All The LGBTQ Nominees At The 2023 Oscars
From Tony Kushner to Nan Goldin to Stephanie Hsu, here's a look at the LGBTQ artists nominated for an 2023 Oscar.
At the upcoming Academy Awards – slated to air live this coming Sunday, March 12 – there are a number of films nominated that include LGBTQ characters or themes, such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Whale, and Tár, among others. Looking at the actual list of people up for the awards, however, shows that only a handful of LGBTQ artists are in the running for prizes.
In fact, it appears that only five talents who identify as LGBTQ (or who appear to be, in one instance) are nominated this time around. That is still an improvement from some other ceremonies, but hopefully, there’s more opportunity coming up for LGBTQ actors, writers, directors, and others.
Here’s a look at all five LGBTQ artists currently nominated for an Oscar.
Lady Gaga
Nominated For: Best Original Song
Gaga is headed to the Oscars once again this year, returning to see if she wins another trophy with her fourth nomination. The pop superstar has been up for Best Original Song three times in her career – including this year for penning “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. The bisexual singer-songwriter took home this trophy a few ceremonies back after co-writing and co-composing “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
Nan Goldin
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Photographer, activist, and writer Nan Goldin is nominated for her first Academy Award this year for her work on the film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which is all about her fight with the powerful Sackler family, known for pushing opioids onto the American public.
In an interview published years ago, she identified as pansexual, though her sexuality is sometimes labeled as bisexual.
Stephanie Hsu
Nominated For: Best Supporting Actress
At first glance, Everything Everywhere All At Once seems like an unlikely contender at the Oscars, but it will enter the ceremony on Sunday with the most chances to win, as the title is up for 11 trophies. Among that long list of potential champions is Stephanie Hsu, who is actually up against her co-star Jamie Lee Curtis for the same prize.
Hsu appears to be a member of the LGBTQ community, and she speaks on her identity from time to time. In an interview with Out about the film, she stated, “When I read the script, a queer love story felt so obvious, an Asian family is so obvious, because that’s also my life.” The Oscars also included Hsu on its own list of 15 LGBTQ+ Filmmakers and Actors on The Rise.
Tony Kushner
Nominated For: Best Original Screenplay & Best Picture
Among the few LGBTQ people nominated for Oscars this year, only one has two chances to win. Tony Kushner is up for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture, as he both co-wrote and co-produced the Steven Spielberg (a longtime collaborator) film The Fabelmans.
Kushner, who is openly gay and married to writer Mark Harris, has been nominated for four Academy Awards (including this latest windfall), and 2023 may be the year he finally earns a long-overdue honor.
Laura Poitras
Nominated For: Best Documentary Feature
Laura Poitras is nominated for Best Documentary Feature for All the Beauty and the Bloodshed alongside the movie’s subject, Nan Goldin. While information about her personal life is tougher to come across than Goldin’s, it appears that Poitras might be a member of the LGBTQ community, based on her work and the publications she’s spoken to in the past.
Poitras is a three-time nominee in this category, winning on her second attempt with Citizenfour, which is all about Edward Snowden and the NSA’s spying abilities.
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