From Pamela Anderson to Daniel Craig, these are biggest Oscar snubs of 2025

After months of roundtables, red carpets and glad-handing at parties, plenty of expected names were missing from Thursday’s Oscar nominations. Margaret Qualley (“The Substance”), Hugh Grant (“Heretic”), Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”), and Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”) were among the most surprising actors snubbed for gold, while bubble contenders “A Real Pain,” “Challengers,” “September 5,” “Nosferatu” and “Juror No. 2” were excluded from best picture.

The catastrophic Southern California wildfires, combined with winter storms and the presidential inauguration, have put an understandable damper on the latest leg of awards season, with most of this year’s Oscar contenders stepping back from the usual campaigning in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the ceremony is still scheduled to go on in Los Angeles on March 2, airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu (7 p.m. ET/4 PT).

Here are more of the most jaw-dropping actors and films that were left out of the 2025 Oscar nominations:

The former Disney Channel star dutifully campaigned for her dramatic turn in “Emilia Pérez,” playing the jilted wife of an ex-drug kingpin. Despite mixed reactions to her speaking Spanish in the film, Gomez still picked up nods from the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. But she ultimately couldn’t cross the finish line, although the Oscars did recognize her co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldana.

Pamela Anderson

Anderson is luminous in the gritty Las Vegas drama “The Last Showgirl,” playing an aging dancer fighting to prove she’s still relevant. The “Baywatch” bombshell has been a winning presence on the campaign trail, earning surprise nominations from the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards. But her comeback narrative is perhaps too similar to newly minted Oscar nominee Demi Moore (“The Substance”), and she couldn’t squeak into the ultra-competitive best actress field.

Angelina Jolie

Long before awards season even began, many pundits predicted that Jolie could win her second Oscar for “Maria,” portraying the tragic opera soprano Maria Callas. The ultra-private A-lister put her best foot forward, doing numerous talk shows and Q&As, and scooping up Golden Globe and Critics Choice nods in the process. But the double whammy of SAG and BAFTA snubs showed a lack of excitement for the movie, and she was unable to rebound come Oscar nomination morning.

Daniel Craig

The former James Bond is incredible in one of this season’s most criminally underseen films: “Queer,” a hallucinogenic journey through lust and yearning, starring Craig as a drug-addled expat pining for a younger man (Drew Starkey). Despite divisive reactions from critics, Craig still scored best actor nods from the Golden Globe and SAG awards, as well as a win from the National Board of Review. But his successful streak stalled out with a shocking hometown snub from BAFTA, and the British megastar was woefully robbed of his first Oscar nomination.

Nicole Kidman

Like Jolie, Kidman was considered an early awards front-runner for “Babygirl,” after winning the prestigious best actress prize at last September’s Venice Film Festival, which has gone to eventual Oscar nominees Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Penelope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”). But the Oscars have a habit of nominating Kidman for her safest performances (see: “Being the Ricardos”), and perhaps the sexually charged “Babygirl” was too audacious for more chaste voters.

Denzel Washington

After ecstatic early reactions to “Gladiator II,” multiple pundits predicted that Washington could win a third Oscar for his delicious turn as a Roman power player. But the hype quickly faded amid tepid critics’ reviews, and Washington was soon passed over by the SAG and BAFTA awards.

Jamie Lee Curtis

The former scream queen has had a late-in-life career makeover as a serious actress, winning an Oscar (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and an Emmy (FX’s “The Bear”) for her scene-stealing roles the last two years. The afterglow seemed poised to continue with “The Last Showgirl,” with Curtis scoring late-breaking nods from SAG and BAFTA for her work as a leathery cocktail waitress. But her savvy campaigning wasn’t enough to clear a spot in the Oscars’ best supporting actress category.

‘Sing Sing’

After an anemic box-office haul last summer, we predicted that “Sing Sing” would have a “CODA”-like resurgence during awards season, winning over voters and audiences alike with an inspiring story that shines a light on underrepresented voices. But after a promising showing at last November’s Gotham Awards, the true-life prison drama struggled to gain traction. The cast of formerly incarcerated men was snubbed for SAG’s top prize, and the film conspicuously missed best picture and best supporting actor (Clarence Maclin) in Thursday’s Oscar nominations.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Like recent Oscar winners Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) and Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Jean-Baptiste swept all the major critics’ prizes for “Hard Truths,” which put her in a prime spot for her second Oscar nomination. But less charitable voters might have been turned off by her character’s surly demeanor, which gradually melts over the course of the British dramedy. The film’s distributor, Bleecker Street, has also long struggled to mount robust awards campaigns, and likely failed to get enough eyes on “Hard Truths.”

