Oscar Nominations 2023: 8 Ups & 9 Downs

It's that time of year again, when the world gathers to see which artists the Academy has bestowed with nominations for the upcoming Oscar ceremony.

And even in an era where the popularity of awards shows is massively down, it's tough for film fans not to get invested in the lunacy of the whole awards circus.

Recent years have seen an appreciably more diverse slate of nominees per the Academy's own growing membership, and the 2023 nominations largely continue that trend, albeit with some omissions which are liable to cause major controversy.

This year's Oscar nominees are low on unforgivable snubs while offering up a few pleasant surprises and a whole lot of what people expected.

But as ever, it's ultimately a mixed bag that merits both praise and criticism, for some of the Academy's bolder choices and also some of their lazier, more cynical ones.

While everybody has their own opinions about the nominations and the quality of the films therein, we can still point to where the Academy clearly went right and wrong, and where they can continue to improve in years to come...