The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made a pivotal change: actors can now earn multiple Oscar nods in the same acting category. That means stars with several high-profile films in a single year — like Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt — could finally compete against themselves within a category, an outcome that wasn’t possible under historic Academy rules.
The new rule lets actors receive more than one nomination in a specific acting category at the same ceremony. Previously, regardless of how many standout roles an actor delivered, only a single nomination per performer was allowed per category, shutting out potential double Oscar nods for actors such as Brad Pitt or Penélope Cruz if they had more than one acclaimed performance in a year.
Barry Fitzgerald is still the only performer ever nominated in two categories for the same role, earning both lead and supporting actor nods for “Going My Way.” That strange bit of Oscar trivia quickly led to a crackdown—Academy rules were tightened so it wouldn’t happen again. Since then, the list of actors with multiple noteworthy performances in the same year—including Penélope Cruz, Andrew Garfield, Anne Hathaway, Sandra Hüller, and Brad Pitt—has grown. Under the updated eligibility rules, actors may now receive multiple nominations per acting category, fundamentally reshaping awards season possibilities for high-achieving actors.
Industry reaction and historical context
That seismic shift has caught Hollywood’s attention, with industry voices seeing the new standard as overdue.
With today’s compressed streaming schedules and global production cycles, actors like Brad Pitt frequently star in several major films in a single year, creating opportunities for Oscar nods in the same race. Pitt’s Oscar résumé spans acting and producing—he won Supporting Actor for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and producing honors with “12 Years a Slave” and “The Big Short.” Penélope Cruz has been acclaimed for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Nine,” yet both films ran into the old nomination cap, preventing multiple Oscar nods in the same category. According to Variety.com, for a broader look at global film industry shifts, it’s worth checking out Why Bollywood Keeps Betting on the Pan-India Blockbuster.
The rule change has been welcomed as one that finally lets highly versatile actors, like Brad Pitt and Penélope Cruz, compete fairly when they deliver multiple Oscar-worthy performances in a single year.
Industry insiders worry that marquee stars with access to buzzy projects could dominate the ballot, blocking newer talent from scoring nominations. There’s also speculation about whether the update is meant to boost Oscar telecast ratings—imagine if Pitt or Cruz are competing against themselves in the race for multiple Oscar nods.
The impact on Oscar strategy and competition
Under these new rules, top-tier actors like Brad Pitt and Penélope Cruz can now pick projects with a real chance at multiple Oscar nods in a single year—forcing studios to rethink their campaign approaches for actors seeking multiple nominations in the same race.
Pitt’s producing win for “12 Years a Slave,” his “Moneyball” nomination, and his acting victory for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” show he’s a regular on primary ballots. With the updated rule, stars with Pitt or Cruz’s broad range can now launch simultaneous campaigns for two Oscar nods in the same category, directly competing against themselves and making the competition more thrilling for actors aiming for multiple nominations.
