Listen, with all respect to the Academy and its 2022 Oscar nominations, but what if we had some fun this year and gave all the statues to two couples just because it’s cute? And because they’re talented—that too.

For those who somehow don’t track which A-listers are with each other (congrats on having a “life”), Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz (married since 2010) are nominated for best actor and best actress, respectively, while Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst (engaged since 2017) are up for best supporting actor and best supporting actress, respectively.

This is the first time that two couples have covered the Oscars’ four acting categories in the same year, according to Kyle Buchanan, columnist for The New York Times. (See the full list of 2022 Oscar nominations, as well as our guide to where to watch all the nominated movies.)

Bardem is being honored for his role as, well, the actor husband of an A-lister, playing Desi Arnaz opposite Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos. We’d like to think Bardem is a better partner to Cruz than Desi was to Lucy. Cruz is up for her work in Parallel Mothers, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, who previously directed her in Volver, which netted Cruz her first Oscar nom.

Plemons and Dunst, meanwhile, were both in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which is nominated in an impressive 12 categories, including best picture, best director, and best actor for Benedict Cumberbatch. Oh, and Kodi Smit-McPhee is also nominated for best supporting actor alongside Plemons. No recognition for the dog, though. (Kidding! There’s no dog in the movie. The title comes from Psalm 22.)

You know when the four acting winners take a picture together with all their statuettes in the middle, and they’re smiling like a bunch of friends? I wanna see these four do that. Academy, please make it happen. Thank you.

Beyoncé Knowles is an Oscar nominee! Finally. While we were pretty certain Lemonade won Best Picture, upon further research, we’ve discovered that’s “not at all how anything works,” and this is her first nomination. No, she didn’t get recognized for “Listen” from Dreamgirls, or for “Spirit” from The Lion King. We are surprised too.

The Grammy winner is being honored for her song “Be Alive” from the movie King Richard, starring Will Smith as the tough but loving father-coach of Venus and Serena Williams. More like “Bey Alive,” right? King Richard, more like Queen Bey, right? Tennis, more like…singing? Sorry, there’s a lot of Oscar news happening, we’re tired. Let’s listen to the song:

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Knowles shares the nomination with Dixson, who co-wrote the song.

Now, obviously we are rooting for Beyoncé in everything always, but if one of the other songs takes home the gold, it’ll be understandable because this category is stacked. “Be Alive” is up against “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto by Lin-Manuel Miranda; “Down to Joy” from Belfast by Van Morrison; “No Time to Die” from No Time to Die by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell; and “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days by Diane Warren.

It remains to be seen what shape this year’s ceremony will take; last year’s was a pared-down event at Union Station, and no host has been announced for this year…yet. But fingers are extremely crossed that we get live performances of the nominated songs because we really want to see Beyoncé belting on the Academy stage! (Full list of nominees right this way.)

The Oscars will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET on March 27, 2022. Here’s our guide to streaming the ceremony. In the meantime, it’s not too late to get caught up on the nominated films so you can dominate your awards bracket.

Kristen Stewart is now an Oscar-nominated actor. On Tuesday, the star landed an Academy Award nomination for best actress for her spot-on portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s Spencer, a jazzy tone poem about the late royal. The nod also reportedly makes Stewart, along with West Side Story nominee Ariana DeBose, one of the first openly queer actors to be nominated in a major acting category since Ian McKellen was nominated for Lord of the Rings in 2002. Stewart’s nomination, however, was the sole bright spot for Spencer, which was snubbed by the Academy in every other way. 

Stewart was nominated in the best-actress category alongside Penélope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Nicole Kidman, and Olivia Colman. Some of those nominees were expected, like Kidman and Colman, both previous Oscar winners, while others, like Cruz, gained steam in recent weeks. Stewart, however, has long been the front-runner in the category. The role was a true transformation from the César-winning actor, who learned how to mimic Diana’s posh British accent and mannerisms, delivering a haunting, layered performance as the late royal. She’s also been playing the Oscar game, making appearances on the awards circuit at festivals, screenings, and luncheons. Shaking hands, kissing babies! The film’s path has also been guided by its distributor, Neon, which recently led Parasite to Oscar glory in 2020. 

