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Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, has made history as the first openly transgender performer to receive an Oscar nomination in any acting category. She is nominated for Best Actress, competing against Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Demi Moore (The Substance), Mickey Madison (Anora), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here).

Gascón plays the titular character in Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical crime thriller Emilia Pérez. The film follows a former Mexican cartel boss who seeks the help of lawyer Rita (Zoë Saldaña) to fake her death, allowing her to transition and live as her true self.

With 13 nominations, Emilia Pérez has also broken records, becoming the most-nominated non-English language film in Oscar history.

This milestone is one of many for Gascón. In 2024, she became the first trans woman to win Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. She was later nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), though the award went to Demi Moore. Earlier this year, she also became the first out trans actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the Leading Actress category.

While Elliot Page was previously nominated for an Oscar in 2008 for Juno, this was prior to his coming out as a transgender man, making Gascón’s nomination the first for an openly trans actor.

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Other Key Oscar Contenders

  • If Cynthia Erivo wins, she will achieve EGOT status, joining the exclusive club of performers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
  • Demi Moore is vying for her second major acting accolade after winning the Golden Globe for The Substance.
  • Zoë Saldaña, Gascón’s Emilia Pérez co-star, is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, competing against Ariana Grande (Wicked), Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), and Isabella Rossellini (Conclave).
  • Colman Domingo received his second Best Actor nomination in three years for Sing Sing.

The 2025 Oscar nominations were announced in Los Angeles on 23 January, with the ceremony set to take place on 3 March 2025.

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