The Obamas, Charlize Theron and other Oscar nominees celebrate their good news
Hours after Issa Rae and John Cho announced the 2020 Oscar nominations Monday morning, the lucky nominees took to social media to share their gratitude.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed contenders in 24 categories, including best picture, actor and actress in a leading role, director and more. Films vying for the coveted best picture award include “Ford v Ferrari,” “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “1917,” “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” and “Parasite” — many of which also picked up nods in the acting and creative races.
Todd Phillips’ “Joker” leads the pack going into next month’s ceremony with 11 nominations, including recognition for star Joaquin Phoenix. Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Sam Mendes’ World War I drama “1917" and Quentin Tarantino’s L.A. love letter, “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,” were close behind with 10 nods apiece.
The hostless 92nd Academy Awards are set for Feb. 9 at L.A.'s Dolby Theatre. Here are some of the grateful and excited reactions from the morning’s nominees and talent involved in the projects.
Barack and Michelle Obama, ‘American Factory’ producers
Glad to see American Factory’s Oscar nod for Best Documentary. It’s the kind of story we don’t see often enough and it’s exactly what Michelle and I hope to achieve with Higher Ground. Congrats to the incredible filmmakers and entire team!
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 13, 2020
So thrilled that Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar, and all of the incredible people behind #AmericanFactory are nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar! We’re so proud of them and amazed by their talent for storytelling. See for yourself now on @Netflix. pic.twitter.com/pLEE5zg0gr
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 13, 2020
Matthew A. Cherry, ‘Hair Love’ creator
Wow! And to have @IssaRae announce it! It feels like a dream. Huge thanks to our great team @BruceAlmighteee @Mr_Scribbles @KDRupe @Monica_aYoung @DanielDCrawford @LionForgeDave @CarlForge @lionforge our kickstarter backers & @SonyAnimation for believing in us. @TheAcademy pic.twitter.com/2sVn7LqWk9
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) January 13, 2020
Antonio Banderas, ‘Pain and Glory’ star
Two nominations for #PainAndGlory from Academy Awards. Congratulations team!!! Very excited. Thank you @TheAcademy !
— Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) January 13, 2020
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Enhorabuena equipo!!! Dos nominaciones a los Oscars para #DolorYGloria#oscarsnoms #oscars @sonyclassics @eldeseo pic.twitter.com/hUwSNQHbcV
Todd Phillips, ‘Joker’ director
“Joker began as an idea, an experiment really — could we take an “indie approach” to a studio film by inverting it into a character study to reflect the world around us? Explore what we’re seeing and feeling in society, from the lack of empathy to the effects of the absence of love. I am deeply honored by the overwhelming recognition of the Academy this morning, and I want to thank the genius that is Joaquin Phoenix, and all my incredible collaborators. We are beyond humbled that our peers in the filmmaking community have embraced the film and its message.”
Hildur Guðnadóttir, ‘Joker’ composer
“I’m truly honored and proud to be recognized with an Academy Award nomination for my work on JOKER. Being invited into this illustrious group of talent and getting to take part in telling this story means the world to me. Todd Phillips is a master of his craft and it was wonderful to experience how he trusts and empowers his collaborators so they can deliver their best work possible. We see that in the way every element of the film has its space to shine, because he gives each element real weight. The brightest shining of those of course being Joaquin Phoenix´s performance, which was simply otherworldly. I’m grateful for having been invited on this journey of a lifetime with them and I congratulate all of my fellow nominees on their nominations.”
Sam Mendes, ‘1917' director
“I couldn’t be more thrilled. This movie was a labour of love for many people - myself included - so to see it recognised in this way is very moving for all of us. I would like to thank the Academy on behalf of my fellow producers, and on behalf of every single person who put their heart and soul into this film. Thank you.”
Josh Cooley, director, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera, producers, ‘Toy Story 4'
“Working on Toy Story 4 has been an incredible journey and a tremendous honor. We love these characters so much - they are like family to us. Our goal was to tell a story that explored the idea that our purpose is a moving target. It’s humbling how that message resonated with audiences around the world. We hope people have found it not only to be entertaining, but thoughtful as well. Of course it’s also a film about toys, which hopefully helps imbue the experience with humor and fun as well as emotional depth. But for us, and our entire crew, when we receive an honor like today’s two nominations, it’s clear our purpose is to strive to tell great stories. Thank you Academy for this recognition - to infinity and beyond!”
Anthony Hopkins, ‘The Two Popes’ star
Thank you to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
— Anthony Hopkins (@AnthonyHopkins) January 13, 2020
It is a great honor to be nominated. #TheAcademy #Oscars #TheTwoPopes #Netflix pic.twitter.com/MUUmyPPoKb
Rian Johnson, ‘Knives Out’ screenwriter
That is a helluva list of writers, very honored & proud to be up there with them. Love & so much gratitude to my fellow writers in @TheAcademy. Mostly though this sums up my reaction: pic.twitter.com/0BGwiwwIjG
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 13, 2020
Margot Robbie, ‘Bombshell’ star

Charlize Theron, ‘Bombshell’ star
“Making BOMBSHELL is one of the great highlights of my career. Thank you to my fellow producers, our incredible director Jay Roach and our brilliant screenwriter Charles Randolph, and a multi-talented group of actors and artists who gave 100% of themselves in making this film.”
Randy Newman, ‘Toy Story 4' songwriter
“I’m very happy. I loved working with Josh Cooley on Toy Story 4. I’m proud of this song. I like it as well as any song I’ve written for a movie. I hope it wins.”
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, ‘Frozen 2' songwriter
We are deeply grateful to @TheAcademy for our nomination this morning. There would be no “Into The Unknown” without Chris Buck and @alittlejelee and the incredible family of artists and storytellers @DisneyAnimation.
— Kristen Anderson-Lopez (@Lyrikris10) January 13, 2020
Laura Dern, ‘Marriage Story’ and ‘Little Women’ star
Cynthia Erivo, ‘Harriet’ star
Song Kang Ho, ‘Parasite’ star
The sign you're a global superstar: you don't spill your coffee when your film is nominated for Best Picture.
— NEON (@neonrated) January 13, 2020
Song Kang Ho... RESPECT#OscarNoms #ParasiteMovie @TheAcademy pic.twitter.com/rfGlzaCdpc
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