Southwest Ohio and its deep well of homegrown creative talent are prominently represented in this year’s Academy Award nominations. Artists with roots across the region – from Cincinnati to Eaton – earned recognition in three major categories, reflecting the region’s ongoing influence on national filmmaking and storytelling.
Regionally linked Oscar nominees include:
- Hannah Beachler, nominated for Best Production Design for “Sinners”
- Bryce Dessner, nominated for Best Original Song for “Train Dreams”
- Jack Piatt, producer of “The Singers,” nominated for Best Live Action Short Film
Below are details on each and their work.
“We are incredibly proud to see Hannah recognized once again at the highest level,” said Kristen Schlotman, president and CEO of Film Cincinnati, a nonprofit that promotes the Cincinnati region as a prime location for film, TV, and commercial productions. “Her work continues to inspire filmmakers across our region and demonstrates the lasting impact of the talent that has built their careers here.
“We also congratulate Bryce and Jack on their nominations and celebrate the continued presence of Ohio voices in the national film conversation.”
Meet the nominees
Hannah Beachler, Best Production Design
Academy Award winner Hannah Beachler leads Ohio’s representation this year with her second nomination for Best Production Design. Her career is closely tied to Cincinnati’s film community.
Beachler’s connection to the region began with one of her first major feature credits on Don Cheadle’s “Miles Ahead,” filmed in Cincinnati. She returned for Todd Haynes’s “Dark Waters,” further cementing her ties to local crews and production teams. Schlotman noted Beachler also helped train and mentor Cincinnati’s growing production workforce during these years.
Beachler made history with her Oscar win for Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther,” becoming the first Black woman to receive the award for Production Design. Her latest nomination for “Sinners,” also directed by Coogler, reflects “both her individual excellence and the role Cincinnati played in the early development of her career,” Schlotman said.
Best Production Design nominees: “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners”
Bryce Dessner, Best Original Song
Composer, performer and Cincinnati native Bryce Dessner earned his first Oscar nomination for the title song of “Train Dreams.”
Dessner grew up in Cincinnati and attended Cincinnati Country Day School before co-founding The National with his brother Aaron. Despite his international reach, he has stayed connected to the city through projects like the Homecoming contemporary music festival and his MusicNOW festival with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
His film work spans nearly two decades. In 2007, music by his ensemble Clogs appeared in “Turn the River.” He and Aaron co-composed the score for “Big Sur” and later “Transpecos,” which won the Audience Award at South by Southwest. Dessner also scored Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “The Revenant,” earning Golden Globe and Grammy nominations and contributed to Netflix’s “The Two Popes.”
For “Train Dreams,” Dessner wrote a score he described as capturing “a wide range of feelings that might otherwise be impossible to articulate in words.” He also collaborated with musician Nick Cave on the film’s title song, blending his own musical ideas with Cave’s lyrics and melody.
“All that makes it feel really wonderful to participate in a project like this,” Dessner told Netflix, reflecting on the film’s visuals, performances and landscape.
Schlotman described Dessner as having become one of the most sought after composers in contemporary music. “His nomination underscores the global reach of artists shaped in this region and highlights Cincinnati’s influence on the international creative landscape,” she added.
Best Original Song nominees: “Dear Me” (Relentless), “Golden” (KPop Demon Hunters), “I Lied To You” (Sinners), “Sweet Dreams of Joy” (Viva Verdi!) and “Train Dreams” (Train Dreams)
Jack Piatt, Best Live Action Short Film
Eaton native Jack Piatt was nominated as a producer of “The Singers.”
Piatt grew up outside Dayton, served in the military, and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism and media management from Southern Illinois University. He worked as a journalist, photographer and editor before moving to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking, gaining experience in nearly every department on a film set.
He co-founded Highway West Entertainment and serves as managing partner at Jammcard Films, which Forbes called a “musician’s LinkedIn.” Piatt has produced documentaries including “Far Behind: The Candlebox Story,” “Immediate Family,” “Trap Jazz” and “I Need You – 53 Years of The Band America.” He also contributed to major films such as “Gone Girl” and “Hail, Caesar!” before focusing on producing and directing his own projects.
Schlotman described Piatt’s Oscar nomination as part of a “growing list of Ohio-born filmmakers contributing to acclaimed projects across the industry.”
Best Live Action Short Film nominees: “Butcher’s Stain,” “A Friend of Dorothy,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva”
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