AFP-BNS

The Spanish-language musical Emilia Perez, defying conventional genre boundaries, secured the most Oscar nominations on Thursday—13 in total—taking the lead in the race for Hollywood’s top honors.

The musical, directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, tells the story of a transgender woman who once led a powerful Mexican drug cartel. Following gender reassignment surgery, she strives to atone for the crimes of her past.

The film, which blends a drug cartel thriller, a Latin American telenovela, and an LGBTQI+ drama, is also a contender for the Best Picture Oscar.

The lead role is played by transgender actress Karla Sofia Gascon, who has been nominated for Best Actress. She has made history as the first transgender actress ever to receive an Oscar nomination.

Other frontrunners include the adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Wicked and The Brutalist, which each received 10 nominations. In The Brutalist, Oscar-winner Adrien Brody portrays a Hungarian Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States.

Additionally, Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis’ animated film Flow is vying for Best International Feature Film. It has also been nominated in the Best Animated Feature category.

The nominees for the 97th Academy Awards were announced on Thursday by actors Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott.

The announcement, originally scheduled for January 17, was delayed twice after devastating wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area earlier this month. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extended the voting period due to the disaster.

Some in the film industry called for the Academy to cancel the Oscars ceremony altogether, given the impact of the wildfires on many industry members.

However, Academy officials insisted the ceremony, set for March 2, would proceed as planned, citing its economic significance to Los Angeles and its symbolic role as a testament to the industry’s resilience.

Organizers promised that this year’s awards would “celebrate the works that unite us as a global film community and honor those who so bravely fought against the wildfires.”

The Oscars ceremony, to be held in Los Angeles, will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.