Opinion: I Have Mixed Thoughts On One Of Avatar&x27;s Oscar Nominations Zak WojnarFri, January 23, 2026 at 2:07 AM UTC 0 The Oscar nominations are out and everyone's excited. Sinner's has a record number of nominations, and One Battle After Another is also heavily nominated. For me, personally, I'm not an Oscars guy. I watch every year, but more for the pageantry and pretty dresses and funny monologues from the hosts. Maybe it's because I've never been nominated for an award. If that ever happens, maybe I'll be more invested in who actually wins these things.
Opinion: I Have Mixed Thoughts On One Of Avatar's Oscar Nominations
Zak WojnarFri, January 23, 2026 at 2:07 AM UTC
0
The Oscar nominations are out and everyone's excited. Sinner's has a record number of nominations, and One Battle After Another is also heavily nominated. For me, personally, I'm not an Oscars guy. I watch every year, but more for the pageantry and pretty dresses and funny monologues from the hosts. Maybe it's because I've never been nominated for an award. If that ever happens, maybe I'll be more invested in who actually wins these things.
Anyway, the nomination I want to look at here is in the category of Best Costume Design. The nominees are Sinners, Marty Supreme, Hamnet, Frankenstein, and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Upon learning this, my gut instinct was, "Cool." But after thinking about it for a couple more seconds, I thought, "Does Avatar really count?"
20th Century Studios (20th Century Studios)
Every character in Avatar that's not a straight-up human is portrayed by CGI, with the actors using cutting-edge motion capture technology to translate their performances from flesh and blood acting into the computer-rendered characters who are completely believable to the average eye, entirely bypassing the infamous uncanny valley.
On set, the actors perform in motion capture suits adorned with 3D tracking balls. Likewise, they have cameras mounted to their face that capture every pore, every wrinkle, and every twitching nerve. In the film itself, the characters seamlessly blend into the world, combining the actors' performances with the production design and the tremendous work done by hundreds of CGI artists.
Through it all, the question that lingers in my mind is, "if a costume is CGI, is it still a costume?" It's a fair question. I don't know how the costuming works in Avatar. Does Deborah L. Scott design and create costumes for all the Na'vi characters? Does she dress Na'vi-shaped mannequins that then get scanned into a computer and turned into CGI models? If that's how it works, then yeah, I suppose it makes sense for Avatar to get nominated for a Best Costume Design Oscar.
Advertisement
On the other hand, if we only get to see a simulation of cloth, is that less valid than clothing in movies that don't employ fully CGI characters? Looking back at previous years, it's hard to find a proper comparison to Avatar: Fire and Ash, simply because there's no other movie series that uses so much CGI imagery while still remaining "live action." Sure, lots of movies use tons of CGI imagery, but Avatar is on a whole other level. Comparing to the likes of Star Wars or The Avengers simply isn't 'apples to apples.'
The costumes in Avatar: Fire and Ash are beautiful, but I fear that the CGI of it all will prevent the Academy voters from fully acknowledging the artistry of Deborah L. Scott and her team in creating the fashion of Pandora. When Academy voters think of the costumes in Avatar, I have a sinking feeling they won't think of the flowing robes of the Wind Trader leader or the tight straps of the Ash Clan's warriors. They'll think of the fatigues of the RDF soldiers and Giovanni Ribisi's boxer shorts, and dismiss the alien characters as "visual effects." I'm not saying that should be the case, but my hunch is that it will almost certainly be the case. There is a misunderstanding of - and prejudice towards - CGI, as though it's an easy substitute for in-camera imagery and a quick fix to avoid tangible filmmaking. Cinema enthusiasts know that's obviously not the case, but academy voters aren't always so well-informed.
In the end, I don't really care who wins. Avatar: Fire and Ash has grossed $1.3 billion at the box office and it's not done yet. It's already a big winner. Just by being nominated for Costume Design, Avatar has accomplished its mission: to legitimize CGI as a legitimate part of the filmmaking process. It's not a shortcut, and it's not a cheat. It's a way to fully realize the depths and wonders of a filmmaker's imagination.
Related: What Will Avatar 4 Be About?
This story was originally published by TV Squad on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Movies section. Add TV Squad as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 23, 2026 at 12:45AM on Source: OPERA MAG
#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle
