5 things to note from Academy Award nominations, including 'La La Land' dominance

Another year of Oscar noms is in the books. Here are five things that caught my bleary eye when the honorees were announced.

1. The #oscarssowhite hashtag should be a little less active this year. These nominees are among the most colorful ever, led by the supporting actress nominees, which includes three black women: Viola Davis (Fences) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight). Davis became the first black actress to earn three career nominations. Bradford Young (Arrival) is the first black cinematographer to ever be nominated.

Fences' Denzel Washington was also nominated, for best actor, and the film was nominated for best picture. Ruth Negga scored a best actress nomination for Loving (while her costar, Joel Edgerton, was shut out). Moonlight's Mahershala Ali was nominated for best supporting actor, as was the British-Indian Dev Patel (Lion).

2. La La Land joined some elite company, tying the record set by Titanic and All About Eve with 14 nominations, including best picture, best director (Damien Chazelle), best actor (Ryan Gosling) and best actress (Emma Stone). Is it really that good? Yeah, it is.

3. Mel Gibson is apparently back in the club. His anti-Semitic rants left him in the wilderness for a few years, but his war drama Hacksaw Ridge earned him a nod for best director, and the movie was nominated for best picture. The film's star, Andrew Garfield, was nominated for best actor.

4. Silence wasn't golden. Marin Scorsese's religious epic got just one nomination, for cinematography. (I had it one spot above La La Land, at No. 4, on my 2016 Top 10. But they didn't ask me).

5. The whole live stream only/no TV nominations announcement? Really bad idea. We are creatures of habit. We want to turn on the tube and watch the show, not just follow the news on Twitter. And unlike a lot of people who care about the Oscars, I actually like Twitter. Sometimes the wheel needn't be reinvented.

BEST PICTURE 

"La La Land" 

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BEST DIRECTOR 

Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"

Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight"

Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester by the Sea"

Denis Villeneuve, "Arrival"

Mel Gibson "Hacksaw Ridge"

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BEST ACTRESS 

Emma Stone, "La La Land"  

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BEST ACTOR 

Casey Affleck, "Manchester by the Sea"  

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

Viola Davis, "Fences" 

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

Mahershala Ali, "Moonlight" 

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Oscar Best Animated Feature Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Awards History

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

"Moonlight" 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 

"Manchester by the Sea" 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

"La La Land"

"Moonlight"

"Arrival"

"Lion"

"Silence"