2022 Oscar Nominee Reactions from Ariana DeBose, Questlove, Denzel Washington, Jessie Buckley and more

After today’s Oscar nominations announcement, nominee reactions are flooding in and will be updated throughout the day.

Best Picture: The Power of the Dog – producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman from See-Saw Films

“It has been an incredible privilege to work with Jane Campion on The Power of The Dog. She is a visionary director and one of the world’s finest filmmakers. Her artistry and graceful command of this story can be seen in every frame of the film and we are so grateful to The Academy for recognising it with 12 nominations. We are equally thrilled for Jane to receive her first ever Best Picture nomination and we are so proud of our incredible ensemble of cast and crew, including those nominated today.” 

Best Picture: The Power of the Dog – producer Tanya Seghatchian 

“Today is a moment to treasure and a wonderful testament to the commitment of everyone involved at every level on The Power of the Dog. I am in complete awe at the number of nominations we’ve received and deeply grateful to the Academy for recognizing the efforts of our team on each side of the camera. Most importantly, I am so proud and honored to be alongside Jane Campion as she makes Oscar history.”

Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car

Ryusuke Hamaguchi / writer, director

When I got off the plane today to serve on the jury of this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, I was truly surprised to find that the film had been nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and  Best International Feature Film.

What I can say for sure is that the universality of Haruki Murakami’s story is at the root of this recognition. Even if you lose someone you truly love, life goes on. It is a harsh life, but it is not without a pinch of hope.

And I think the burden on the actors to embody and realize the world of this story was immeasurable. I would like to take this opportunity to express my respect and gratitude to Hidetoshi Nishijima and all the actors for their sincere commitment to their roles.

I hope that these nominations will bring the wonderful performances of the actors, and the entire Drive My Car team, to the attention of a wider audience. Thank you very much to the Academy for this honor.”

Teruhisa Yamamoto / producer 

“Many of us filmmakers would probably say that the first movie we saw when we were children was an American one. The stories were dramatic, the images and sounds were powerful and dynamic, and the actors were fascinating. With an onscreen history that has influenced the world, the United States is truly a film kingdom. To be nominated for the Academy Award is a dream come true. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and all the wonderful people I worked with to make this film. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the Academy members who voted for Drive My Car. Thank you very much.”

Takamasa Oe / co-screenwriter 

“When I heard the great news, the first thing I remembered is the night I had my first drink with director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and producer Teruhisa Yamamoto. At that time, no one could have imagined what would happen today. I’m truly amazed at the power of film and how it connects us across the globe. I believe that this nomination belongs to the entire Drive My Car team. I am so fortunate to have been able to connect with every one of them. Many thanks to the Academy members who voted for Drive My Car for this nomination.”

Hidetoshi Nishijima / lead actor

“I’m very pleased that Drive My Car has been nominated for four categories of the Academy Award. And congratulations to the director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe and all the staff. This beautiful story of the rebirth of a soul is a beacon of hope that brings people back together from a divided world. We hope that with this great news, Drive My Car will reach even more people.”

Toko Miura / lead actress 

“Congratulations to everyone involved in this film on the nomination for four categories of the Academy Award. I am very, very happy. And I realize once again how lucky I am to be able to be involved in such a film. I am filled with gratitude.”

Best Picture: Don’t Look Up – producer Kevin Messick

“Making DON’T LOOK UP couldn’t have been accomplished without the dedication of our incredible cast and crew who all rose to challenge of making this film in the midst of a global pandemic.  It has been a joy to produce Adam’s films for over a decade now and our continuing collaboration with our amazing editor Hank Corwin and our talented composer Nicholas Britell is truly a dream team that I’m honored and grateful to be a part of.”

Best Picture, Original Screenplay: Don’t Look Up – Adam McKay

“I could not be more thrilled. Loved seeing the recognition for our incredibly talented composer Nicholas Britell and our legendary editor Hank Corwin. I am honored by the Best Original Screenplay nomination with David Sirota, especially as I personally started as a writer. And most of all, of course, Best Picture nomination, which is a reflection of hundreds of people who went above and beyond to make this movie happen during such challenging and difficult times. Thank you to the Academy, I’m extremely grateful.”

