Set to take place on March 12, 2023, the Academy Awards are rapidly approaching, but who has successfully scored a spot on the list? The past year has been filled with not only new movies making a fresh debut but also sequels to older ones.

Some of the blockbusters currently on the nomination list for best film are “Top Gun: Maverick,” which raked in $1.2 billion, and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which brought in an astounding $2.92 billion. In addition to those two, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was also among the top nominated, which was a big step for the representation of Asian-Americans within acting and Hollywood.

I’ll be honest that I was quite surprised at the popularity surrounding the new Avatar movie given the fact that the original one debuted all the way back in 2009. Although, it seems this popularity is not new because even the original movie brought in around $2.9 billion.

In terms of actor, actress and singer nominations, there were a couple of nominations from both cast members and singers involved with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (which was shown recently this week in the Winston Room!). Angela Bassett, who plays Queen Romanda, was nominated for an acting Oscar. Rihanna, who composed a song played in the movie, “Lift Me Up,” was nominated for a best original song Oscar. This was Rihanna’s first Oscar nomination and Bassett was the first star from Marvel Cinematic Universe nominated for an Oscar in acting.

We’ve also seen both new and returning films in the category of animated films. A sequel to the beloved 2011 film “Puss in Boots,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” debuted just this past year and has earned itself a nomination for best animated feature film. On the new side of things, “Turning Red,” an animated film with the main character Mei Lee, who can turn into a red panda, was also nominated in this category. “Turning Red” includes a Chinese main character serving as representation for Chinese children all around the globe who may be struggling with mental health and the stigma surrounding it in Asian-American communities. It was also the first Pixar film to be solely directed by a woman.

Looking at the nominations as a whole and which movies, songs and actors got multiple nominations, there seems to be a good balance between longtime fan favorites such as “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and new and upcoming films such as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Turning Red.” Furthermore, I think it’s important that we’re seeing films directed by or otherwise highlighting the experience of BIPOC, women, and other marginalized communities being nominated for the Oscars; as we definitely need more representation and diversity within Hollywood.