Ariana Grande and Demi Moore Among First-Time Oscar Nominees for 2025

There are 13 first-time nominees among the list of hopefuls at the 2025 Oscars. For some, their nomination aligns with their grand entrance into the larger film landscape. Among those are breakout stars Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Mikey Madison (Anora) and Yura Borisov (Anora), as well as Ariana Grande, whose role as Glinda in Wicked marked her first major foray into the world of cinema.

There are others, however, for whom their earning their first Oscar nomination in 2025 might come as a surprise. Those veterans who are finally reaping the Oscar rewards of already impressive careers are Isabella Rossellini (Conclave), Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez), Demi Moore (The Substance), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) and Guy Pearce (The Brutalist). Among this group is Fernanda Torres, a 59-year-old actress who has been a beloved figure in her home country of Brazil but only recently gained international recognition with her role in I’m Still Here.

"This nomination marks only the second time an actress from Brazil has been nominated in the Best Actress category—and, in an especially touching twist, the first actress was Fernanda’s own mother," said Fernanda Torres.

Other first-time nominees include Succession alums Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)—the former onscreen brothers once again facing off, this time in the Actor in a Supporting Role category—Karla Sofía Gascón as well as Emilia Pérez’s.

Heading into the Oscars, there are a few nominees who have already won this award season—and, in turn, may be shoe-ins at the Academy Awards. Kieran, Demi, and Zoe each swept the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and SAG Awards in their categories.

The Best Directing category is also an interesting one. The five nominees—Sean Baker (Anora), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), James Mangold (A Complete Unknown), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) and Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)—have each never been nominated in the category before.

But before the awards are handed out on March 2, keep reading to learn more about each of the first-time Oscar nominees and their categories.