Best Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, International Feature Film: Flee – Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Producers Monica Hellström, Charlotte De La Gournerie, and Signe Byrge

“We are so honoured and humbled by these three historic nominations for FLEE. It is wonderful that Amin’s story has touched so many people and we hope it will continue to touch the hearts of audiences around the world. Thank you to Amin for his bravery in sharing his extraordinary journey and giving us the privilege to share it.

Thank you to NEON, Participant and Cinephil, the entire international crew, all our co-producers and financiers. We are incredibly proud to be working with all of you.”

Best Actor: Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

“The Tragedy of Macbeth was one of the best experiences of my career. Joel Coen is a genius and I hope the nominations for the film will allow for more people to enjoy a terrific cinematic experience. Thank you to the members of the Academy for the recognition and to A24 and Apple for their ongoing support.”

Best Actor: Andrew Garfield – tick, tick…BOOM!

“Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would be given the chance to honor Jonathan Larson and his legacy of revolutionary art and community healing through this heart-filled movie tick, tick,…BOOM! By bestowing this recognition upon me, you honor our genius director Lin-Manuel Miranda, our producers Julie Larson, Julie Oh and Celia Costas, the entire cast and crew, and everyone at Imagine and Netflix. We are a true family to our core. To be among 26 leading male performances to be nominated for an Oscar for their work in a musical, and to be initiated into that group with the likes of Bing Crosby, Roy Scheider, Gene Kelly and James Cagney, I am deeply humbled. All I long for is to tell stories that remind us of how to live. Jonathan’s story offers us a treasure map. Thank you for keeping his song reverberating through our universe. Love Andrew.”

Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

“I am absolutely floored and humbled by this recognition from the Academy. To be a part of this cinematic masterpiece has been one of the great privileges of my career. Jane Campion, our friend and fearless leader, congratulations on yet again breaking the glass ceiling and thank you for the gift of Phil Burbank; as an actor to play someone this complex, this challenging, this nuanced is truly a reward in and of itself. Kodi, Jesse, and Kirsten, I am so proud of you my friends and for our colleagues whose exceptional work brought this great novel to life on screen. 12 is my new favorite number. Thank you again.”

Best Actress: Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter

“Oh my god yes. I’m SO EXCITED!!! And with Maggie and Jessie, and our fellow nominees, this feeling right now is bloody brilliant. Thank you thank you thank thank you xxxxxx”

Best Actress: Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers

“I’m eternally grateful to Pedro Almodóvar for his direction, his unique vision, his incredible talent and for trusting me once again. My experience working with him and the cast of PARALLEL MOTHERS was nothing short of extraordinary, and to be recognized for a film that is so close to my heart is truly special for me. What an honor to be nominated alongside this phenomenal group of actresses.

Thank you to the members of the Academy, Sony Pictures Classics, El Deseo and our amazing cast and crew who gave so much to this film. And thank you, Pedro!!! I will never be able to thank you enough!”

Best Actress: Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos

“WOW!  I’m so overwhelmed!  Just having breakfast with my family when the nominations came in.  What a beautiful way to find out!  I share this with them, Javier, JK, Nina and with ALL the cast and Aaron Sorkin, as this is ours together.  This was the hardest role I’ve ever done and to be honored this way is deeply appreciated.  And to Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr, thank you for trusting me with the opportunity to inhabit your mother.  Lucille Ball is one of Hollywood’s greatest icons.  She was ahead of her time.  From actress to producer to studio head, mother and wife, she’s an extraordinary inspiration!  Thank you Lucille Ball.  And to everyone who worked on this film both in front of and behind the camera during, our passionate and hardworking crew, Amazon, Todd Black, Aaron Sorkin, this nomination is ours to share!”

Best Supporting Actress: Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog

“To be honored by the Academy is a truly humbling experience. For both Jesse and I to get our first nominations together is beyond our wildest dreams.  Congratulations to Jane, Benedict, Kodi and Jesse on their nominations and the entire cast and crew of The Power of the Dog.  Working on this film was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m forever grateful for Jane trusting me to bring Rose’s story to life.  Thank you to the Academy for recognizing our work and for putting me amongst such a remarkable group of actresses.” 

Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose – West Side Story

“My morning walk along the river was extra special today. I am absolutely overjoyed by this morning’s news. To be recognized alongside such incredible women for their inspiring performances is surreal enough, but to share this celebration with Steven, Kristie, and the entire team that made our beautiful movie is a dream come true. I’m so thankful to the Academy for this acknowledgement and am beyond grateful to Steven, Kristie, and everyone at Amblin and Disney. What a moment.”

Best Supporting Actress: Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter

“I am in complete shock! The Lost Daughter is so special to me. To be recognized for anything connected to it is just a wild dream come true. And to gorgeous Olivia Colman and our leader and legend Maggie Gyllenhaal, I’m so lucky to share this ride with you incredible women. Thank you.”

Best Supporting Actor: Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog

I’m simply elated. This is beyond even my wildest imagination. To be nominated for an Academy Award is such a tremendous honor and I’m so thankful to everybody who has played a role in getting me to this position. I’m forever indebted to Jane’s brilliance and am eternally grateful for her trust in me to bring Peter to life. She’s a singular talent that every actor should be so lucky to work with. I think I can speak for the cast when I say we were in the most trusted hands imaginable. I’m so proud of Jesse, Benedict, Kirsten, Ari, and everybody involved in the production for being so rightfully recognized by the Academy. I’m just so humbled, reflective, and appreciative right now.”

Best Supporting Actor: Jesse Plemons – The Power of the Dog

“The experience of making The Power of the Dog was one that I will cherish forever. Getting to work alongside such amazingly talented and wonderful people (such as the one and only Kirsten) was everything you hoped filmmaking could be. Thank you to the Academy for this incredible honor.”

Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur – CODA

“This movie has meant so much to me and the cast and crew. Thank you to Siân and the team for putting it together and Apple for supporting us throughout this entire journey. What a day! I can still remember watching Marlee win her Oscar on television and telling friends I was going to get nominated one day and them being skeptical. I would like to thank everyone for this huge honor. I am stunned. It’s such an honor to see Academy members recognize this film for Best Picture today. It is truly a historic moment. And I was so thrilled to see Siân Heder honored with a nomination for Adapted Screenplay.”

Best Documentary Feature: Summer of Soul – director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

“It is a huge honor to receive this nomination. The Harlem Cultural Festival was both a testament to Black genius and Black joy at a formative time in our country’s history, and a cautionary tale about the way that history, especially Black history, can be erased. Being entrusted with the responsibility of keeping that past visible has been one of the great honors of my life. I am beyond gratified to be nominated alongside these four other incredible filmmakers. Congratulations to the entire filmmaking team and everyone at Searchlight, Onyx, and Hulu.”

Best Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, International Feature Film: Flee – VICE Studios President Kate Ward and U.S. Chief Danny Gabai

”On behalf of VICE Studios, we are honored to see Flee Oscar nominated in a history-making three categories and to be with this incredibly talented team of creatives and partners who brought Flee to life, under the genius direction of Jonas Poher Rasmussen. This film is both timeless and timely, fearlessly creative, a celebration of representation in all its forms and above all, a human story that leaves its viewer changed forever.”

Best Original Screenplay: King Richard – Zach Baylin

“Thank you to the Academy!!! I’m so unbelievably proud and humbled to be nominated beside such an amazing group of writers. This film was an incredibly collaborative effort and I’m honored to share this moment with Will, Aunjanue, Pam, Demi, Saniyya, Jon, Tony, and the whole cast. Rei, you made a beautiful film and we are all standing on your shoulders. I can never thank Isha and the Williams family enough for allowing me to be a small part of their story and to Tim, Trevor, WB and all the producers who put this film on their back and willed it onto the screen, thank you! Hope you are as proud this morning as I am!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!”

Best Adapted Screenplay: CODA – writer/director Siân Heder

“I am so stunned and moved by CODA’s three Academy Awards nominations. My heart is bursting for Troy Kotsur especially, who has worked his whole life to get to this moment. So grateful to my beautiful cast and proud of the crew that poured their hearts into our scrappy production. If you had told me when I was standing out on a rusty boat in five-foot waves with fish up to my knees that we were going to end up here, I never would have believed it.Thank you to the Academy for this incredible, history-making recognition.”