However, the Academy singled Stewart out as the lone bright spot in Spencer’s campaign. Despite the film earning critical acclaim ever since its debut at the Venice Film Festival, it seems Academy voters just didn’t care for it as much as critics did. Larraín’s film, which is less a biopic and more a feeling, has been fairly divisive thanks to its loose, horror-inflected rendering of three miserable days in Diana’s life. Though he managed to sway Oscar voters in 2017 with Jackie, his similarly contained portrait of Jackie Kennedy starring Natalie Portman, Spencer seems to have been too experimental for the Oscar set. 

It perhaps didn’t help that some of Diana’s real-life friends have publicly taken umbrage with the film’s poetic license, a knock against Larraín and screenwriter Steven Knight. On Oscar nomination morning, the film was snubbed in virtually every other major category, including best director, best screenplay, and best picture. 

Stewart’s campaign, however, has paid off. Ever since the film’s Venice debut, she’s continued to pick up accolades, including several critics group awards, festival awards, and a Golden Globe nomination. (Though the influence of the Globes–in any year, but especially this year—must be taken with a grain of salt.) However, she was snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild in January, a surprising omission that suggested potential trouble ahead. The Oscar nominations announcement on Tuesday, however, sealed the deal, confirming the Academy was just as taken with Stewart’s performance as everybody else was. 

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The Oscar-nominated movies of 2022 were announced on Tuesday, February 8, and it’s an interesting mix. 

These films span genres, decades, and streaming services, and the performances in them range from subtle to “What is happening?” But they all share at least one thing in common: They’re great stories. Whether you love a moody drama (see The Power of the Dog), heartwarming tales about a family striving to do their best (King Richard or CODA, for sure), or something else entirely, there are so many movies you can root for this awards season.  

And for once you have time to catch up with all of them. The Oscars have been delayed this year due to COVID-19 concerns, so the ceremony won’t be taking place until Sunday, March 27. That’s a full month to catch up on all the Oscar nominated movies of 2022. So get started! 

See the full list of nominated movies below, and where to stream them.

King Richard

Nominated for: Best picture, lead actor (Will Smith), supporting actress (Aunjanue Ellis), original screenplay, film editing, original song (“Be Alive” by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson)

Where to watch: Available to stream on HBO Max

Regardless of how the awards season shakes out, Will Smith’s performance in King Richard is undeniably Oscar-worthy in this biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’s rise to GOAT status.  

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Belfast

Nominated for: Best picture, supporting actress (Judi Dench), supporting actor (Ciarán Hinds), original screenplay, director (Kenneth Branagh), sound, original song (“Down to Joy” by Van Morrison)

Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video

Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, this moving coming-of-age tale is set during the Northern Ireland conflict of the late ’60s. While the story is told from a young boy’s perspective (played by the excellent Jude Hill), Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan especially stand out as parents faced with a difficult decision: stay in their home land where all their friends and family live despite the danger, or leave for the potential of a better life for their sons. 

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CODA

Nominated for: Best picture, adapted screenplay, supporting actor (Troy Kotsur)

The Oscar nominations for 2022 are here, and our first reaction is: !!!

Like most years, there are some snubs, some surprises, and a whole lot of well-deserved nods. Have you seen The Power of the Dog, director Jane Champion’s gorgeous, moody meditation on grief and loneliness? What about Don’t Look Up, the Netflix original that had everyone on TikTok talking? Maybe you caught King Richard, the Serena and Venus Williams biopic that stars Will Smith in a career-defining role? We know you at least checked out Disney’s Encanto, because we as a society have not stopped signing along to the Lin Manuel-Miranda original songs since it premiered. 

All can now be labeled as “Oscar nominees 2022.” And good news for you: There’s still time to watch the ones you missed, because the Academy Awards ceremony doesn’t air until March 27. 

