As one president seizes control of the Trump-Kennedy Center (né Kennedy Center) through force, another is apparently watching the Best Picture race closely. Barack Obama unveiled his favorite culture of 2025 in three lists on December 18, featuring one list of books, one of movies, and one of songs (sorry, TV!). His list of films is 11 titles long and comprised of nine leading Best Picture contenders plus the documentary Orwell: 2+2=5 and Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune. Of the 11, four were from the distributor Neon and all of them international: Sentimental Value, No Other Choice, It Was Just an Accident, and The Secret Agent.
Obama is much more aligned with the Academy this year compared to last, when only four of his picks were nominated for Best Picture. This year, the only real Best Picture snub was Marty Supreme. Did he get really into Vulture’s awards newsletter Gold Rush? (And does he hate table tennis?)
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His list of favorite books, representing only the second half of 2025, included the Booker Prize shortlisted Flashlight, by Susan Choi, Zadie Smith’s Dead or Alive, and Michelle Obama’s The Look, which he admits some bias toward.
As far as what he listened to, Obama refused to choose between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, including both Lamar’s duet with SZA, “Luther,” and Drake’s song “Nokia” on his list. His most normcore pick was Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” while his most inspired choice was “Not in Surrender” by Nigerian artist Obongjayar. Lucy Dacus, who called him a war criminal when he included one of her songs on his list, was not included this time around, despite releasing a new album.
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