2019's Class of First Time Nominees
Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 5:00PM 
With one day to Oscar, let’s salute 2019’s class of first time nominees in the four acting categories. So many great actors never get nominated, and many just get that one nomination. So it must be so exciting for these lucky 5: Antonio Banderas, Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Pryce and Florence Pugh...
Erivo and Johansson are not only first time nominees but they are double nominees, leapfrogging immediately to becoming multiple nominees. Jonhasson’s nominations both came for acting while Erivo gets the distinction of joining a club alongside recently Lady Gaga and Mary J Blige of being double nominees out of the gate for acting and songwriting.
Looking at the last decade of nominees there’s usually between 7 and 9 first timers every year. But not this year, five is the lowest number since 2012 when Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook, Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, Emmanuelle Riva in Amour and Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild were nominated. One of last year’s first timers makes a quick return; Adam Driver.
Unless there’s a shocking surprise this year we will not witness a first timer win. Though usually several win on their first nomination. Just last year we had 3 out of 4; Olivia Colman, Regina King and Rami Malek. Two first timers the year before that in Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney. Though in 2016 only one first timer won, Mahershala Ali. Only two years later he became the veteran winner among the first timers.
Who do you see returning the soonest to the ceremony from this batch?
Reader Comments (9)
I feel like the easy answer is Florence Pugh. I think she’ll be back with her next Oscar baity film.
I hope that we will see Florence Pugh and Antonio Banderas be nominated again.
Scarlett will get another nomination soon and when she wins, BRING HER SOME DAMN BUBBLY!!!!!!!
ScarJo and Pugh because the momentum and opportunity will be there for them.
Pryce maybe.
Thank you for this piece, Murtada. Your note about Adam Driver receiving consecutive nominations could provide another interesting angle for a separate piece as well.
On average, at least one person has received consecutive acting nominations each year of this decade (see below, not exhaustive). Is this a new trend or an historic one?
Who do you think could repeat next year? And who do you hope will? Here are some folks who currently have projects in post-production for this year (excluding franchises, television, etc.):
Saoirse Ronan, Ammonite (seems a tad obvious but fingers-crossed the film is good)
Cynthia Erivo, Needle in the Timestack (John Ridley + sci-fi)
Antonio Banderas, Lamborghini (biopic, sigh...)
Joaquin Phoenix, C'mon C'mon (new Mike Mills!)
Anthony Hopkins, The Father (strong reception from Sundance)
Tom Hanks, News of the World (new Paul Greengrass)
Past consecutive nominees:
2018 & 2019: Adam Driver
2017 & 2018: Sam Rockwell
2016 & 2017: Octavia Spencer, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington
2015 & 2016: No consecutive nominees
2014 & 2015: Eddie Redmayne, Mark Ruffalo
2013 & 2014: Bradley Cooper, Meryl Streep
2012 & 2013: Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper
2011 & 2012: Jessica Chastain
2010 & 2011: Michelle Williams
Johansson and Banderas would be a hot movie couple
Not very likely, but with Zellweger the weakest front runner maybe it will be ScarJo who snatches the trophy and have thevoid99 popping bottles.
I find it odd that nobody ever mentions that the Blige Gaga Erivo combo of double nominations happened consecutively. Something that never happened suddenly happens 3 years in a row. Even Barbra who has these 2 awards had to wait 8 years to get them and didn’t get these double nods.