So check out the full list of Oscar nominations 2022, below, and we’ll see you in March. 

Best Supporting Actor

Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)

Troy Kotsur (CODA)

Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)

J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Judi Dench (Belfast)

Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)

Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)

Best Animated Short Film

“Affairs of the Art”

“Bestia”

“Boxballet”

“Robin Robin”

“The Windshield Wiper”

Best Costume Design

Cruella

Cyrano

Dune 

Nightmare Alley

West Side Story

Best Live Action Short Film

“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run”

“The Dress”

“The Long Goodbye”

“On My Mind”

“Please Hold”

Best Original Score

Don’t Look Up, Nicholas Britell

Dune, Hans Zimmer

Encanto, Germaine Franco

Parallel Mothers, Alberto Iglesias

The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood

Best Sound

Belfast

Dune

No Time to Die

The Power of the Dog

West Side Story

Best Adapted Screenplay

CODA, Siân Heder

Drive My Car, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe

Dune Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth

The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal

The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion

Best Original Screenplay

Belfast, Kenneth Branagh

Don’t Look Up, Adam McKay, David Sirota

King Richard, Zach Baylin

Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson

The Worst Person in the World, Eskil Vogt, Joachim Troer

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)

Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!)

Will Smith (King Richard)

Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)

Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)

Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)

Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)

Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

Best Animated Feature Film

Encanto

The Oscars 2022 are almost upon us. On March 27, the 94th annual Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre, honoring the greatest films, performances, and behind-the-scenes movie magic of the year. 

To be considered for Hollywood’s greatest honor, a film must have been released between March 1 and December 31, 2021. Given how many films were placed on hold in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s is sure to be filled with some heavy competition. 

Some of the front-runners? Well, Kristen Stewart rustled up some early Oscar buzz for her stunning portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer, but the profound film was not the only biopic game in town and she may have some heavy competition from Nicole Kidman for Being the Ricardos. Then, of course, there is the Andrew Garfield of it all. Between The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Tick, Tick… Boom!, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, this just might be the year of Garfield. (Yes, we know he’s not likely to be rewarded with a little gold man for his work as Peter Three, but we’re including it here for reasons.)

No matter who wins, it’s going to be a glorious evening full of gowns, Champagne, and drawn-out acceptance speeches. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Oscars 2022.

You can watch live on cable TV. If you are still someone who pays for cable, the Oscars will air on ABC at 8 p.m. E.T. on March 27, 2022. 

It will also be available to stream. Aside from the ABC app, the Oscars will be available on Hulu with its Live TV subscription as well as on FuboTV, depending on where you live. Unfortunately, there is no way to stream the awards show at no cost unless you utilize a free trial.

Who is nominated? You can see the full list of Oscar 2022 nominees here. After you’re caught up, don’t forget to check out our guide to where to watch the Oscar nominated movies. There’s still time to stream!

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With his latest performance, Denzel Washington has extended his reign as the most nominated Black actor in Oscars history. 

The 2022 Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, February 8, and the 67-year-old actor earned his 10th overall Oscar nomination for his performance as Macbeth in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth.

The film was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic play, with Frances McDormand starring as Lady Macbeth opposite Washington. The Tragedy of Macbeth was also nominated for best cinematography and best production design. Washington’s performance as Macbeth received positive reviews, as well as earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Satellite Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

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In Washington’s storied, decades-spanning career, he’s received eight acting Oscar nominations and one nomination for his work behind the camera on Fences. Washington has won the Oscar for acting twice. He won best supporting actor for his portrayal of Private Silas Trip in the 1989 film Glory, and best actor for his performance as Detective Alonzo Harris in the 2001 film Training Day.

Currently Washington is in development on the third Equalizer film, reprising yet another one of his iconic roles as the intelligence officer Robert McCall. 

Will it lead to yet another Oscar nod? Only time will tell. 

Angelina Jolie attended the Los Angeles premiere of her new Marvel movie, Eternals, on Monday, October 18, and she brought five well-dressed dates: her children Maddox, Vivienne, Knox, Shiloh, and Zahara. (The only person missing was Jolie’s son, Pax.) 

