Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicIt appears that Rachel Zegler’s 2024 is starting off even stronger than 2023, with multiple People’s Choice nominations coming her way. While she is heavily nominated this year, she does have some stiff competition in many categories, especially going up her previous rumored replacement, Jenna Ortega.
The People’s Choice Awards is an annual awards show (originating in 1975) that recognizes outstanding achievements in popular culture, including movies, television, music, and more — and different from the Oscars or other award shows, the public is in control of the winner.
With categories ranging from Favorite Movie and Favorite TV Show to Favorite Social Media Celebrity, the People’s Choice Awards reflect the diverse interests and preferences of the general public, making it more relatable and exciting for younger audiences who may not be as interested in a “Best Sound Mixing Award”.
Today, nominations were announced, as well as the reveal of this year’s host, Marvel and Barbie star Simu Liu (who just recently hosted the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT over the holidays at Walt Disney World Resort).
Among the many nominees are industry icons, including Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio, Taylor Swift, Ryan Gosling, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo, Pedro Pascal and Jennifer Aniston. Plus, reality TV favorites like Kim Kardashian, Ariana Madix and Charity Lawson are also up for awards.
Rachel Zegler and her film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) pulled in many nominations.
Below, let’s take a look at everything Zegler and her film are nominated for:
ACTION MOVIE OF THE YEAR
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Fast X
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- John Wick: Chapter 4
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- The Marvels
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
ACTION MOVIE STAR OF THE YEAR
- Brie Larson, The Marvels
- Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Gal Gadot, Heart of Stone
- Jason Momoa, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 4
- Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
- Viola Davis, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
FEMALE MOVIE STAR OF 2023
- Florence Pugh, Oppenheimer
- Halle Bailey, The Little Mermaid
- Jenna Ortega, Scream VI
- Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings
- Julia Roberts, Leave the World Behind
- Margot Robbie, Barbie
- Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- Viola Davis, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
As we can see, the entire cast of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is nominated for action movie of the year, but Rachel Zegler carries two other award possibilities with her. In the action movie star of the year catergory, she is not only up against fellow co-star Viola Davis, but also popular Hollywood legends like Gal Gadot, Chris Pratt, Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Cruise.
In the female movie star of the year category, the competition is even fiercer. Zegler is pinned against Disney’s Halle Bailey from The Little Mermaid, a fellow actor that Zegler has supported amidst the public scrutiny the two have faced for playing Caucasian princesses while being of color. She is also against Margot Robbie, the biggest female movie star of the year following the dominance of Barbie, and of course, Jenna Ortega.
Ortega is being nominated in this category and a few others for her performance as Tara Carpenter in Scream VI. While many know the actress from her foray of horror films, her most notable performance was in Netflix’s Wednesday, which was not nominated as it came out in 2022. Season 2 will begin filming this spring in Ireland.
Jenna, a fellow Latina actress, was being rumored in 2023 to replace Rachel Zegler as Snow White in the upcoming live-action Disney film, Snow White.
The drama surrounding the film initially began when Disney confirmed it would not feature dwarfs, opting for seven magical creatures instead, a departure from Walt Disney’s iconic story.
The magical creatures, depicted as smaller than Zegler, are CGI creations with caricature-style features, as seen in the released image from the film.
Fans have accused Disney of crafting a significantly altered film with a pseudo-feminist approach, challenging Snow White’s traditional ideals and behavior. Zegler’s portrayal suggests a more assertive Snow White who assumes a leadership role. In response, some fans have expressed frustration, perceiving Disney’s approach as driven by a “woke” agenda. Snow White’s release was pushed back in March of 2025, opposed to the previous 2024 release date.
The winners will be announced when the 2024 People’s Choice Awards airs live across NBC, Peacock and E! on Sunday, February 18, at 8 p.m.
Vote for your favorite star here!
Who do you think will win best female movie star at the People’s Choice Awards?