Academy Awards nominations 2023: Where did the Oscar nominees go to university?
The film professionals nominated for Academy Awards for movies they have directed, produced, acted in, written and edited are a mixed bunch: these are the universities in the running to win the alumni Oscars
- Careers
- Rankings for Students
Share
This year marks the 95th anniversary of the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, and we’ve taken a look at where the 2023 nominees went to university to prep themselves for a career in the film industry.
Although some of the talent did not attend university, choosing instead to dive straight into work, there are 115 universities, theatre schools and specialist schools from all over the world on this year’s list.
Unsurprisingly, universities and colleges in North America and the UK are well represented, but universities in India, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Mexico also feature.
It is also important to note that universities and theatre schools were still included in this list even if the nominee dropped out part way through their course or transferred to another university during their degree programme – and some of the nominees’ education information was not available online at the time of publication.
New York University: eight nominated alumni
New York University has produced the highest number of nominees this year, with an incredible eight nominees. It’s important to note that six of these nominees attended the university’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, which is a well-known institution for producing successful artists, film-makers and creatives.
NYU alumni span a range of categories, including acting (Stephanie Hsu for the genre-bending Everything Everywhere All at Once), two nominations for animated feature film (Dean Fleischer Camp and Paul Mezey for the heart-warming animated tale Marcel the Shell with Shoes on) and music (Lady Gaga for action-packed Top Gun: Maverick).
Author and playwright Tony Kushner is nominated twice for Best Picture and Writing (Original Screenplay) for the coming-of-age drama The Fabelmans, which is loosely based on the life of director Steven Spielberg.
| Alumnus | Film | Nomination |
| Stephanie Hsu | Everything Everywhere All At Once | Best supporting actress |
| Dean Fleischer Camp | Marcel the Shell with Shoes on | Animated feature film |
| Paul Mezey | Marcel the Shell with Shoes on | Animated feature film |
| Darius Khondji | Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | Cinematography |
| Lady Gaga | Top Gun: Maverick | Music (original song) |
| Tony Kushner | The Fabelmans | Best picture and Writing (original screenplay) |
| Edward Berger | All Quiet on the Western Front | Writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Ehren Kruger | Top Gun: Maverick | Writing (adapted screenplay) |
Yale University: five nominated alumni
Producing five nominated alumni, Yale University is regularly top of the list for producing Oscar-nominated alumni. Three of the nominees studied for a master’s at the Yale School of Drama.
One of them is Angela Bassett, who first completed her undergraduate degree in African American studies at the Ivy League institution, then gained a master’s in fine arts.
Actress Frances McDormand (who graduated from the Yale School of Drama with a master’s in fine arts) has previously won four Oscars, three for acting and one for producing. This year, she is nominated for her role in producing Women Talking.
| Alumnus | Film | Nomination |
| Brian Tyree Henry | Causeway | Actor in a supporting role |
| Angela Bassett | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Actress in a supporting role |
| Paul Mezey | Marcel the Shell with Shoes on | Animated feature film |
| Frances McDormand | Women Talking | Best picture |
Columbia University: four nominated alumni
Another New York institution to make this list, Columbia University, also produced four of the nominees this year.
Tony Kushner received his BA in medieval studies from Columbia University, before he went on to study at the Tisch School of the Arts.
American film producer Dede Gardner gained her undergraduate degree in English at Columbia University. She is a two-time Oscar winner, for 12 Years a Slave and for Moonlight, making her the first woman to win two Oscars for Best Picture. If she wins this year, she will make it a hat-trick for the Best Picture award.
| Alumnus | Film | Nomination |
| Joshua Seftel | Stranger at the Gate | Documentary short film |
| Tony Kushner | The Fabelmans | Best picture and Writing (original screenplay) |
| Dede Gardner | Women Talking | Best picture |
| Justin Marks | Top Gun: Maverick | Writing (adapted screenplay) |
University of Southern California: four nominated alumni
Nominated actor Ke Huy Quan attended the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts. After his family fled Vietnam in 1970s, he became a child actor at the age of 12, starring in The Goonies and Indiana Jones at the Temple of Doom. He quit acting after finding it difficult to find roles and went on to pursue his studies and work on the production side. He returned to acting in 2018, and this is his first Academy Award nomination.
Ludwig Goransson is a composer and producer, known for scoring a range of films and collaborating with a range of musical artists including Childish Gambino, Travis Scott and Adele. His first film score was for Fruitvale Station, which was directed by fellow USC alum Ryan Coogler.
| Alumnus | Film | Nomination |
| Ke Huy Quan | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Actor in a supporting role |
| Ludwig Goransson | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Music (original song) |
| David Ellison | Top Gun: Maverick | Best picture |
| Rian Johnson | Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Writing (adapted screenplay) |
