Netflix’s ‘Roma’ nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture and director

Netflix and Hulu will both have films in the running at the Academy Awards this year. Netflix changed its rules for theatrical releases to give “Roma” a better chance during awards season and it paid off today when the Alfonso Cuarón film was nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture and best director. Netflix’s “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” directed by Ethan and Joel Coen, received three nominations.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominees this morning for the ceremony, which will take place on Feb. 24. “Roma,” Netflix’s first best picture nominee, is also in the running for best leading actress (Yalitza Aparcio), original screenplay (by Cuarón), cinematography, production design, foreign language film, sound editing, sound mixing, and best supporting actress (Marina De Tavira).

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” was nominated for best adapted screenplay (by the Coen brothers), original song, and costuming.

Hulu’s “Minding the Gap” is competing for best documentary feature, while Netflix’s “End Game” was nominated for best documentary short subject. Out of the three big streaming services, only Amazon didn’t get any nominations, but it also didn’t have any major film releases this year.

“Roma” will be up against “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book,” “A Star is Born,” and “Vice” for best picture.

The other films with the most nominations were “The Favourite,” which tied with “Roma” for 10; “A Star is Born” and “Vice,” both with eight; “Black Panther” with seven; and “BlacKkKlansman” with six. “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Green Book” each received five nominations.

Netflix changed its theatrical release policy to allow theaters an exclusive release window for “Roma,” which won Golden Globes for best foreign language film and best director earlier this month. It had previously insisted that movies could only be released in theaters if they premiered on its streaming service at the same time. This meant few theaters were willing to carry Netflix films, hurting their chances for major nominations. After the rule change, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” was also given an exclusive theatrical run in some markets, as was “Bird Box.”

The entire list of Oscar nominees is here.