On Jan. 23, 2024, nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards were announced, with "Barbie" being "the year's biggest hit," as described by The Associated Press (AP). As news of the nominations spread, a rumor surfaced implying that the leading women behind the film — director Greta Gerwig and actress/producer Margot Robbie — were not nominated for their work, while their male co-star Ryan Gosling was.
Greta Gerwig: Made a critically acclaimed, culturally profound, feminist movie about Barbie and the patriarchy that made a billion dollars at the box office.
Oscar nomination goes to … Ken. #Barbie #Oscars2024 pic.twitter.com/mQ8xlYPzc3
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 23, 2024
That assertion, at face value, was not true, as both Gerwig and Robbie were included in at least one nomination each for "Barbie" (see the list below). Also, the film itself was nominated for "Best Picture."
However, as some social media posts correctly suggested, Robbie was not nominated for "Best Actress," and Gerwig was "surprisingly left out of the best director field," as the AP wrote. Meanwhile, it was true that Gosling was nominated for "Best Supporting Actor" for his performance as "Ken."
Wait Ryan Gosling got nominated for his role as Ken, but Margot Robbie didn't get nominated for Barbie?! And Greta got snubbed for Best Director?!?!
Way to justify the literal plot of the movie @TheAcademy ? #Oscars2024 pic.twitter.com/6MEHaSeTjZ
— Shirleigh (@ShirleighShirlz) January 23, 2024
"Barbie" and the people behind the film received a total of eight Oscar nominations:
- Best Picture: "Barbie," David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, Producers
- Actor in a Supporting Role: Ryan Gosling in "Barbie"
- Actress in a Supporting Role: America Ferrera in "Barbie"
- Costume Design: "Barbie," Jacqueline Durran
- Music (Original Song): "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie," music and lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
- Music (Original Song): "What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie," music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
- Production Design:"Barbie," Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
- Writing (Adapted Screenplay): "Barbie," written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
While Robbie was not nominated for "Best Actress," here's who was:
- Annette Bening in "Nyad"
- Lily Gladstone in "Killers of the Flower Moon"
- Sandra Hüller in "Anatomy of a Fall"
- Carey Mulligan in "Maestro"
- Emma Stone in "Poor Things"
Similarly, while Gerwig was not nominated for "Director," these nominees were:
- "Anatomy of a Fall,"Justine Triet
- "Killers of the Flower Moon," Martin Scorsese
- "Oppenheimer," Christopher Nolan
- "Poor Things," Yorgos Lanthimos
- "The Zone of Interest," Jonathan Glazer
The Hollywood Reporter reported:
It was a big morning for Barbie when the 2024 Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday. The Warner Bros. film scored eight nominations, including one for the top prize of best picture. But Greta Gerwig was unexpectedly left out of the best director category, and star Margot Robbie failed to land a best actress nod for her role as the titular character in the summer box-office smash.
Gerwig is nominated with partner Noah Baumbach in the best adapted screenplay category for their Barbie script, and Robbie, as one of Barbie's producers, is nominated for best picture and would take home an Oscar if the film wins the top prize.