Paul Mescal and his family's reaction to his Oscar nomination is the sweetest thing you'll see today

The Oscars nominees have been announced, with a fair amount of surprises - and 'snubs' - from the Academy. 

As many had anticipated, Austin Butler and his new accent have been nominated in the Best Actor category, and James Cameron's Avatar is up for Best Picture. While many are pleased to see that Michelle Yeoh is up for the Best Actress statuette for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the lack of female nominees in the Best Director category has not gone unnoticed. 

However, everyone who watched Normal People and fell in love with Connell (and his chain) is thrilled to see that Paul Mescal is in the running for the Best Actor award. 

The Irish born actor has been nominated for his role in indie drama Aftersun, which tells the story of an 11 year old girl and her father.

Following the Academy's announcement that Paul was in line for an Oscar, his sister Nell shared a sweet photo of the family during a FaceTime call with everyone looking absolutely overjoyed. 

In the snap, Paul and Nell are joined by their parents and brother - and it is the sweetest thing you'll see today. 

Fans flocked to comment, with one writing: "Oh my god this is so precious."

Another added: "You must be so proud !!! this is amazing. he is so deserving of this."

The actor has released an official statement via Independent to thank the Academy and share his excitement, saying: "This is truly a special moment for everyone involved in Aftersun. 

"To be recognised by the Academy is such an insane honour and I’m so utterly grateful. I want to dedicate this nomination to my two friends Charlotte [Wells, director] and Frankie [Corio, co-star] who I love dearly! This is bananas, thank you!"

Alongside Paul in the Best Actor category are Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser, Austin Butler and Bill Nighy.