Cuarón Scores Two Academy Award Nods, Plus Other Latinos Who Nabbed 2014 Oscar Noms

Actor Chris Hemsworth and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the 2014 Oscar nominations on Thursday morning from Los Angeles. The nods come in advance of the 86th annual Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Ellen DeGeneres will emcee the event.

Alfonso Cuarón, shown at right, nabbed a nomination for Best Direction for the film Gravity. He also received a second nomination for Best Film Editing (with Mark Sanger) for the same film. Other Latinos nominated include Emmanuel Lubezki for his cinematography of Gravity; Esteban Crespo for Best Live Action Short Film for Aquel no era yo (That Wasn't Me); and Daniel Sousa for Best Animated Short Film for his work Feral. In addition, Mexican-born Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work on 12 Years A Slave. Finally, Areito Echevarria will receive (along with the team of Colin Doncaster, Johannes Saam, Janne Kohtkanen and Chris Cooper will receive a Special Academy Certificate of Technical Achievement, which will be presented as part of the Academy Awards Annual Scientific and Technical Awards presentation, to take place on Saturday, February 15, 2014, also in Hollywood, California.

The Academy Awards, commonly known as The Oscars, are U.S. awards for achievements in the film industry. Winners are awarded the statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit. The awards, first presented in 1929, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).