Oscar Nominations Announced: Beyoncé Receives Her First Nod, Will Smith, Denzel Washington & More
The Oscar nominations are in and some of our faves have been nominated, some even in the same category. The list went out this morning and it included Beyoncé, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and more. Here’s a breakdown of the Black excellence that was nominated.
King Richard has received a total of six nominations. The film starring Will Smith as Richard Williams is based on the life of Richard and how his dedication to his kids' futures helped him produce two of the most talented tennis players in the world Venus and Serena.
The nominations included Best Picture, Best Original Screen Play, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Song. Will has been nominated for Best Actor and Aunjanue Ellis, who played Richard’s wife Brandi, is up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Beyoncé, who sings the film’s song “Be Alive” received a nomination for “Best Original Song” making it the first time the hitmaker has ever been nominated for an Academy Award.
But Will isn’t the only beloved Black actor nominated for Best Actor. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington is also up for the golden trophy in the same category for his portrayal as Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is Denzel’s 10th nomination making him the most nominated Black actor in the history of the Academy Awards.
It’s been 20 years since Denzel and Will faced off in the same Oscar’s category. In 2002, the two were competing for Best Actor with Will for his portrayal as Muhammad Ali in Ali and Denzel in Training Day. Denzel took home the win, but some fans are predicting that Will may beat out the Hollywood heavyweight this time.
20 years later, Will Smith and Denzel Washington see each other going head-to-head again for Best Actor at the Oscars.
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) February 8, 2022
Last time, Washington won. This time, it's looking like Smith. #OscarNoms
Another face-off between Black actors is in the Best Supporting Actress category. As we mentioned, Aunjanue is nominated in the category, but so is Afro-Latina actress Ariana DeBose.
Ariana is nominated for her role in West Side Story. However, if she wins, she would reportedly join an exclusive club of people who have won an Oscar for playing the same role in different films, such as the person in the role before her, Rita Moreno.
The Roots’ bandmember Questlove also received a nod for Best Documentary Feature for Summer of Soul.
While there is much excitement surrounding this year’s nominees, there are also some disappointments. Many fans are outraged over Jennifer Hudson not being nominated for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect.
Jennifer Hudson deserved it too.. don't u think ?? https://t.co/gSwkkdpc1I
— The Flawed One (@_TheFlawed0ne) February 8, 2022
Jennifer Hudson should’ve been nominated for Best Actress. Where’s the respect? #Oscars pic.twitter.com/NpFNpONi59
— THEE Stephanie. (@qsteph) February 8, 2022
This year, the Academy Awards will be produced by Will Packer and xoNecole parent company, Will Packer Media. It takes place Sunday, March 27 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Featured image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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Featured image by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock