The Academy unveiled its full line-up of Oscar nods Thursday morning, with “Emilia Pérez” leading the field with 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” with 10 each. While guild nominations and other preliminary awards bodies can help provide a comprehensive forecast for Oscar nominations, there are always a few curveballs mixed into the proceedings. Big names like Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington missed out on acting nominations this year, and there were many, many more surprises.
SNUB: Angelina Jolie Misses for ‘Maria’
The star earned some of the best reviews of her career out of the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of the opera icon Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larrain previously delivered Oscar nominations to two of his stars playing historical figures — Natalie Portman for “Jackie” in 2017 and Kristen Stewart for “Spencer” in 2022. But Jolie didn’t land a nod to match, falling behind a highly competitive best actress field.
SNUB: Nicole Kidman Blanks for ‘Babygirl’ in Best Actress
The “Babygirl” star won the best actress prize at the Venice Film Festival and later won the same award from the National Board of Review. But after blanking at the Screen Actors Guild and BAFTAs, Kidman’s performance as a glum tech CEO who begins an office affair lost too much momentum for Oscar recognition.
SNUB: Selena Gomez Misses in Supporting Actress
“Emilia Pérez” had no trouble securing its status as an awards frontrunner with an impressive number of nominations. But Gomez, the biggest name in Jacques Audiard’s audi-acious cartel musical, wound up missing in the supporting actress category. Certainly the Academy can be welcoming to pop stars entering prestige fare, as evidenced by Ariana Grande’s nod for “Wicked.” Gomez’s miss is a conspicuous one for a film that was otherwise top-to-bottom loved by the Academy.
SURPRISE: Jeremy Strong Gets His First Oscar Nomination
The “Succession” star earned career-best reviews for a film performance with “The Apprentice,” the Donald Trump origin story sparked by Strong’s turn as the ferocious Roy Cohn. After a splashy debut at Cannes, no major U.S. distributor seemed willing to touch the controversial feature until upstart Briarcliff picked it up. Even with Trump back in office and awards season speeches staying light on politics, Strong’s performance managed to draw enough support to put him in the supporting actor race.
SNUB: ‘Gladiator II’ Comes Up Empty for Best Picture and Denzel Washington
Ridley Scott’s decades-later follow-up to his best picture Oscar winner only landed a costume design nod. Heading into the fall, the Paramount blockbuster was seen as a potential awards juggernaut, with some expecting Scott to be a competitor for the best director prize. Despite a successful run in theaters and strong buzz for Denzel Washington, the swords-and-sandals sequel didn’t find support with the Academy beyond craft.
SURPRISE: ‘The Substance’ Lands in Best Picture
Even as Demi Moore delivered a standout speech accepting the best actress prize at the Golden Globes, it seemed unlikely that her ooey-gooey horror film would be able to find widespread support among the Academy. Oscar voters love to recognize the career of a legacy star — but butt shots? Goblin transformations? Firehoses of blood? Well, they like those too apparently, since “The Substance” surged in for a best picture nomination that seemed unlikely even mere weeks ago.
SURPRISE: Sebastian Stan Surges With ‘The Apprentice’
Despite its controversial take on Donald Trump, Stan’s award season narrative made plenty of noise for the Ali Abbasi film. Stan’s well-documented research of and commitment to the role was enough to get Academy attention.
SNUB: Denis Villeneuve Misses in Best Director
Even though the “Dune” filmmaker missed a directing nomination for his first entry in the sci-fi action series, Villeneuve was widely seen as a shoo-in for a nod after “Dune: Part II” debuted nearly a year ago, remaining one of 2024’s best-reviewed (and most commercial) films through year’s end. Alas, Villeneuve was a no-show again. Some prognosticators compare “Dune’s” awards chances with Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which largely swept the Oscars with its third and final entry “Return of the King.” Notably, Jackson also blanked in the best director category for his series’ second entry, “The Two Towers.” Perhaps Villeneuve will finally get his flowers with his trilogy capper “Dune Messiah.”
SURPRISE: Fernanda Torres Is Still Here in the Best Actress Race
Despite going up against Academy-friendly names like Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet, the “I’m Still Here” star was able to break through in the awards race to land an acting nomination. After surprising with a best actress win at the Golden Globes, Torres’ momentum has only surged since. As Academy voters caught up with the Brazilian drama, a wave of support unfurled from vocal fans on social media. Now, “I’m Still Here” is one of the few foreign-language features to land an above-the-line nomination at the Oscars.
SNUB: Edward Berger shut out for directing “Conclave”
The “All Quiet on the Western Front” director’s papal follow-up scored eight nods, including best picture. Berger was a frontrunner, but couldn’t make it into the crowded field.
SURPRISE: “I’m Still Here” cracking best picture race
Despite strong support for Fernanda Torres and a shoo-in for best international feature film, “I’m Still Here” wasn’t widely predicted to elevate into a best picture slot.
SNUB: Pamela Anderson couldn’t land a best actress nod for “Last Showgirl”
Anderson made a splash in the awards race with her portrayal of showgirl Shelly Gardner, which showed another side of the actor. Hollywood loves a comeback story, so when she received nods at the Gotham Awards and the Golden Globes, it seemed there was a chance for her to disrupt a competitive category.
SNUB: Daniel Craig misses acting nomination for “Queer”
Craig had a strong campaign for his vulnerable turn in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of the William S. Burroughs work. The actor’s portrayal of William Lee was celebrated by a National Board of Review best actor win and a Golden Globe nomination, but couldn’t keep up momentum for an Oscar nom.
SURPRISE: The little-seen “Better Man” gets a best visual effects nod
Due to his lack of American star power, this Robbie Williams biopic was a colossal box office flop. Yet apparently enough voters saw the film to celebrate the high-concept, chimpanzee-forward musical.
SNUB: Clarence Maclin shut out of an acting nod for “Sing Sing”
Despite near-universal acclaim, “Sing Sing” had a long campaign cycle, given its July 2024 release date and modest box office returns. Yet the quiet film was able to make big waves during the Oscar nominations, as it landed three nominations. Clarence Maclin, a favorite for supporting actor by playing himself, was snubbed despite a strong campaign. Yet he did receive an adapted screenplay nomination for the movie, which he co-wrote. Colman Domingo was also nominated for lead actor, and the film’s “Like a Bird” received a best original song nod.
SNUB: “Challengers” doesn’t nab best score nomination
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ propulsive soundtrack was a hit with audiences and an essential addition to gym playlists everywhere. Yet despite plenty of accolades from the Academy in the past — including best original score wins for “Soul” with Jon Batiste and “The Social Network,” as well as a nomination for “Mank” — their “Challengers” score couldn’t secure a nomination.
SURPRISE: Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang brought fun to the announcements
The pair were light and funny, able to add some personality and laughs to the early morning announcements. With fun quips about being over-caffeinated, mispronouncing nominees names and a Charli XCX shoutout, it was a fun, fizzy delivery.
SNUB: Margaret Qualley misses for best supporting actress for “The Substance”
Qualley’s physically-demanding performance was perhaps overshadowed by Demi Moore’s strong award season showing as her opposite in the film.
SNUB: Wicked misses for best adapted screenplay
The musical juggernaut couldn’t compete in this competitive category, but had plenty of other love from the Academy with ten nominations.
