Oscars have me eating Elton’s hat

THE Oscar nominations have shamed the BAFTA shortlists by making a best actress contender of Cynthia Erivo, for her fantastic performance as a 19th-century abolitionist in Harriet (pictured). What Erivo has to do to nudge her own countryfolk into recognising her talent, heaven only knows.

But that doesn’t mean the American Academy voters aren’t guilty of some oversights. Making Little Women a nominee for best adapted screenplay and two acting awards, but not recognising Greta Gerwig as a potential best director, is mystifying. I hate tokenism, but nobody could have been accused of posturing by including Gerwig — she made a glorious film.

As it is, the anomaly remains that only five female directors have ever been nominated in the entire history of the Oscars, with only one winner (Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010). If you think that’s because just five women have deserved it, I’m afraid you’re wrong.

As for other quirks of this year’s nominations, the best supporting actor category either venerates experience, or shows that voters have precious little imagination. The average age of the five world-famous contenders is 71, with Brad Pitt the relative greenhorn at 56.

Let me add one more lament: that Julian Day, the designer of all those extraordinary costumes in Rocketman, didn’t receive an Oscar nod. I wrote last year if he didn’t get a nomination, I’d eat his hat. If he’d like to send me one, I’ll have a go.