Jolie, of course, looked stunning in a strapless light brown dress, but it was daughter Zahara who stole the show. If the 16-year-old’s dress looks familiar to you, that’s because it is. Her mom actually wore it to the 2014 Oscars. 

See the dress on Angelina Jolie circa seven years ago, below.

The Elie Saab Couture gown is old Hollywood glam personified, and both Jolie and Zahara wore it beautifully. 

Jolie recently opened up about motherhood to British Vogue. “I was never very good at sitting still. Even though I wanted to have many children and be a mom, I always imagined it kind of like Jane Goodall, traveling in the middle of the jungle somewhere,” she said. “I didn’t imagine it in that true, traditional sense. I feel like I’m lacking in all the skills to be a traditional stay-at-home mom. I’m managing through it because the children are quite resilient, and they’re helping me, but I’m not good at it at all.”

 And on her family life during the pandemic, Jolie shared, “We went into it having just gotten out of the hospital with Zahara [who underwent surgery early last year], and we were so happy she was OK that we entered lockdown in a different state of mind. But, you know, there are also these other markers of life: Pax going into his senior year, but not being able to enjoy all that it is to be a senior; Zahara finally getting her driving license, but she’s taking the test with the driver wrapped in the full outfit with the masks. It’s not how you imagine these moments. But birthdays go on, and I think that for many people, it’s made us all feel very human together. There’s something beautiful about that.”

H.E.R. is manifesting an EGOT. 

This rarefied designation means that a person has won four prestigious awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. And H.E.R. is already halfway there. The musician already has a handful of Grammy Awards on her shelf, most recently for 2021’s “I Can’t Breathe,” and on April 25 took home an Academy Award for best original song for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah. The singer shared the Oscar with collaborators Tiara Thomas and Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II.

Asked about plans to get to EGOT status backstage, H.E.R. told the press, “There’s absolutely going to be an EGOT in my future, hopefully,” according to People. The talented 23-year-old also spoke of her onscreen aspirations, adding that she is “super passionate about acting as well, so you may see me up here as an actress also, and then I love musicals. Me and Brandy have been talking a lot and she’s inspired me, since she did a musical.” (Brandy’s beloved performance in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is currently streaming on Disney Plus, by the way.) Music is the most popular path to an EGOT, as original songs are represented at all four awards shows.

In her acceptance speech, the musician spoke about the power of music, especially in a story as relevant as Judas and the Black Messiah, which covers FBI interference in the Black Panther Party. “Knowledge is power, music is power, and as long as I’m standing, I’m always gonna fight for us. I’m always gonna fight for my people and fight for what’s right, and I think that’s what music does, and that’s what storytelling does,” she said. “I did not expect to win this award. I am so, so, so grateful, not only to win but to be a part of such an important story.”

What it’s about: This 12-minute short is so moving there’s an entire TikTok challenge about it. The animated piece follows a grieving couple after their daughter is killed in a school shooting. 

Where to watch: Stream it on Netflix.

Soul

Winner: Best animated feature film, best original score

What it’s about: This movie! Soul is about so many things—dreams delayed, the meaning of life, jazz music. It’s best to just sign up for the journey and watch. 

Where to watch: Stream it on Disney+.

Colette

Winner: Best documentary short subject

What it’s about: A former French Resistance member travels to Germany for the first time in 74 years to see the concentration camp where her brother died at the hands of Nazis. 

Where to watch: Stream it on YouTube above.

My Octopus Teacher

Winner: Best documentary feature

What it’s about: Filmmaker Craig Foster spent a year forging a bond with an octopus in the wild, and he documents their relationship in this sweet documentary.

Where to watch: Stream it on Netflix.

Tenet

Winner: Best visual effects

What it’s about: Actually, it’s better to not know a ton about this action thriller starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson before you watch. Just know that it won’t all click until the end.

Where to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime Video.