‘All We Imagine As Light’

Although India didn’t submit it for best international feature film, “All We Imagine As Light” has had a much stronger-than-expected awards season, picking up dozens of nods from critics’ groups, as well as a Golden Globes best director nom for newcomer Payal Kapadia. But the understated, women-led drama sadly came up short in Thursday’s nominations, where many prognosticators had been hoping for some love in best picture or best original screenplay.

Don Lemon Says the ‘Public Misses’ Matt Lauer and ‘Would Accept’ His Comeback After Sexual Misconduct Allegations: ‘Women Love Him … Ratings Would Be Great’

Benedict Cumberbatch Texted Kevin Feige ‘What the F — ?’ Over Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom; They Won’t Face Off Until ‘Secret Wars’ in 2027 1 day ago

Don Lemon appeared on the “Hollywood Raw Podcast” with hosts Dax Holt and Adam Glyn (via Entertainment Weekly) and shared his belief that “the public misses” Matt Lauer, who served as the co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” from 1997 to 2017. Lauer was fired in 2017 after an NBC employee accused him of sexual assault. Several more women then came forward with sexual misconduct claims against him. Although Lauer denied the sexual assault allegations, he did admit in a statement at the time that “there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.”

When asked on the podcast if Lauer could mount a comeback to the news industry, Lemon answered: “I think that if he could come back to digital, he can set his own course.”

“I only got to know Matt after, you know, the whole situation happened, because we live in the same town and we have mutual friends,” Lemon said. “Whenever I see Matt out and about — or you know, if we go out to dinner, my husband and I go out to dinner with him and his fiancée — and people love him. Women love him! They’re like, ‘Man, oh my God, can I get a picture? I love you. I miss you on television.’ I think the public loves him. The public misses him, but it’s just the… it’s the people inside the business who are afraid.”

Lemon speculated that “maybe in this whole Trump era” where being “canceled is over” there is a chance for Lauer to return, although he added: “I think it’s more the people who are inside of the business who are concerned about, you know, what happened with Matt. I’ll put it this way. I think the general public would accept Matt back. And I think people would watch him and I think the ratings would be great.”

“I don’t know anything about what happened, I know nothing about that at all,” Lemon concluded, referring to the allegations against Lauer. “Women can feel the way that they feel and I understand that but that’s their business. I know when I’m out with him, everybody loves Matt, and everybody flocks to Matt and everyone wants a picture and everyone says ‘I miss you and we wanna see you back on television.’ I hear it every time.”

As for Lemon, the former CNN anchor was fired from the network in 2023 after Variety published a report on his alleged sexist behavior towards female colleagues through the years. Lemon attempted his own comeback on a digital platform with “The Don Lemon Show” on X, but it was abruptly canceled by Elon Musk. Lemon is currently suing Musk over fraud, breach of express contract and more.

Watch Lemon’s full interview on the “Hollywood Raw Podcast” in the video below.

‘Labyrinth’ Sequel in Development Nearly 40 Years After David Bowie-Led Original, with Robert Eggers Directing: Report

Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years’ professional writing experience.

Labyrinth is reportedly getting a sequel, nearly 40 years after the original.

Deadline reports that Robert Eggers (Nosferatu) has finalized a deal to direct a follow-up to the 1986 Jim Henson musical fantasy film, which starred the late David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King and Jennifer Connelly, in one of her earliest big-screen roles, as Sarah.

Eggers, 41, will also co-write the screenplay alongside Sjón, whom he previously collaborated with on The Northman (2022), per Deadline. The outlet further reports that producers on the TriStar Pictures project will include Chris Columbus and daughter Eleanor Columbus plus Jim’s daughter Lisa Henson, with executive producer Brian Henson, Jim’s son.

Plot details are unknown at this time.

A rep for Eggers declined to confirm the project, while a rep for Sony Pictures, which counts TriStar among its subsidiaries, has not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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A sequel to Labyrinth has been in development for at least nine years and was initially slated to be directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) from a script by Guardians of the Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman, Entertainment Weekly reported in January 2016. Four years later, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Maggie Levin would write the screenplay.

