Though there are still months to go before the 97th Academy Awards nominations are announced, it already looks like history is about to get made at this next iteration of the Oscars. “Emilia Pérez” has proven to be a somewhat divisive movie since its Cannes world premiere, including from many trans critics. However, it’s also garnering plenty of Oscar buzz, and Netflix is putting lots and lots of money into its For Your Consideration campaign. Among the categories it looks very likely to crack is Best Actress. As of this writing, “Emilia Pérez” leading lady Karla Sofía Gascón is up there with Mikey Madison in “Anora” as being viewed as the safest performances to land Best Actress nominations this year. That wouldn’t just be a significant victory for “Emilia Pérez” as a movie but also a momentous moment in Oscar history as Gascón could likely become the first-ever trans female acting Oscar nominee.
Netflix being behind “Emilia Pérez” is enough to suggest that Gascón could land this momentous nomination. After all, 25% of last year’s acting Oscar nominations were for Netflix movies. “Nyad,” “Rustin,” and “Maestro” showed that Netflix can successfully campaign to get major Oscar nominations for its actors even despite mixed reviews and reactions. Heck, the first major Oscar category that Netflix’s narrative films ever broke into was Best Supporting Actress for Mary J. Blige in “Mudbound.” Gascón scoring a Best Actress nomination for “Emilia Pérez” would continue this streamer’s Oscar legacy and, simultaneously, also be a breakthrough for trans women at the Oscars.
It doesn’t hurt that Gascón is headlining a movie with a global reputation. Told mainly in Spanish, “Emilia Pérez” is a French-financed feature from acclaimed auteur Jacques Audiard. Over the last few decades, the director has built a massive reputation through acclaimed projects like “A Prophet” and the Palme d’Or-winning “Dheepan.” His enormous presence is reflected in the constant victories his movies, including “Emilia Pérez,” have scored at various iterations of the Cannes Film Festival. That kind of legacy and global presence could appeal to Oscar voters, allowing Audiard to have his first real Oscar nomination. It’s also the sort of rising tide of acclaim that could propel Gascón to a historic Oscar nomination.
It’s impressive how assured Gascón’s potential Oscar nomination for “Emilia Pérez” feels, given that trans folks of all genders have largely been excluded from the acting categories at this awards show. Across the history of Oscar-nominated performances, a slew of cis-performers inhabiting trans characters (from films like “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Transamerica,” and “Dog Day Afternoon,” among many others) have scored Oscar nominations. Some of these cis-het actors have even gone on to win Oscars for their work portraying trans people, such as Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club.” That infamous performance resulted in an acceptance speech where Leto mentioned 30 Seconds to Mars more than the trans community.
To date, the only trans performer to get nominated for an Oscar is Elliot Page for his pre-transition work in “Juno.” Even beyond the acting categories, recognition of trans artists is rare. Yance Ford was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category back in the 1970s, trailblazer genius musician Angela Morley scored a pair of Best Original Score nominations across two separate ceremonies, and Anohni was nominated for Best Original Song in 2016 for “Moana.” Trans people have always existed. However, this population has rarely had their artistic contributions to cinema recognized at the Oscars in any category, including the quartet of acting categories. It’s a reality reflecting not only the barriers for trans people to get nominated at the Oscars but also the dearth of major opportunities for trans artists in the film industry. Combining these two problems is how you get to a reality like no trans women receiving an acting Oscar nomination. There aren’t even many examples of trans female performers who even got close to receiving an Oscar nomination. “Tangerine” leading ladies Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor were pushed for acting Oscar nominations, but never came close to the Dolby Theatre. In fact, this was reported as the first time in history trans women were given an Oscar acting nomination campaign.
In 2023, Trace Lysette fiercely fought for a Best Actress nomination for her film “Monica,” a nomination that would’ve been well-deserved for her absorbing work. Ultimately, Lysette’s only Best Actress nomination throughout the 2023-2024 award season landscape was an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Lead Performance. It was a development Lysette openly and understandably talked about as dispiriting. The Academy Awards constantly trumpet the importance of diversity yet consistently exclude trans women performers. It didn’t help that this was the same ceremony that excluded “Kokomo City” from even the Best Documentary Feature shortlist, let alone the final slate of nominees.
These historical developments make it bittersweet to realize that Gascón has a genuinely good chance of receiving a Best Actress Oscar nomination. It would be a tremendous feat to increase visibility for trans people worldwide. The nomination would also occur at a ceremony largely excluding trans artists of all genders. And, this would only likely be possible because of Netflix’s deep pockets and skills at campaigning toward Academy voters. The trans women anchoring “Monica,” “Lingua Franca,” “Tangerine,” and other tiny indie movies didn’t have anywhere near the Netflix-level promotional budgets to put their films on the radar of Oscar voters. Cash from a service constantly elevating transphobic voices could be the make-or-break reason Gascón makes Oscar history.
The history of trans actors getting excluded from the Academy Awards should make people more conscious than ever of what kind of history Gascón could make in the first few weeks of 2025 when the 97th Academy Award nominations are announced. However, this reality of erasure should also inspire people to look elsewhere beyond the Oscars for reaffirmation of trans identity. Putting energy and money into supporting independent movies anchored by and/or starring trans women, like “Monica,” “Lingua Franca,” and “Tangerine,” needs to be the goal. This reality isn’t to take away from Gascón’s likely impending award season victories or the acclaim surrounding her “Emilia Pérez” performance. Instead, remembering this brutal truth is just a way we can all navigate toward a better future from the Academy’s troubling past regarding the trans community.
Do you think Karla Sofía Gascón will receive a Best Actress nomination? What are the overall Oscar chances for “Emilia Pérez?” 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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