Top line

Several pop stars, including Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, are seeking to earn Oscar nominations in acting categories this year, a departure from the typical Oscar path for singers, who typically compete for recognition in the song category.

Key facts

How likely are these stars to receive nominations?

Variety predicted that Gomez would earn a nomination for best supporting actress, which would put her in fifth place on the list of contenders. Lady Gaga and Grande rank ninth and eleventh, respectively, in Variety’s supporting actress predictions. IndieWire all listed Grande, Gomez and Lady Gaga as “candidates” for supporting actress on their unranked list, while also rating Lopez as a “long shot.” On the Gold Derby awards website, where thousands of users make Oscar predictions, Gomez and Lady Gaga are seventh and eighth in the supporting actress rankings. The Hollywood Reporter ranked Gomez sixth on its list of supporting actress candidates.

When does the Oscar race really start?

Many of the films up for an Oscar have already premiered at various film festivals from summer to early fall, including the Venice, Toronto and Cannes festivals. Awards season will be hot for the rest of the year, with competing films premiering in theaters or premiering on streaming platforms: “Emilia Perez” will begin streaming on Netflix on November 13, “Wicked” will be seen in theaters on November 22, and “Unstoppable” is in cinemas from December 6. The first major nominations of the awards season, the Golden Globe nominations, will be announced on December 9, followed by the Golden Globe Awards ceremony on January 5. The Academy will announce the Oscar nominations on January 2. 17, and the Oscars will take place on March 2.

Key background

Many pop stars have ventured into acting, although few have achieved award-winning success. Barbra Streisand in 1969 was one of the first singers to win an Oscar for acting, winning the best actress trophy for her role in “Funny Girl” in an unprecedented relationship with Katharine Hepburn. Cher won best actress in 1988 for her role in “Moonstruck,” and Jennifer Hudson won best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls.” Other attempts were less successful, such as Harry Styles, who starred in the 2022 film “Don’t Worry Darling” and received mixed reviews for her performance, and Mariah Carey, whose 2001 musical film “Glitter” was panned by critics.

Tangent

Singers typically win Oscars in the Best Original Song category, not in the acting categories. This is how Adele, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga won Oscars for the films “Skyfall”, “What Was I Made For?” and “Shallow”, all won the song award. Other singers, including SZA, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Jon Batiste and Pharrell, have earned nominations in the song category in recent years.

What to pay attention to

How much will ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ earn this weekend? Deadline projected it to gross more than $70 million, less than the opening weekend of the first “Joker” film, which released in 2019 with $96.2 million.

Further reading

2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates for the Oscars, Grammys, Tony Awards, Guilds and More (Deadline)

“Joker: Folie à Deux” will be available for three weeks, and the premiere will be over $70 million – box office (deadline)

19 singers who became Oscar-nominated actors: from Frank Sinatra to Jennifer Hudson (The Wrap)