The 2023 Oscar nominations for Best Director have been announced, and the list is filled with some incredible talent. Todd Field has been nominated for his work on “TAR,” and Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert are up for “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.” Martin McDonagh has been recognized for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Ruben Östlund for “Triangle of Sadness,” and Steven Spielberg for “The Fabelmans.”
What makes this year’s nominations particularly interesting is that every Best Director nominee is also in the running for Best Original Screenplay. This is the first time in Oscar history that this has happened. All but Östlund, who did not produce his film, are included in the Best Picture category as well.
McDonagh is no stranger to the Oscars, having previously been recognized for “In Bruges” (2009) and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2018). Field, on the other hand, is new to the original screenplay category but has two past adapted screenplay nominations for “In the Bedroom” (2002) and “Little Children” (2007).
Kwan, who is of Chinese descent, has made history as the ninth Asian director to be nominated in this category. If he wins, he will become the first Asian American to receive the prize. The Best Director category has previously been won by Asian-born directors Ang Lee (Taiwan; “Brokeback Mountain,” 2006, and “Life of Pi,” 2013), Bong Joon-ho (Korea; “Parasite,” 2020), and Chloé Zhao (China; “Nomadland,” 2021).
It will be interesting to see who takes home the award for Best Director at the 2023 Oscars. With such a talented group of nominees, the competition is sure to be fierce. The 95th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place tonight at 8pm (EDT).