Best Film Editing: Don’t Look Up – Hank Corwin

“I am so grateful to the Academy, and quite honestly blown away. My crew has been amazing, and we did it together. Most importantly, it is amazing that a movie essentially about climate change is being watched and talked about.”

Best Film Editing: tick, tick…BOOM! – Myron Kerstein & Andrew Weisblum

“Thank you to the Academy for including Tick, Tick… BOOM! with the other amazing nominees for best picture editing. It’s been such an honor to work on Lin-Manuel Mirandas’ directorial debut and Andrew Garfield’s Oscar Nominated performance. Thank you to Netflix for all the love and support for our beautiful film. To have a part in celebrating the work and legacy of Jonathan Larson, and spreading his love and joy for making art, is a very surreal and incredible experience. He said it best, “Is this real life?” A dream come true. Thank you! 

Best Film Editing: The Power of the Dog – Peter Sciberras

“What an incredible honor, I am humbled and thrilled to be recognized with an Academy Award nomination. It was a privilege to work with Jane Campion on The Power of the Dog – it was such an amazing, fluid process and she is an inspirational filmmaker. It was a pleasure to work with the entire team, and their work led and informed the cut on so many levels. I am so lucky to work in this field and completely overwhelmed by this recognition.”

Best Cinematography: Dune – Greig Fraser

“Working with Denis Villeneuve and the entire cast and crew of DUNE is an honor that often only happens once in a lifetime. Frank Herbert’s story resonates with so many readers worldwide and I can’t think of a better team of artists to have made this interpretation of his legendary words. Warner Brothers and Legendary Films have supported our aesthetic vision from day one and to now be recognized by our colleagues with this nomination is the icing on the cake!”

Best Cinematography: The Power of the Dog – Ari Wegner

“I am lost for words, I can hardly stand up! I am so honoured to be recognised alongside such an incredible group of fellow cinematographers. I’m ecstatic for the entire Power of the Dog team on a phenomenal morning of nominations. Thank you to all of the cast and crew who supported me on this journey – and above all thank you to Jane for entrusting me with your film. This is simply a dream come true.”

Best Cinematography: Nightmare Alley – Dan Laustsen

“I am so proud to have a part in creating Guillermo del Toro’s world and so honored that the Academy appreciates my work. My heartfelt thanks goes out to my amazing crew who tirelessly stood by me every step of the way. Thank you.”

Best Production Design: Nightmare Alley – Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau

“Thank you to the Academy for this honor and congratulations to all our fellow nominees. A very special gratitude to Guillermo del Toro for breathing life into Nightmare Alley and taking us all on such an artful adventure in film excellence. Wow!” – TD

“It is such an honor to be part of such an amazing creative team. Thank you Guillermo for your vision and leadership on such a wonderful project.” – SV

Best Production Design: The Power of the Dog – Set Decorator Amber Richards

“The Power of the Dog was such a special project to work on and I am hugely grateful to Jane and Grant for the opportunity to be a part of it. For myself and my talented team it was a dream job. Thank you to the Academy for recognising our efforts with this nomination.”

Best Production Design: The Power of the Dog – Production Designer Grant Major

“Amber and I are so proud to have been nominated for Achievement in Production Design. Our Design, Set Decoration and Props teams along with Construction, Paint and Greens et al thank Netflix, See Saw Films, the Producers and in particular Jane Campion for taking us on this amazing journey.  Thanks especially to the Academy for their recognition on this momentous day.

This is an awesome achievement for our film business and I wish everyone associated with the film the very best.”

Best Documentary Feature: Writing with Fire – Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh

“To have our debut feature documentary nominated by the Academy® is such an honor, but it is truly the work of these brave journalists that deserves this spotlight,” said filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh. “These incredible women persevere with their courage, resilience, and wit everyday while reporting from some of the most challenging environments, in pursuit of truth, justice, and real change. With this recognition from the Academy® and with our INDEPENDENT LENS debut on PBS in March, we hope to not only honor these brave journalists but also bring to the world a story of inimitable hope and resilience.”

Best Documentary Feature: Ascension – director Jessica Kingdon

“It’s been an unreal journey for our team and me to witness Ascension ending up where it is today. This honor is incredible and I’m so grateful to all the people without whom I couldn’t have done it. I hope this nomination will encourage the industry to reward more creative risk-taking, especially by women of color. Thank you MTV Documentary Films, the Academy and all of Ascension’s supporters for believing in our film!”

Best Documentary Feature: Attica – co-director Stanley Nelson

“Thank you to the Academy and congratulations to my fellow nominees for Best Documentary Feature. I am so thrilled that ATTICA, a film I’ve been wanting to make for decades, has received this level of recognition and I am very thankful to the wonderful team at SHOWTIME for believing in the power of this story. It’s an immense honor to be nominated along with my fantastic collaborator Traci A. Curry. Together we strived to create a balanced and accurate account of this tragic moment in history. The story of the Attica uprising continues to resonate 50 years later in discussions around impactful prison and criminal justice reform. We are so grateful that the people who lived through these events were willing to open up to us in the way that they did and I hope we have done justice to their stories.”

Best Animated Feature: The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Mike Rianda/Director, Co-Writer, Phil Lord/Producer, Chris Miller/Producer, Kurt Albrecht/Producer

“We’d like to THANK THE ACADEMY (WHAT IS HAPPENING!??!?!?) for this nomination.

We’re so happy that our amazing team of artists and filmmakers are getting recognized for this film. Our family of hundreds of crew set out to make the most original, heartwarming, funny, surprising and groundbreaking film we could make, and to do it with the love and enthusiasm of a movie lover making her first film. 

Our art team constantly proved that you could break formulas and invent new tools to have CG animation reveal our artists’ humanity instead of hiding it. Our LGBTQ+ teammates helped us make our main character authentically queer. And all our artists infused every shot with the love and passion and infectious joy of our fellow first time filmmaker main character: Katie Mitchell.

This movie is a celebration of humanity, and we’re so grateful to the humans who made it, and just as grateful to the humans who loved it.” 

Best International Feature: The Hand of God (Italy) – director Paolo Sorrentino

“I am delighted with this nomination. For me it is already a great victory. It is a reason for emotion, because it is a prestigious recognition of the themes of the film, which are the things I believe in: irony, freedom, tolerance, pain, lightheartedness, willingness, the future, Naples and my mother. 
To get here, it took enormous teamwork. Therefore, I have to thank Netflix, Fremantle, The Apartment, the amazing actors and an unforgettable crew. And then my children and my wife, who love me in the most beautiful way: never taking me seriously.”

Best Sound: Belfast – Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri

The Belfast sound team are absolutely over the moon with this Oscar nomination. We’re so grateful to those who voted for us, and we’re so grateful to Ken for bringing us on this personal journey. We can’t wait to represent this incredible and beautiful movie at the Academy Awards alongside Judi, Ciaran, Ken and the rest of the team.

Best Sound: The Power of the Dog – Richard Flynn

“It’s absolutely thrilling to be honored with a Best Sound nomination for Power of the Dog.  The experience of bringing Thomas Savage’s extraordinary story to the screen with Jane Campion brought out the very best in the sound team and all of us chosen to collaborate on this very special film.”

Best Sound: The Power of the Dog – Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb

“We are beyond thrilled to have the work of our brilliant  sound team recognised.  It’s particularly exciting as Tara is experiencing her first baby on the day of the Oscars. A golden child!”

Best Original Score: Don’t Look Up – Nicholas Britell

“I am profoundly honored to receive this Oscar nomination for DON’T LOOK UP. This is my fourth project with Adam McKay, and it has been a real privilege to have such an amazing creative partner and friend. This truly means so much to me.”

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh

“This nomination is the most wonderful honor. It has been a joy to be on this journey and to have played a part in Jessica Chastain’s incredible transformation into Tammy Faye. We have such respect for our fellow nominees and are grateful to each and every one of our team members who played an integral part in our work. Thank you to the Academy, Board of Governors and our peers who supported this work and this brilliant nomination.”