The original film featured Connelly, now 54, as Sarah, a teenager who goes through an otherworldly maze to rescue her infant brother Toby, whom she wished away to Jareth (Bowie, who died in 2016 at the age of 69). Sarah has to rescue her brother from Jareth before he becomes a goblin himself.

The first film was directed by Muppets creator Jim, and was the last movie he directed before his death in 1990 at age 53. Besides Connelly and Bowie, plus the humans playing baby Toby and Sarah and Toby’s parents, Labyrinth’s other characters are played by puppets.

While the 1986 film received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure, it has gained a cult following in the nearly four decades since its release.

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Eggers’ most recent film, Nosferatu, was released on Christmas Day last month, to mostly positive reviews. The remake of the 1922 classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror stars Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Willem Dafoe.

Nosferatu currently holds an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been nominated for numerous awards, including four at the upcoming Oscars ceremony: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Don Lemon thinks former ‘Today’ host Matt Lauer deserves a comeback: ‘Women love him’

Don Lemon is predicting a major comeback for Matt Lauer, eight years after the former news anchor’s colossal fall from grace.

During his Wednesday visit to the Hollywood Raw Podcast with Dax Holt and Adam Glyn, Lemon proved that he is in Lauer’s corner while pondering his friend’s future career prospects. Asked if he believes Lauer could successfully return to the industry, Lemon replied, “I think that if he could come back to digital, he can set his own course.”

The former CNN anchor went on to share that to this day, Lauer is still approached by fans in public.

“I only got to know Matt after, you know, the whole situation happened, because we live in the same town and we have mutual friends,” Lemon explained. “Whenever I see Matt out and about — or you know, if we go out to dinner, my husband and I go out to dinner with him and his fiancée — and people love him.”

He added, “Women love him! They’re like, ‘Man, oh my God, can I get a picture? I love you. I miss you on television.’ I think the public loves him. The public misses him, but it’s just the… it’s the people inside the business who are afraid.”

Lauer was famously fired from his role as a Today anchor in 2017 when former NBC employee Brooke Nevils alleged that he sexually assaulted her. Lauer denied the allegations, which were detailed in Ronan Farrow’s 2019 book about the #MeToo movement, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predator. Afterward, several more women came forward with sexual misconduct claims against Lauer, which he acknowledged in a statement, saying, “Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.”

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Lemon went on to argue that Lauer might have a better chance of returning to the industry in light of President Donald Trump’s reelection. (More than a dozen women have accused the sitting president of sexual assault or harassment and in one 2023 case, he was found liable of sexual abuse.)

“Maybe in this whole Trump era, when canceled is over, maybe there is a way that he’ll come back,” Lemon said of Lauer. “I think it’s more the people who are inside of the business who are concerned about, you know, what happened with Matt.”

He continued, “I’ll put it this way. I think the general public would accept Matt back. And I think people would watch him and I think the ratings would be great.”

As for the allegations against Lauer, Lemon said, “I don’t know anything about what happened, I know nothing about that at all.” He praised the former TV host as a “talented person,” adding, “Women can feel the way that they feel and I understand that but that’s their business. I know when I’m out with him, everybody loves Matt, and everybody flocks to Matt and everyone wants a picture and everyone says ‘I miss you and we wanna see you back on television.’ I hear it every time.”

Last year, Lauer made a rare public appearance at the wedding of Lemon and his longtime partner, Tim Malone. Lemon, a news anchor himself, was abruptly fired from CNN in 2023, following an extensive Variety report with allegations of sexist behavior and the denigration of female colleagues dating back to 2008.

Lemon attempted his own comeback with The Don Lemon Show on X, but the show was abruptly canceled by the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk. Lemon is now suing Musk, alleging fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of his name and likeness, unjust enrichment, and breach of express contract.

Teen who killed 3 girls at Taylor Swift-themed dance class in U.K. gets over 50 years in prison

A teenager who stabbed three young girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England was sentenced Thursday to more than 50 years in prison for what a judge called “the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime.”

Judge Julian Goose said 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana “wanted to try and carry out mass murder of innocent, happy young girls.”

Goose said that he couldn’t impose a sentence of life without parole, because Rudakubana was under 18 when he committed the crime.

But the judge said he must serve 52 years, minus the six months he’s been in custody, before being considered for parole, and “it is likely he will never be released.”

Rudakubana was 17 when he attacked the children in the seaside town of Southport in July, killing Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He wounded eight other girls, ranging in age from 7 to 13, along with teacher Leanne Lucas and John Hayes, a local businessman who intervened.

The attack shocked the country and set off both street violence and soul-searching. The government has announced a public inquiry into how the system failed to stop the killer, who had been referred to the authorities multiple times over his obsession with violence.

Rudakubana faced three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder and additional charges of possessing a knife, the poison ricin and an al-Qaida manual. He unexpectedly changed his plea to guilty on all charges on Monday.

But he wasn’t in court to hear sentence passed on Thursday.

Hours earlier he had been led into the dock at Liverpool Crown Court in northwest England, dressed in a gray prison tracksuit. But as prosecutors began outlining the evidence, Rudakubana interrupted by shouting that he felt ill and wanted to see a paramedic.

Goose ordered the accused to be removed when he continued shouting. A person in the courtroom shouted “Coward!” as Rudakubana was taken out.

The hearing continued without him.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer described how the attack occurred on the first day of summer vacation when 26 little girls were “gathered around the tables making bracelets and singing along to Taylor Swift songs.”

Rudakubana, armed with a large knife, intruded and began stabbing the girls and their teacher.

The court was shown video of the suspect arriving at the Hart Space venue in a taxi and entering the building. Within seconds, screams erupted and children ran outside in panic, some of them wounded. One girl made it to the doorway, but was pulled back inside by the attacker. She was stabbed 32 times but survived.

Gasps and sobs could be heard in court as the videos played.

Heer said two of the dead children “suffered particularly horrific injuries which are difficult to explain as anything other than sadistic in nature.” One of the dead girls had 122 injuries, while another suffered 85 wounds.

The prosecutor said Rudakubana had “a longstanding obsession with violence, killing, genocide.”

“His only purpose was to kill. And he targeted the youngest and most vulnerable in society,” she said, as relatives of the victims watched on in the courtroom.

Heer said that when he was taken to a police station, Rudakubana was heard to say: “It’s a good thing those children are dead, I’m so glad, I’m so happy.”

The killings triggered days of anti-immigrant violence across the country after far-right activists seized on incorrect reports that the attacker was an asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in the U.K. Some suggested the crime was a jihadi attack, and alleged that police and the government were withholding information.

Rudakubana was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Christian parents from Rwanda, and investigators haven’t been able to pin down his motivation. Police found documents about subjects including Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide and car bombs on his devices.

In the years before the attack, he had been reported to multiple authorities over his violent interests and actions. All of the agencies failed to spot the danger he posed.

In 2019, he phoned a children’s advice line to ask “What should I do if I want to kill somebody?” He said he had taken a knife to school because he wanted to kill someone who was bullying him. Two months later, he attacked a fellow student with a hockey stick and was convicted of assault.

Prosecutors said Rudakubana was referred three times to the government’s anti-extremism program, Prevent, when he was 13 and 14 — once after researching school shootings in class, then for uploading pictures of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to Instagram and for researching a London terror attack.

But they concluded his crimes should not be classed as terrorism because Rudakubana had no discernable political or religious cause. Heer said “his purpose was the commission of mass murder, not for a particular end, but as an end in itself.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week the country must face up to a “new threat” from violent individuals whose mix of motivations test the traditional definition of terrorism.

“After one of the most harrowing moments in our country’s history, we owe it to these innocent young girls and all those affected to deliver the change that they deserve,” Starmer said after the sentencing.

Several relatives and survivors read emotional statements in court, describing how the attack had shattered their lives.

Lucas, 36, who ran the dance class, said that “the trauma of being both a victim and a witness has been horrendous.”

“I cannot give myself compassion or accept praise, as how can I live knowing I survived when children died?” she said.

A 14-year-old survivor, who can’t be named because of a court order, said that while she was physically recovering. “we will all have to live with the mental pain from that day forever.”

“I hope you spend the rest of your life knowing that we think you’re a coward,” she said.

The prosecutor read out a statement from the parents of Alice Da Silva Aguiar, who said their daughter’s killing had “shattered our souls.”

“We used to cook for three. Now we only cook for two. It doesn’t seem right,” they said. “Alice was our purpose for living, so what do we do now?”

Demi Moore, 62, earns first ever Oscar nomination after career-defining comeback

The Oscar 2025 nominees were announced on Thursday afternoon and fans have been shocked by some of the top selections.

Saturday Night Live and Wicked star Bowen Yang and Bodies Bodies Bodies actress Rachel Sennott announced the nods this morning, while Conan O’Brien will host the main show next month.

Among the Academy Award nominees, Demi Moore landed her first nomination for her efforts in the Substance, after smashing her awards season.

The 62-year-old was mentioned in the best actress list, alongside WIcked’s Cynthia Erivo, Anora star Mikey Madison, Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here and Karla Sofía Gascón for Emilia Pérez.

Timothee Chalamet has been recognized for his efforts as Bob Dylan in the recent A Complete Unknown biopic, earning a best actor nod alongside a host of other huge stars.

The Brutalist star Adrien Brody also makes up the list, beside Ralph Fiennes for Conclave, Sing Sing’s Colman Domingo and The Apprentice actor Sebastian Stan.

Cynthia’s Wicked co-star Ariana Grande earned her first ever Oscar nod in the best supporting actress category, going up against Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown, Felicity Jones in the Brutalist, Conclave’s Isabella Rossellini and Zoe Saldana for Emilia Pérez.

Succession stars Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong will be battling it out against each other for supporting actor, thanks to their incredible efforts in A Real Pain and The Apprentice respectfully.

Anora star Yura Borisov, A Complete Unknown’s Edward Norton and The Brutalist actor Guy Pearce also make up the category.

In a huge change from previous years, the Academy announced that there would be no live performances of the best original song nominees – due to the ongoing LA wildfires.

Normally the festivities include live performances of all the nominees for the best original song category, Last year memorably included a larger-than-life I’m Just Ken rendition led by Ryan Gosling and a whole host of fellow Kens.

An internal letter, via Entertainment Weekly, said the show will ‘reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry’ and include ‘powerful musical moments.

‘We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.’

Instead, there is expected to be a spotlight on the songwriters behind the nominations.

The Brutalist has received high praise from critics and is expected to win several awards at the Oscars. The nearly four-hour-long film from Bradley Corbet has already won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture Drama.

The Brutalist also won nine Bafta nominations and another nine nominations at the Critics Choice Award.

The epic period drama film is the biopic of an imaginary Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor, László Tóth – played by Adrian Brody.

The Substance is another huge film this season. The body horror flick starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley has delighted and disgusted fans since it was released in September 2024.

History was made for Demi at the Golden Globes as she won the Best Actress award for the first time ever.

‘Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress and at that time, I made that mean that this wasn’t something that I was allowed to have, that I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged,’ she said on stage during Sunday’s ceremony.

‘I bought in, and I believed that, and that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it, maybe I was complete. I’ve done what I was supposed to do.

‘And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance, and the universe told me that you’re not done.’

The film has also received five Bafta nominations, plus six Critics Choice Award nominations.

The awards season has already been filled with drama as shows have been boycotted and cancelled because of the fires.

Some celebrities – including Stephen King – have spoken about cancelling the Oscars and revealed that he wouldn’t be voting for any of the films in the lead-up to the show.

Despite winning four Golden Globes, five European Film Awards and being nominated for eleven Baftas, Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard’s musical about a Mexican drug lord, has been hit with major criticism for its depiction of Mexico.

Mexican screenwriter Héctor Guillén tagged the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – who run the Oscars – the day after the Globes in a post that highlighted why people are unhappy with the film’s depiction of the country.

The screenwriter shared an image of a poster that read: ‘Mexico hates Emilia Pérez. “Racist Euro Centrist Mockery.” Almost 500K dead and France decides to do a musical. No Mexicans in their cast or crew.

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Kendrick Lamar Enlists SZA as Special Guest for Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Kendrick Lamar is bringing along an old friend for his Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance with the announcement that his frequent collaborator and former label mate SZA will join him on stage.

In a promotional clip shared on his social media accounts, Lamar is shown chatting on his cell on a football field, stating that he has plans to bring another artist along during the performance. “I’ve been thinking about a guest performer,” he states before getting cut off by SZA, who spills a cooler of blue drink onto him in slow motion.

The guest appearance doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as the two have long been collaborators. Most recently, SZA turned up for two songs — “Luther” and “Gloria” — on Lamar’s surprise-released album “GNX,” while he returned the favor on SZA’s “30 for 30” off “Lana.”

The Super Bowl performance is a well-timed tee-up for Lamar and SZA’s upcoming 2025 Grand National Tour, slated to kick off in Minnesota on Apr. 19. The 19-date trek will make stops in Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit and Los Angeles, before wrapping at Washington, D.C. on June 18.

Super Bowl LIX is scheduled to be played on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and will air on Fox. The telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers. Hamish Hamilton will direct, while creative direction is being handled by pgLang.

The performance will be Lamar’s second during the halftime show, following his featured spot during Dr. Dre’s 2022 all-star tag team of Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent. It also follows Lamar’s musical battle with Drake earlier this year, which not only resulted in a resounding win for the Compton-born rapper, but one of the year’s biggest songs with “Not Like Us.”

Trace Cyrus Says He and His Sisters Are ‘Genuinely Worried’ About Billy Ray Cyrus

Only days after his performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration, Billy Ray Cyrus’ son Trace Cyrus published an open letter on Instagram asserting that his father is someone “I barely recognize now.”

“Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever,” Trace wrote on Instagram last night alongside a photo of himself and Billy Ray. “I wanted to be just like you. The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life. Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognize now. It seems this world has beaten you down and it’s become obvious to everyone but you.”

He added that he didn’t care if his dad was “upset” with him for the post, noting that his sisters, Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus, share his concern.

“Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away,” wrote Trace, who is also a musician. “Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven’t even been there for her. That’s your baby girl. She deserves better. Somehow just like me she still idolizes you though. We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew & hoping for the day he returns.”

He continued, “You’re not healthy Dad & everyone is noticing it. Just like I showed up for you at mamaws funeral when you didn’t expect me to I’m still here right now. As I write this with tears in my eyes I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon.”

Trace also recounted how he is now “over a year and half clean from alcohol,” adding that he feels “amazing.” He added, “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea & I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help.”

Although Trace references Miley and Noah in the post, neither sister has commented or shared anything similar. The letter comes shortly after Billy Ray was forced to defend his decision to perform at the Liberty Inaugural Ball on Monday.

“I wouldn’t have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not,” the musician wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday. “I was there because President Donald J. Trump invited me.” He added, “I had a ball at the Liberty Ball last night and I’ve learned through all these years when the producer says ‘you’re on,’ you go entertain the folks even if the equipment goes to hell. I was there for the people and we had a blast. That’s called rock n roll!!!”

Since his performance, online users slammed the country artist, calling the show a “train wreck” and an “epic disaster.” With a muted microphone and guitar, a hoarse Cyrus attempted to sing both his verse and Lil Nas X’s verse on “Old Town Road” before he began to roam the stage and snap his fingers to an a cappella rendition of his ’90s hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.”

Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes First Openly Trans Actress to Receive an Oscar Nomination

The “Emilia Pérez” star leads Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language film as a Mexican cartel boss who transitions to a woman

Karla Sofía Gascón just made Oscar history as the first openly transgender actress to land an Academy Award nomination.

Gascón scored her first career nomination Thursday morning in the Best Actress category for her lead role in Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language operatic musical, “Emilia Pérez,” cementing her place in the Oscar history books.

The landmark Oscar nomination is groundbreaking for the transgender community as it marks the first time an out trans actor has broken through in a major acting category by the Academy.

Gascón isn’t the first trans actor to be recognized by the Academy, however. Elliot Page, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2008 for their leading role in “Juno,” came out as trans through an Instagram post in December 2020, 12 years after being nominated.

The Academy has also previously nominated trans filmmakers and musicians. Composer Angela Morley was the first openly transgender Oscar nominee in 1975 for co-writing the score for “The Little Prince,” later earning a nomination in 1977 for scoring “The Slipper and the Rose — The Story of Cinderella. “

In 2016, singer-songwriter Anohni was the first trans musician to be nominated for an original song Oscar when she received a nod for penning the lyrics to “Manta Ray” for the documentary, “Racing Extinction.” Yance Ford became the first openly transgender filmmaker and producer in 2018 to be nominated for a documentary Oscar with “Strong Island.”

In “Emilia Pérez,” which earned 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña, Gascón portrays Mexican cartel leader Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, who undergoes gender-affirming surgery in order to transition to a woman with the help of a lawyer (played by Saldaña).

