The nominees for the 95th Academy Awards have been announced. This year's ceremony seems to be honoring a wide array of films with Everything Everywhere All At Once leading the pack with 11 nominations. Blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water received Best Picture nominations alongside smaller more character-driven works like Triangle of Sadness and The Banshees of Inisherin. A whopping 16 actors received their first acting nominations, with surprise nominations for Brain Tyree-Henry, Paul Mescal, and Stephanie Hsu certainly delighting some.
Yet as with every Oscar ceremony, for all the films that do get nominated, many are left out. