Tár and Elvis were both completely shut out at the 2023 Oscars. Both films—two very different films about music—were nominated for Best Picture, which was won by Everything Everywhere All at Once. Austin Butler lost Best Actor to The Whale’s Brendan Fraser, while Cate Blanchett lost Best Actress to Michelle Yeoh. Tár’s Todd Field lost Best Director and Best Original Screenplay to Everything Everywhere All at Once writers and directors the Daniels.
Both films were nominated for Best Cinematography (won by All Quiet on the Western Front) and Best Editing (won by Everything Everywhere All at Once). Elvis also came up short for Best Sound (won by Top Gun: Maverick), Best Production Design (All Quiet on the Western Front), Best Makeup and Hairstyling (The Whale), and Best Costume Design (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).
In January, Butler and Blanchett both won Golden Globes for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. Both Butler and Blanchett won BAFTA Awards this year. Todd Field’s Tár is the story of fictional EGOT-winning composer Lydia Tár (Blanchett), who becomes mired in scandal. Elvis is Baz Luhrmann’s flashy Elvis Presley biopic told from the perspective of Col. Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks).
Follow all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2023 Oscars. Read “What This Year’s Oscars Showdown Between Tár and Elvis Tells Us About the State of Music Movies.”
