Ryan Gosling and Celine Song are among the Canadians vying for Oscars tonight at a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles.
Gosling’s turn as Ken in the summer blockbuster “Barbie” is up for a best supporting actor trophy, while writer-director Celine Song’s debut feature “Past Lives” is nominated in the best picture and best original screenplay categories.
“I’m Just Ken,” a power ballad Gosling sings in the movie – and is set to perform live at the Oscars – is also competing in the best original song category.
Toronto-born musician Robbie Robertson, who died last year at age 80, was nominated for his original score for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” while the National Film Board of Canada’s “To Kill a Tiger,” helmed by Toronto-based director Nisha Pahuja, is up for best documentary feature.
Also nominated is Nova Scotia filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, who received a best short documentary nod for co-directing “The Last Repair Shop;” and Quebec director-screenwriter Vincent René-Lortie, whose film “Invincible” is nominated in the live action short category.
The 96th Academy Awards show, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, is set to begin at 7 p.m. EDT — one hour earlier than usual — and will broadcast live on ABC and CTV.
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, “Oppenheimer,” leads the pack with 13 nominations, including for best picture, director and acting nods for its stars Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt.
Other major contenders in several categories include “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things.”
— With files from The Associated Press