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On a night dedicated to the best of American cinema it was the Brits who lit up the red carpet outside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre ahead of the 96th annual Academy Awards on Sunday evening.
With Barbie and Oppenheimer widely expected to share the spoils after dominating much of this awards season, actresses Emily Blunt, Andrea Riseborough and Miami born, Britain raised Anya Taylor-Joy ensured they claimed their fair share of the spotlight during respective appearances outside the iconic venue.
The four stars flew the British flag while rubbing shoulders with fellow guests at the ceremony, which began some four hours before the first award was announced.
Oppenheimer has bagged 13 nods, including best picture and best actor for Cillian Murphy – who is favorite to win the major category after scooping a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and SAG award for his role as physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.
The impressive total – which also includes best supporting actor and actress for Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt, as well as best director for Christopher Nolan – is just one nomination short of the all-time record set by Titanic in 1998.
Last year’s other smash hit movie – Barbie – was nominated for eight awards, but also fell victim to notable snubs from the Academy.
Its star Margot Robbie was not nominated for best actress, while Greta Gerwig was not nominated for best director.
Another surprise saw America Ferrera nominated for best supporting actress over her role in Barbie, with pundits saying her character’s impassioned speech on feminism had sealed the deal.
Barbie’s other nominations include best picture, best supporting actor for Ryan Gosling and two nods for best song – including Gosling’s famed ‘I’m Just Ken.’
The second most-nominated movie was Poor Things, a graphic art house movie starring Emma Stone that has wowed critics but so-far failed to set the box office alight.
Stone plays a sex-crazed young woman, with her performance wowing critics. She previously won best actress in 2017 for her performance in La La Land.
![British beauties Emily Blunt, Andrea Riseborough, and Anya Taylor-Joy steal the show on the red carpet four hours before the start of the 96th annual Academy Awards. 2 Emily was accompanied by husband John Krasinski as she arrived at the star-studded event early on Sunday evening](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/10/22/82289503-13180645-image-a-51_1710111035039.jpg)
Emily was accompanied by husband John Krasinski as she arrived at the star-studded event early on Sunday evening
For best actor in leading role Bradley Cooper and Cillian Murphy are set to duke it out for the award. Colman Domingo, Paul Giamatti and Jeffrey Wright received nominations as well.
Leonardo DiCaprio was not recognized for his acting on Killers Of The Flower Moon.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things took home 11 Oscar nominations and Killers of the Flower Moon landed 10.
Annette Bening, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Huller, Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone have been nominated for best actress in a leading role.
Gladstone is the first Native American nominated for best actress, for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon – and is the favorite in the category thanks to her wins at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards,
What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish and I’m Just Ken performed by Ryan Gosling from Barbie received their expected nominations for best original song.
Sterling K. Brown, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling and Mark Ruffalo received nominations for best actor in a supporting role.
Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, America Ferrera, Jodie Foster and Da’Vine Joy Randolph received nominations for best actress in a supporting role.
Joy already has Golden Globe, Bafta, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards and is favorite for an Oscar for her performance as a bereaved cook in The Holdovers.
Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer were nominated for best directing, snubbing Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.