Martin Scorsese breaks record after 10th Oscar nomination, surpasses Steven Spielberg

Martin Scorsese has been nominated for his film 'Killers of the Flower Moon'. (Image: Martin Scorsese/Instagram)

Hollywood director Martin Scorsese scripted history after earning the most number of Oscar nominations for best director than anyone alive. Scorsese has been nominated for his film “Killers of the Flower Moon” starring Lily Gladstone, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, in key roles.

Scorsese now has 10 best director nominations, surpassing Steven Spielberg, who has nine. The 81-year-old has won in the category just once, for 2006’s “The Departed”. However, Spielberg has won the Academy Award in the same category twice – once for 1994’s “Schindler’s List” and 1999’s “Saving Private Ryan”.

William Wyler, on the other hand, was nominated 12 times and won thrice for films such as “Ben-Hur”. Wyler died in 1981, at age 79.

Other contenders for best director this year include Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”) and Jonathan Glazer (“Zone of Interest”). Greta Gerwig was snubbed at the Oscars for “Barbie”.

Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” has also been nominated for best picture. Meanwhile, Lily Gladstone is the first-ever native American to earn an Oscar nomination. Robert De Niro has also received a nomination for his performance.

"It’s deeply gratifying 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. "It was a remarkable experience to make this picture, to work together with the Osage community to tell the story of a genuine American tragedy, hidden in the shadows of official culture for far too long."