Oscars 2018: Mary J. Blige, Common, 'Get Out' earn nominations
A celebration is in order.
#OscarsNotSoWhite. For the second year in a row, the Academy Awards avoided controversy with its lineup for 2018 nominations. This year’s nominees include Mary J. Blige in Mudbound, Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water, the hit film Get Out and its star Daniel Kaluuya, Denzel Washington in Roman J. Isreal, Esq. and Common with Andra Day for Marshall.
Mary J. Blige earned the first two Oscar nominations of her career for her contributions to Mudbound: Best Supporting Actress for her role as Florence Jackson, and another for Best Original Song for her record “Mighty River.” Blige’s nominations make her the first actress to get an Oscar nomination for a Netflix film, and the first to be nominated for Best Actress and Best Original Song in the same year.
Joining Blige in the Best Supporting Actress race is Octavia Spencer for her role in The Shape of Water. Common also joins Blige in the Best Original Song category, along with co-writer Dianne Warren, for the Andra Day collaboration “Stand Up for Something.” The record was featured in the Marshall.
Jordan Peele’s 2016 hit film Get Out picked up for four nominations, including Best Picture, while its star Daniel Kaluuya earned a Best Actor nod. Denzel Washington is also up for Best Actor for his role in Roman J. Israel, Esq.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant is also being honored, with his animated short Dear Basketball – a film based on the letter he wrote announcing his retirement – getting nominated for Best Animated Short Film.
The ceremony is set to air on Sunday, March 4. See the full list of nominees here.