Not everyone is a winner - shockingly, some aren't even contenders. This morning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards. As usual, everyone cheered: Hooray Anora! You won the Best Picture award, nickel boy! Way to make history, Carla Sofia Gascón! People gasped as the onslaught some didn't see coming brought excitement to some key categories. There were screams of agony as no names were called out between Bowen Young and Rachel Sennott on the podium, which was inevitably disappointing. Here are the big snubs and surprises surrounding the 2025 Oscar nominations.
Snubbed: Best Actress, Marianne Jean-Baptistecruel truth)
This hurts. I want to work with her again. secrets and lies Directed by Mike Leigh - you may remember that the 1996 film did earn her a Best Supporting Actress nomination - the British actress delivers one of the most stunning performances of the past decade , not to mention last year, played a one-man wrecking crew who made a life of feeling sorry for those around her. With Jean-Baptiste sweeping the awards from many critics groups and making the Critics Choice and BAFTA line-ups, many of us are hoping the next Oscar will go to him. It is indeed a hard fact to accept.
Surprise: Best Director, Coralie Fudget (substance)
The Best Director category went more or less as expected, with nominations for Brady Corbet, Jacques Audiard and Sean Baker - some wondering about James Mangold or Dennis Vetting Will Lenneuf be a wild card. (Congratulations, Mr. Mangold.) People think of Edward Berger, who had a lot of trash secret meeting Originally a lock for the Best Picture award, it ended up ranking fifth. Instead, French director Coralie Fudget swooped in and deservedly took the last spot, much to our delight. The film also entered the Best Picture category. Clearly, her story about a Hollywood actor determined to do anything to stay young and relevant resonated with even the most discerning voters.
Snubbed: Best Picture, real pain
It's a known fact that Kieran Culkin will be one of the five nominees for Best Supporting Actor, a huge favorite for his role as the sparkling, happy junkie on a trip with his cousin. Kudos to writer and star Jesse Eisenberg for being nominated for Best Original Screenplay. But most of us agree that this funny, touching, thoughtful road movie will be among the top 10 films for Best Picture, and - no offense most Of those that did make the cut — the fact that it was left out felt like a glaring mistake. The title now doubles as a description of how we feel about the matter.
Surprise: Best Picture, I'm still here
Many moviegoers are praying that Fernanda Torres will be nominated for Best Actress, even if that means "sorry, maybe next time" for a popular potential contender like Pamela Anderson. the last showgirl (Or worse, for Marianne Jean-Baptiste cruel truth). To be sure, her portrayal of a woman who spent decades living under a military dictatorship is a hell of a show. However, to put Walter Salles' political drama in the top category is, frankly, a bit jaw-dropping. Despite positive word-of-mouth on the film festival circuit, there has been little discussion about the film outside of its lead performances. Still, this is the first Brazilian film to win Best Picture, and we're excited to see that a whole new audience is about to catch up with it.
Snubbed: Best Actress, Nicole Kidman (baby girl)
What, no love for a woman of a certain age who seeks sexual liberation one glass of milk at a time? There are committed performances, with Nicole Kidman giving a desperate performance as a CEO who plunges headlong into a relationship with a young man in Halina Reijn's romantic melodrama. Stories about people's extramarital affairs. It's such a vulnerable, naked take on female desire, and we understand why some voters might feel too much like a voyeur when watching her play this role, and react accordingly. But if this isn't career-best work from an actor who's never been afraid to go deep and dark and is beloved by many inside and outside the academy, it's damn close. Which makes this snub feel particularly outrageous.
Surprise: Best Actor, Sebastian Stan (apprentice)
Like many critics, pundits and jokers, we thought a biopic about the early years of one of the most divisive political figures in recent memory — not to mention one in which the protagonist raped his wife — was more or less Already dead. Water will be needed even before an election in November. Given the current climate, the fact that Sebastian Stan was nominated for his portrayal of Donald Trump might double as a passive-aggressive protest vote, but who the hell cares! Stan brings it to the role; so does Jeremy Strong as Satanic Majesty Roy Cohn, who was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor this morning. As someone on social media said, such a portrayal of a sitting president neither outright demonizes him nor does him any favors, but could win the man behind the portrayal a possible Academy Award , this is just crazy. Only in the US!
snub: best result, challenger
but Emily PerezScores coming in? Hmm. We sincerely apologize to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. we know challenger Selling to voters in such an eventful year will be a, uh, challenge, but we assume their sheer score will be not just the nominee, but the front-runner. What else can be said, except: 40. Love.
Surprise: Best Supporting Actor Yura BorisovAnora)
It's not the biggest surprise of this morning's announcement, but it's definitely one of the best. The Russian actor is arguably the stealth MVP in Sean Baker's sex worker screwball comedy, especially as he becomes more prominent in the second and third acts with his soulful thug-slash take on the title character The confidante is also part of the show. The cinematography is so beautifully done. Borisov's name had come up in early discussions about who might make the cut, but it still felt unlikely. Just a reminder: sometimes trying from afar pays off. We're excited to have him here.
Snubbed: Best Supporting Actor, Denzel Washington (Gladiator II)
Well, this is probably more of a personal disappointment. The Best Supporting Actor category is always crowded, and opinions on the sequel to Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning 2000 film are generally mixed. But come on! The Best Supporting Actor award has always been about rewarding performances that break the mold, whether they're funny or not (Kevin Kline in A fish named Wanda, Marisa Tomei is my cousin winnie), crazy weird (Kevin Spacey in the usual suspects) or scene-stealing and outrageous (Joe Pesci in Good guy, diana was bullets over broadway). All of these adjectives describe Denzel Washington's remarkable take on Roman Empire's Thrones, and long after we've forgotten much of the blockbuster, we'll remember that Denzel will be the sly and menace blended into throwaway lines, giddily yelling "More booze!" before feeding a drinking buddy intel and camping out with a severed head. We knew he probably wouldn't get the nomination. But this omission still feels like a crime.