Awards season is upon us, everyone!
On Tuesday, Leslie Jordan and Tracee Ellis Ross announced the Oscar nominations, sending Film Twitter into a tizzy. The Power of the Dog earned 12 nominations, including Best Director for Jane Campion (the only woman nominated in the category) and acting nods for IRL couple Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. Dune, West Side Story, and Belfast also had strong showings.
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Considering those were critically acclaimed films with some other awards and nominations already under their belts, those names weren’t necessarily shockers. So what did raise eyebrows when the lucky few were announced? Read on for the morning’s snubs and surprises:
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SNUB: Lady Gaga & House of Gucci
Unfortunately, praying to the “Father, Son, and House of Gucci” did not result in any nominations for this buzzy biopic. Lady GaGa was nominated for a ton of other awards (Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Critics’ Choice, BAFTA…), plus a very busy press tour for the performance, yet the Academy didn’t show her any love. She’s not alone, though: Gucci wasn’t nominated for anything at all (besides Best Makeup & Hairstyling). Nothing for onscreen hubby Adam Driver, for Jared Leto’s commitment to prosthetics, or for director Ridley Scott (FWIW, Ridley was totally snubbed for The Last Duel, too).
SURPRISE: Beyoncé
Is it more surprising that Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song (for Be Alive from King Richard), or that this is her first-ever Oscar nomination? It’s a tough field, considering she’s up against Lin Manuel Miranda (snubbed for his directorial debut Tick Tick… Boom! but up for his Encanto songwriting), who is one step away from an EGOT. But now that Beyonce’s in play, it feels like we should be rallying around an EGOT of her own.
SNUB: Passing
Passing had a lot of awards’ season promise when it was first released. The critically-acclaimed Netflix film, based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name, is about two light-skinned Black women, one of whom has hidden her racial background to marry a racist white man. The film’s best bet for a nom was lead actress Ruth Negga, a previous Oscar contender who had received some awards attention for the role. But not only was Ruth shut out, so was the entire film, including first-time director Rebecca Hall and co-star Tessa Thompson.
SNUB: Best Actresses
Ruth and Tessa (and Gaga) weren’t the only actresses overlooked by the Academy. Outlander‘s Caitriona Balfe was expected to be nominated for Belfast after a strong awards showing, but got the snub. Previous winners Frances McDormand and Rita Moreno also seemed to have good chances with critical darlings The Tragedy of MacBeth and West Side Story (respectively), but no dice. Jennifer Hudson was also overlooked for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect. (It’s an all-white Best Actress category, unless you consider Penélope Cruz — who is Spanish — a WOC).
SURPRISE: Best Actresses
There were some pleasant surprises in the actress categories, though. Kristen Stewart, an early favorite whose chances of a nomination seemed to be dwindling with the lead-up awards shows, secured her spot for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer. Dame Judi Dench became the representative for Belfast with her Supporting Actress nomination. Academy favorite Olivia Colman was a shoo-in for The Lost Daughter, but Jessie Buckley’s nomination for the character’s younger self in the same film was a surprise.
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SNUB: Spider-Man: No Way Home
The undisputed biggest film of the year will not also be the year’s Best Picture. Considering Sony did campaign for it, it is indeed a snub. But depending on who you ask, it was a bit of a leap for anyone to expect that in the first place.
https://twitter.com/judysquirrels/status/1491082826783297539?s=20&t=LdDzer8v18v-E3byt1K5sg
I'm sure the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards will have plenty of accolades for it https://t.co/vRSScWQIvj
— grouch (@rodakscreens) February 8, 2022
So shocking of a snub that they pre wrote the whole thing and forgot to slot in the noms https://t.co/jsiA7wpMUk pic.twitter.com/raQ1WmAfxj
— NBCs The Slap (@NBCsTheSlap) February 8, 2022
If you were hoping to celebrate one of the many Spider-Men, though, you can throw your weight behind once-and-future Peter Parker Andrew Garfield, who was nominated for Tick Tick…Boom! Somehow Marvel fans stay winning!
What do U think was the biggest snub, Perezcious readers? Any nominations that really surprised or disappointed you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments (below)!
[Image via MGM/Sony/Netflix/YouTube]