This morning, the nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards were announced by Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams, and they were especially notable in one particular category. The nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role have provided some extra excitement for one compelling reason: we are guaranteed a first-time winner of the award. The five nominees announced have never been given an Oscar, and indeed, none of them have even received a nomination before from the Academy, until now.
Brendan Fraser's powerful and moving performance as a 600lb school teacher in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale has seen his career resurgence given its biggest endorsement yet with his first nomination, following his years in the wilderness after his own personal struggles and challenges. He is considered the front-runner but only by a nose. Joining Fraser is Colin Farrell, whose career-best turn in The Banshees of Inisherin as a simple Irish man who tries desperately to reconnect with his former best friend during the Irish Civil War is as equally moving and hilarious as he attempts to reconcile his relationship and his emotions.
Austin Butler's powerhouse performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's bombastically-entertaining biopic Elvis has had a lasting impact on the actor, who has struggled to shake off the voice and mannerisms of the King, years after wrapping the movie. And a long overdue nomination came for the legendary Bill Nighy. The 73-year-old has received widespread critical acclaim for his deeply moving performance as a terminally-ill gentleman in Living, who dedicated his life to simply living by the rules and doing what was expected of him, before embracing the true beauty of life in his final months.
Finally, with the first four nominees considered probables in the pre-announcement predictions, the final fifth spot went to the lesser-discussed, but no-less-magnificent, Paul Mescal, who has completed his stunning breakthrough with his first nomination for an incredible performance in Charlotte Wells' Aftersun. Playing the role of a young Scottish father battling clinical depression, while trying to hide it from his young daughter (an outstanding Frankie Corio, one to watch) while on a holiday that will have a lasting impact on her as she grows up, Mescal's heartbreaking performance has gained a well-deserved shout in Wells' brilliant debut feature film.