Spain’s Karla Sofia Gascon becomes first trans actress to get an Oscar nomination

KARLA Sofia Gascon has become only the second Spanish actress to get a Best Actress nomination for the Oscars as well as the first transgender actress to be nominated.

The 2025 shortlist was declared on Thursday and the 52-year-old Madrid-born star of the Spanish language musical-drama Emilia Perez was on it.

The only other Spanish actress to reach similar heights was Penelope Cruz- four times.

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She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2019 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Karla Sofia Gascon’s rivals this year will be Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance) and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here).

Moore- based on her Golden Globes victory this month- is the favourite to win on March 2.

Gascon will be the only Spanish presence at the 97th Oscars.

Pedro Almodovar’s The Room Next Door starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore failed to get any nominations.

Emilia Perez picked up 13 nominations followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 each.