Saturday, February 15, 2025

“Challengers” Is Game For This Awards Season But Is The Academy Willing To Play?

It feels like ages since Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” swept the world into the year’s hottest love triangle. The Zendaya-led tennis flick feels like one of the more cemented cultural moments of 2024, performing well with critics and audiences and grossing almost $100 million worldwide. “Challengers” fever took over the internet as its influence was felt through the return of the tennis-core fashion trend that made a splash this spring, with the U-S Open using the film’s score for advertisements and even Zendaya herself appearing in an ad campaign for “On” opposite of tennis legend Roger Federer. As we head deeper into this year’s awards season, many are wondering if “Challengers” will make a splash with the various voting bodies. While the film is not the main push by MGM/Amazon (“Nickel Boys“), there’s a world where we could see “Challengers” serve up some awards recognition on Oscar nomination morning. 

Recently, it was announced that “Challengers” will be pushed into the Best Comedy or Musical categories at the Golden Globes. This could be a significant launching point for the film as there is space for it to earn nominations in the Best Comedy or Musical Film slot and, most importantly, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Zendaya, who is a Golden Globe winner for the second season of “Euphoria,” has plenty of juice to land an acting nomination, especially now that there are six slots. Also, seeing how inspired the voting body of the Golden Globes were last year with their nominees for Best Original Score, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross earn a nomination for the highly lauded work. Add in another potential nomination for the pair in Best Original Song and it adds up to four nominations for “Challengers.” Of course, it would be more challenging for the film to earn a nomination for Best Supporting Actor or Best Screenplay at the Globes due to this year’s competition. 

While this all could help “Challengers,” it’s already fighting an uphill battle to make its way to Oscar glory. Zendaya earning a Globe nomination could help her case, but it’s hard to see any other voting body (besides possibly CCA) throwing their votes to get her into their Best Actress lineup. Best Actress as a whole is a rapidly evolving race, as it feels mostly locked up between four potential nominees: Mikey Madison, Angelina Jolie, Karla Sofia Gascón, and Saoirse Ronan. That fifth spot is anybody’s for the taking as heavyweight performances by actors like Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Nicole Kidman are also in contention. What Zendaya does have in her favor is she’ll be on the campaign trail all year long as she’ll be a part of one of this year’s biggest awards players: “Dune: Part Two.” The two-time Emmy-winning actress has never been more popular, and maybe all this extra attention could lead her to steal that fifth acting slot at the last second. Be prepared for the possibility of Zendaya popping up at more than just the Globes this year. 

However, “Challengers” has the biggest chance to earn Academy Award nominations with its below-the-line work. As mentioned earlier, the work done by Reznor and Ross on the music of this film has been celebrated by many across the industry and audiences. It might not fall under the typical scores the branch recognizes, but the pulsating, lively work is undeniable. It’s also spearheaded by two-time Oscar winners who are no strangers to awards recognition. Plus, with how open the Best Original Song race is at the Academy Awards this year, “Compress/Repress” could easily earn another nomination for the powerhouse duo. The editing by Marco Costa is also a terrific highlight worth celebrating. While the Best Film Editing category is stacked with an onslaught of contenders, sometimes the films that do the most catch the eyes of the editing branch (See “Tick Tick Boom!” and the Oscar-winning “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo“). There’s enough to earn recognition amongst the guilds and even make the shortlist, but getting that Oscar nomination is a different story. 

One wild card nomination that lingers in the back of my mind is the possibility of Justin Kuritzkes earning a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Kuritzkes is undoubtedly having a massive breakthrough year with his first two screenplays, “Challengers” and “Queer.” Mr. Celine Song has constantly been promoting his work all year long alongside Guadagnino (who also directed “Queer“) and is currently one of the more in-demand screenwriters in the business. As a screenwriter who has only written two films, that’s a pretty big deal and should not be taken lightly. Considering how sparse the awards season has been this year (whether by critical disappointments or lack of choices due to last year’s Hollywood strikes), Kuritzkes’s work for “Challengers” can easily earn a screenplay nomination with the right campaign push. This feels far more possible than the Zendaya nomination, but this early into the season, there’s plenty of time for anything to become a reality. Sure, “Nickel Boys” plays far more into the enthusiasm of critics and possibly a larger portion of Academy voters, given its important subject matter, but why not have a Plan B? With the right campaign, “Challengers” could step on the court and take a swing at awards season success.

Do you think “Challengers” will earn any Academy Award nominations? Could Zendaya make her way into this year’s Best Actress lineup? Please let us know in the comments below or on Next Best Picture’s X account, and be sure to check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.

 

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Giovanni Lago
Giovanni Lago
Devoted believer in all things cinema and television. Awards Season obsessive and aspiring filmmaker.

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