

Patel, the star of Slumdog Millionaire, plays a young man separated from his family in Lion. He is nominated with Mahersh­ala Ali for Moonlight, Jeff Bridges for Hell Or High Water, Lucas Hedges for Manchester By The Sea and Michael Shannon for Nocturnal Animals.

Harris, whose first Oscar nomination is for her supporting role as a drug addict in Moonlight, is named with Viola Davis for Fences, Michelle Williams for Manchester By The Sea, Nicole Kidman for Lion and Octavia Spencer for Hidden Figures.

Mel Gibson will take on directors Damien Chazelle for La La Land, Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester By The Sea, Barry Jenkins for Moonlight and Denis Villeneuve for Arrival.

FULL LIST OF OSCAR NOMINATIONS FOR 2017...

Naomie Harris and Dev PatelNaomie Harris and Dev Patel
Naomie Harris and Dev Patel

Best picture:

“Arrival”

“Fences”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“Hell or High Water”

“Hidden Figures”

“La La Land”

“Manchester by the Sea”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

Lead actor:

Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”

Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”

Ryan Gosling, “La La Land,”

Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”

Denzel Washington, “Fences”

Lead actress:

Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”

Ruth Negga, “Loving”

Natalie Portman, “Jackie”

Emma Stone, “La La Land”

Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”

Supporting actor:

Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”

Jeff Bridges, “Hell or High Water”

Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”

Dev Patel, “Lion”

Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals”

Supporting actress:

Viola Davis, “Fences”

Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”

Nicole Kidman, “Lion”

Octavia Spencer, “Hidden Figures”

Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”

Best director:

Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”

Mel Gibson, “Hacksaw Ridge”

Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”

Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”

Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”

Animated feature:

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Moana”

“My Life as a Zucchini”

“The Red Turtle”

“Zootopia”

Animated short:

“Blind Vaysha”

“Borrowed Time”

“Pear Cider and Cigarettes”

“Pearl”

“Piper”

Adapted screenplay:

“Arrival”

“Fences”

“Hidden Figures”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

Original screenplay:

“Hell or High Water”

“La La Land”

“The Lobster”

“Manchester by the Sea”

“20th Century Women”

Cinematography:

“Arrival”

“La La Land”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

“Silence”

Best documentary feature:

“Fire at Sea”

“I Am Not Your Negro”

“Life Animated”

“OJ: Made in America”

“13th”

Best documentary short subject:

“Extremis”

“4.1 Miles”

“Joe’s Violin”

“Watani My Homeland”

“The White Helmets”

Best live-action short film:

“Ennemis Interieurs”

“La Femme et le TGV”

“Silent Nights”

“Sing”

“Timecode”

Best foreign language film:

“A Man Called Ove”

“Land of Mine”

“Tanna”

“The Salesman”

“Toni Erdmann”

Film editing:

“Arrival”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“Hell or High Water”

“La La Land”

“Moonlight”

Sound editing:

“Arrival”

“Deep Water Horizon”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“La La Land”

“Sully”

Sound mixing:

“Arrival”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“La La Land”

“Rogue One”

“13 Hours”

Production design:

“Arrival”

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”

“Hail Caesar!”

“La La Land”

“Passengers”

Original score:

“Jackie”

“La La Land”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

“Passengers”

Original song:

Audition

Can’t Stop the Feeling

City of Stars

Empty Chair

How Far I’ll Go

Makeup and hair:

“A Man Called Ove”

“Star Trek Beyond”

“Suicide Squad”

Costume design:

“Allied”

“Fantastic Beasts”

“Florence Foster Jenkins”

“Jackie”

“La La Land”

Visual effects:

“Deepwater Horizon”

“Doctor Strange”

“Jungle Book”

“Kubo”

“Rogue One”

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