It wouldn’t be an awards announcement without a slew of unexpected Oscars nominations and shocking, well, surprises. I mean, not everyone on the campaign trail can earn a nomination. Not even Lady Gaga.
READ MORE: 2022 Academy Awards nominations [Full List]
Here’s a rundown of the major snubs and surprises that hit Hollywood this Oscar morning.
Surprise: “Drive My Car”
Many suspected that the Janus Film release which took Best Film from NYFCC and LAFCA would earn a Best Director nomination for Ryusuke Hamaguchi, but few really thought it had a chance for Best Picture. With an organic, on-the-ground publicity campaign and almost zero media ads it somehow made history as Japan’s first Best Picture nominee. It also earned an expected International Film nod and Adapted Screenplay nod.
Surprise: Kristen Stewart, “Spencer” and Penelope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
Don’t call it a comeback they’ve been set since September? After missing out on a number of key precursors, both Stewart and Cruz earned the Best Actress nominations many expected after their films debuted at the 2021 Venice Film Festival last fall. Your first example of how the Academy’s acting branch often has better taste than their SAG peers.
Surprise: Beyonce
O.K., this may not seem like a surprise to many, considering how her track “Be Alive” from “King Richard” deserved a Best Original Song nomination, but context is everything. Unlike, say Lady Gaga or the aforementioned Warren, Beyonce did not campaign at all. Not a single thing. The power of Beyonce.
Snub: Lady Gaga and Jared Leto, “House of Gucci”
And this would be your second example. Despite a campaign for Gaga which went a bit overboard in the last week of voting, AMPAS members said no to both her BAFTA-nominated and Leto’s SAG-nominated performances. In fact, Ridley Scott’s hit melodrama earned just one nod, Makeup and Hairstyling. Don’t feel bad for Leto and Gaga, though. They both have previously won Oscars somewhere at home.
Surprise: Judi Dench over Caitriona Balfe for Supporting Actress
“Belfast” earned a ton of support with seven nods (although it did miss out on a key Editing nomination), but the surprise wasn’t Jamie Dornan‘s snub. Instead, the legendary Dench made the cut over Balfe who earned both SAG and BAFTA nods for her performance.
Surprise: Jesse Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”
Netflix’s not-so indie darling saw Maggie Gyllenhaal earn an Adapted Screenplay nomination and Olivia Colman land an expected Best Actress nod, but Buckley was a genuine surprise even after her BAFTA nomination.
Surprise: “Worst Person in the World”
We’re still smarting that NEON didn’t push “Worst” hard enough earlier in the season, but not only did the film earn an International Film nod, but Eskil Vogt and director Joachim Trier found themselves in the Original Screenplay race. A nice consolation for a film that with a stronger campaign would have likely been a Best Picture nominee player.
Snub: Ruth Negga, “Passing”
One of the more disappointing snubs this morning was for Negga, whose delicate performance was a standout in Rebecca Halls’ directorial debut. Previously nominated for an Oscar for “Loving” in 2017, this was somewhat unexpected after she earned both SAG and BAFTA nods.
Snub: Leonardo DiCaprio, “Don’t Look Up”
Well, it’s a minor snub, but after earning a BAFTA nod last week many thought DiCaprio would keep his recent streak of Best Actor and Best Picture nominations alive. The Best Picture nod came through for the environmentally themed farce, but, intriguingly, the nod for DiCaprio didn’t.
Snub: Jennifer Hudson, “Respect” (twice)
Not only did Hudson miss out on Best Actress for playing her idol Aretha Franklin, but she and Carol King were snubbed for their Best Original Song contender, “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home).”
Snub: “A Hero”
It will likely go under the radar, but Asghar Farhadi getting in snubbed in International Film is a story. Farhadi previously won for both “A Separation” and “The Salesman” and his latest, “A Hero,” took the second place prize at Cannes. Farhadi was even seen as an Original Screenplay player, but that didn’t happen either. Considering the resources Amazon Studios put behind it, a genuine surprise.
Surprise: Diane Warren
You can’t stop her. You can only contain her. The prolific songwriter shocked many by landing her 13th Oscar nomination for “Somehow You Do” from Rodrigo Garcia’s little-seen drama “Four Good Days.” I mean, this is the “no words” nominee right here.