Did AI-enhanced vocals hurt Selena Gomez’s chances for an Oscar? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
Advertisement
The highly controversial Emilia Pérez, starring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana, has once again roused a debate, and this time the potential fallout seems monumental.
Also featuring Karla Sofía Gascón in the titular role, Emilia Pérez has been a consistent headline-maker as the awards season of 2025 pushes forward. However, the film has been exposed to have utilized utilized artificial intelligence to aid Gascón in reaching specific vocal notes and refining her singing performances, thus casting shadows over the film’s performance at the forthcoming SAG, Critics Choice, BAFTA, and Academy Awards.
AI continues to be a contentious subject in Hollywood — already fueling two historic labor strikes in 2023 — and its application in Emilia Pérez may have dealt a significant blow to the film’s awards prospects. Gomez, who is fervently competing in the Best Supporting Actress category, could witness her first-ever chance at the golden statue dwindle further. The damage could be worse for Saldana, who has so far outpaced her co-star in other ceremonies, and may also find her closest shot at an Oscar endangered by this disclosure.
Gascón, the first transwoman to earn nominations at BAFTA and the Golden Globes, may also see her historic run overshadowed by the revelations. While Academy voting has already closed, meaning the controversy won’t affect the ballot in and of itself, the unregulated use of AI to enhance performances raises questions that could hinder their chances if several measures were to be taken.
Though Emilia Pérez has been securing prominent award nominations, it has also faced universal backlash. From French filmmaker Jacques Audiard’s controversial representation of Mexican culture to the stereotypical accents of its perfomers in its Spanish dialogue, the Selena Gomez-starrer has attracted negative word-of-mouth across multiple fronts.
LGBTQ advocates have also dismissed some of the themes in Emilia Pérez, adding to the growing wave of criticism and controversies. Despite these setbacks, the film has so far remained an awards-season heavyweight, stirring confusion among audiences and critics alike.
The Academy might even have let the indiscretions of Emilia Pérez slide if it weren’t for Adrien Brody’s film The Brutalist, which also faced criticism for AI-assisted performances. Editor Dávid Jancsó recently admitted to using AI to refine the Hungarian accents of Brody and others, thus jumping in the middle of the debate like a lightning rod. With Brody comfortably leading the Best Lead Actor category — his second since infamously kissing Halle Berry after emerging victorious for The Pianist — both films have now become flashpoints in Hollywood’s ongoing AI debate.
As scrutiny intensifies, industry pundits speculate that Gomez, Brody, and their respective casts and crews will face an uphill battle to secure wins in the wake of the expositions — especially since they compete against the likes of Conclave and Wicked.
