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From left: director Martin Scorsese and composer John Williams.
CNN –
Someone forgot to tell Martin Scorsese and John Williams about the oft-lamented problem of ageism in Hollywood.
The famed director and composer both broke new Oscar records on Tuesday when the nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were announced.
With his best director nomination for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the 81-year-old Scorsese became the oldest nominee in the category previously held by John Huston, who was 79 when he was nominated for “Prizzi's Honor” in 1985.
It was Scorsese's 10th nomination in the category, putting him two behind current record holder William Wyler, who had 12 best director nominations before his death in 1981.
“It is a great pleasure to receive this recognition from the Academy, for myself and for so many of my collaborators on 'Killers of the Flower Moon,'” Scorsese said in a statement to CNN.
“It was a remarkable experience making this film and collaborating with the Osage community to tell the story of a real American tragedy that has remained hidden in the shadows of official culture for far too long,” the director added. “I only wish Robbie Robertson had lived to see his work recognized – our long-standing friendship and Robbie's growing awareness of his own native heritage played a crucial role in my desire to bring this film to the screen.”
Robertson, a co-founder of The Band who collaborated with Scorsese as a composer on several films including “Killers of the Flower Moon,” died in August at age 80.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” received a total of 10 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Lily Gladstone, Best Supporting Actor for frequent Scorsese collaborator Robert De Niro and Best Original Score.
In this final category, Scorsese's project competes against another record holder.
Legendary composer John Williams' work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny earned him his 49th Academy Award nomination for original score. With a total of 54 Oscar nominations in his career, including Original Song, Williams has more Oscar nominations than any other living person.
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs the awards ceremony, the late Walt Disney held the overall record with 59 Oscar nominations.
The academy also noted that Williams, best known for his work on the “Star Wars” franchise, is the oldest nominee in a competitive awards category at 91 years old.