‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ sets at least 7 Academy Awards records
Martin Scorsese’s made-in-Oklahoma historical epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” is making its own history at the Academy Awards.
The fact-based movie, which Scorsese filmed in and around Osage County in 2021, received 10 Oscar nominations when the nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were revealed on Jan. 23.
The 2024 Academy Awards will take place March 10, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and be televised live on ABC.
At least six of “Killers of the Flower Moon’s” 10 nominations broke Academy Awards records, and Scorsese set two records with his best director nod.
Gladstone becomes the first Native American nominated for the best actress Oscar
“Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone is the first Native American to be nominated for best actress in the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards.
Gladstone, who is NiMíiPuu, or Nez Perce, and Siksikaitsitapi, or Blackfeet, recently became the first Indigenous performer to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama for her powerful lead turn in “Killers of the Flower Moon” as Mollie Kyle Burkhart, a wealthy real-life Osage woman who was marked for death in the Reign of Terror in 1920s Oklahoma.
Gladstone is the fourth Indigenous performer to be nominated for best actress: A British performer born in India, Merle Oberon, who is believed to have been of Maori and South Asian lineage, was nominated for best actress in 1935’s “The Dark Angel.” Born in Australia and raised in New Zealand, Maori performer Keisha CastleHughes broke out with her best actress-nominated turn in 2002’s “Whale Rider.” And Indigenous Mexican schoolteacher-turned-actor Yalitza Aparicio earned her best actress nod for her film debut in 2018’s “Roma.”
Scorsese sets two records with his ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ best director nomination
With his best director nomination for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Scorsese actually set two Academy Awards records.
Scorsese now has been nominated for best director 10 times, becoming the most nominated living director in Academy Awards history.
The native New Yorker surpasses Steven Spielberg’s nine career best director nominations.
Scorsese is also now the second most nominated director of all time, behind only the late “Ben-Hur” helmer William Wyler (1902-1981), who earned 12 nods in the category over his career.
Plus, Scorese, 81, becomes the oldest best director nominee in Oscars history. He passes legendary director, screenwriter and actor John Huston, who was 79 when he was nominated
for his 1985 crime movie “Prizzi’s Honor.”
Scorsese won the best director Oscar in 2007 for his gangster epic “The Departed.”
De Niro surpasses Hepburn to set an unusual Oscar record
With “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Robert De Niro, 81, received his ninth Oscar nomination for portraying greedy cattle baron William K. Hale, who pretended to be a friend to the Osage people while conspiring to kill many of them to steal their oil wealth.
De Niro’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” nomination comes 49 years after his first Oscar nomination, for best supporting actor for Francis Ford Coppola’s mobster drama “The Godfather Part II” in 1975.
That makes De Niro the actor with the greatest length of time between his first and most recent Oscar nominations.
The late, great Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) previously held the record, with 48 years between her first nomination for “Morning Glory” in 1934 and her last for “On Golden Pond” in 1982.
De Niro has won two Oscars in his storied career, for best supporting actor for “The Godfather: Part II” and best actor for Scorsese’s boxing drama “Raging Bull” in 1981.
Oklahoma composer George becomes the first Indigenous nominee for best original song
An Oklahoman is among the Oscar nominees for “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Based in Del City, Scott George, who is Osage, is nominated for best original song for writing the music and lyrics to “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People).” The song was performed by Osage Tribal Singers and is featured in the best picture-nominated movie’s final scenes, which depict members of the tribe dancing around the singers as they play a large drum.
George is the first Indigenous nominee in the best original song category as well as the first member of the Osage Nation to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Robertson becomes the first Indigenous composer nominated for best score
The late Robbie Robertson, who died last August at the age of 80, earned his first Oscar nod posthumously for best score for “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
He becomes the first Indigenous nominee in the category: The son of a Cayuga and Mohawk mother, Robertson lived on the Six Nations Reserve in Canada southwest of Toronto as a youth.
The guitarist and primary songwriter for The Band, Robertson worked with Scorsese on 12 films over their 45-year partnership.
Schoonmaker becomes the film editor with the most nominations
“Killers of the Flower Moon” also received an Oscar nomination for best editing for Thelma Schoonmaker.
One of Scorsese’s longtime collaborators, Schoonmaker becomes the most nominated film editor in Academy Awards’ history; with “Killers of the Flower Moon,” she has earned nine career nods in the category.
Schoonmaker has won three best editing Oscars for Scorsese movies: “The Departed” in 2007, “The Aviator” in 2005 and “Raging Bull” in 1981.
96TH ACADEMY AWARDS
The 2024 Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and be televised live on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the Oscars for the fourth time, but the performers and presenters for this year’s ceremony have not yet been announced.