the big
five
Discovering the secret to Oscar nominations has been a mystery that filmmakers and moviegoers alike have been trying to solve for decades. With 1,526 films having received nominations for at least one of the coveted Big Five awards since 1928, the question remains: how difficult is it to secure a nomination for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress? And if a film misses out on one of these awards, which combinations are the most prevalent?
The 2009 increase in Best Picture nominations from five to ten hasn't resulted in more films being nominated for the Big Five.
5 nominations
43 films
3% of total
Gender imbalance remains a pervasive issue in Hollywood as Best Actor is recognized over Best Actress in 61% of cases where a film is nominated for four awards.
Encouragingly, progress is being made in the film industry as 2023 marks the first time that three films have had their acting nominations exclusively in the Best Actress category.
4 nominations
204 films
13% of total
As Best Picture and Best Director are closely linked, it follows that acting categories will be excluded 45% of the time.
Only six films, including 2019's Green Book, have won Best Picture without receiving a nomination for Best Director.
3 nominations
198 films
13% of total
Three of the ten Best Picture nominees for 2023 may face a similar fate to last year's winner Coda. The question remains whether they will defy the odds and succeed, or fall victim to the perceived curse of not receiving a Best Director nomination.
The recent surge in musical biopics has resulted in nominations for both Best Picture and Best Actor
2 nominations
264 films
17% of total
While receiving only a Best Screenplay nomination has become less common over time, the category remains abundant due to the possibility of being nominated for Best Original Screenplay or Best Adapted Screenplay.
Out of the 328 films that have received a sole acting Big Five nomination, a staggering 205 of them have been for Best Actress, as opposed to just 123 for Best Actor.
1 nomination
817 films
54% of total