Oscars 2017: 'La La Land' Ties All-Time Record With 14 Nominations

By Brent Lang, Variety

La La Land, a musical tribute to Los Angeles, dominated the Oscar nominations on Tuesday, picking up 14 nods to tie the record set by Titanic and All About Eve. It was nominated for best picture and best director for 32-year old wunderkind Damien Chazelle, while both of its leads, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, were recognized for their work as big city dreamers in love.

La La Land’s main competition came from Moonlight, a low-boil drama looking at a gay man in the inner city, and Manchester by the Sea, a shattering family tragedy that marks a return to the A-list for Kenneth Lonergan after a few years in the wilderness. Lonergan’s career was derailed after his previous film, 2011’s Margaret, became entangled in a protracted legal fight. He was nominated for best original screenplay and his direction. Manchester by the Sea was backed by Amazon Studios and marks the first time that a streaming service has earned a best picture nod.

The Academy has been rocked by protests over the lack of diversity of its nominees. However, after two straight years of shutting out performers of color, this year’s nominees were notably more reflective of a multi-cultural America. Seven out of the 20 performance nominations went to actors of color, and a number of best picture and documentary contenders, such as Hidden Figures, Fences, 13th, and O.J.: Made in America grappled with the issue of racial inequality.

La La Land, a spirited, rousing tribute to the musicals of Vincente Minnelli and Jacques Demy, is also the rare uplifting best picture nominee. That escapist vibe could resonate with Oscar voters at a time when Donald Trump’s presidential victory exemplifies a rightward swing in the country that is out of step with left-leaning Hollywood. Other best picture nominees examine race relations, sexual identity, war, and economic disaffection.

Watch the nominations announcement:

Casey Affleck, who stars in Manchester by the Sea as a grieving janitor, has dominated the early awards, picking up a Golden Globe and most of the critics honors. His competition comes from Denzel Washington as bitter garbage man (Fences), Andrew Garfield as a conscientious objector (Hacksaw Ridge), Viggo Mortensen as a hippie father (Captain Fantastic), and Gosling.

La La Land wasn’t the only record-breaker. The Academy continued its love affair with Meryl Streep, handing her a precedent-fracturing 20th Oscar nomination, the most ever for a performer. Streep was recognized for her work as a tone-deaf opera singer in Florence Foster Jenkins. She will face off against Isabelle Huppert as a rape victim (Elle), Natalie Portman as a resilient first lady (Jackie), Ruth Negga as a civil rights warrior (Loving), and Stone.

From a box office perspective, this year’s list of nominees was dominated by smaller, indie-spirited features and adult dramas. There were no Inceptions or Avatars, and the lack of a certifiable blockbuster could dim ratings.

There were a number of notable snubs and surprises. Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins), Tom Hanks (Sully), Amy Adams (Arrival) had been expected to pick up nods, but failed to get the call.

Jimmy Kimmel hosts this year’s ceremony. It marks his first time as emcee, but also represents a long-desired stab at synergy. ABC, which broadcasts the Oscars, also backs Kimmel’s late night program. The network has been pushing for the comic to host the show for years.

This year’s Oscar nominations were announced in a novel way. Instead of having Academy brass and the odd celebrity read out the lists of honorees, ABC had small interstitial videos with previous nominees and winners such as Marcia Gay Harden, Glenn Close, Brie Larson, and Ken Watanabe sharing their memories of their big mornings.

Watch our insta-predix for the 2017 Oscars:

THE COMPLETE LIST OF 2017 OSCAR NOMINEES

BEST PICTURE
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight

BEST ACTRESS
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

BEST ACTOR
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By the Sea
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Arrival
Fences
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Hell or High Water
La La Land
The Lobster
Manchester By the Sea
20th Century Women

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Arrival
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Silence

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Fire At Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America
13th

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

BEST FILM EDITING
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Land of Mine, Denmark
A Man Called Ove, Sweden
The Salesman, Iran
Tanna, Australia
Toni Erdmann, Germany

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad

BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Passengers

BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” La La Land
“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Trolls
“City of Stars,” La La Land
“The Empty Chair,” Jim: The James Foley Story
“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Passengers

BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper

BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Ennemis Interieurs
La Femme et le TGV
Silent Nights
Sing
Timecode

BEST SOUND EDITING
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully

BEST SOUND MIXING
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story