Depicting Emilia’s journey before and after her transition was a cathartic experience for Gascón, who was cognizant of her own life paralleling aspects of her character’s arc.

“This is something that has changed me a lot,” the Madrid-born actress told TheWrap through an interpreter. “It led to a lot of internal learning for myself. I left a lot of my own personal darkness in Manitas and Emilia, and I got a lot of light in return from these characters.”

Gascón has collected a slew of accolades since last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where the female cast (including co-star Adriana Paz) won the best actress prize. Gascón became the first trans woman to be honored with the prestigious award. She was also nominated at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

“My character in the film is this ray of hope. And personally, I do feel like I am carrying this message,” Gascón said. “I have a social responsibility that goes beyond the creative achievement of the film. This is the type of movie that will make history, not just the cinema but something that will be studied in books, that will be studied in universities.”

In an increasingly fraught landscape for the trans community, Gascón spoke of the platform she has been given to give voice to the voiceless. “People are committing acts of hate, violence, even murder against people for being different and for the simple reason of existing,” she said. “I know I’ve gotten this responsibility for a reason.”

The 97th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will take place at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 2, and will be broadcast live coast-to-coast at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on ABC.

‘Emilia Pérez’ tops Oscar nominations with 13, ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Brutalist’ land 10 apiece

“Emilia Pérez” led the way at Thursday morning’s announcement of the 97th Oscar nominees, picking up a whopping 13 nods, including for best picture and best international feature.

Trailing behind were two films with 10 nods each, the epic drama “The Brutalist” and the Broadway musical adaptation “Wicked,” while two films tied for third place with eight nominations apiece, the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” and the Catholic-themed mystery “Conclave.” Bellport’s Isabella Rossellini, who plays a nun in the latter movie, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, her first Oscar nod.

The nominations, which had been pushed back twice due to the wildfires in Los Angeles, were introduced by Janet Yang and Bill Kramer, respectively the president and CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which bestows the Oscars. Kramer promised that the upcoming Oscars ceremony would “pay tribute to our brave first responders and celebrate the enduring spirit of Los Angeles and the film industry.”

Read aloud by comedians Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott, the nominations mostly cemented the status of several critically acclaimed, though not necessarily popular, front-runners. “Emilia Pérez,” a French musical, mostly in Spanish, about a transgender Mexican drug lord, played in limited theaters for barely two weeks in November before premiering on Netflix. Nevertheless, the film could make history: Its nominated star, Karla Sofía Gascón, could become the Oscar’s first openly transgender winner for best actress. The film also earned a nod for supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña) and two nods for best original song (“El Mal” and “Mi Camino”).

Surely even lesser seen is “The Brutalist,” a 215-minute epic about a fictional post-World War II architect. It’s been a critical smash, feted at the Golden Globes with three awards and likely to earn its star, Adrien Brody, his second Oscar (following “The Pianist”). Yet the film has played in limited theaters since December and only recently firmed up plans for its wide release this Friday. “The Brutalist” is also nominated for supporting actress (Felicity Jones) and directing (Brady Corbet).

One film that fared better than expected was “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan. Despite initial excitement over the casting, the film met with reasonably positive but not glowing reviews; likewise, its box-office performance has reached an underwhelming $62 million. The Oscars came through for it, though: Its nominations include best picture, best actor (Chalamet) and directing (James Mangold).

A couple of dark horses made good showings as well. “The Apprentice,” a biopic that portrayed a bromance between Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) and the mob lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), never made a splash despite its headline-grabbing premise, but it now boasts two Oscar nominations for its stars.

“The Substance,” a horror satire about aging in Hollywood, capitalized on its surprise Golden Globe win for 62-year-old lead actor Demi Moore with five Oscar nominations, including another for Moore, best picture and directing for Coralie Fargeat. Not only is Fargeat the only female in this year’s crop of directing nominees, she edged out such higher-profile candidates as Edward Berger (“Conclave”) and Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”).

One category that shaped up oddly was Original Song. “Wicked,” a musical, was not nominated, but a little-known Tyler Perry film, “The Six Triple Eight,” earned a nod for its Diane Warren track “The Journey.” The other spots went to songs from the twice-nominated “Emilia Pérez,” the prison drama “Sing Sing” and the rock documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late.”

The 97th Oscars ceremony will be held March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and broadcast live at 7 p.m. on ABC.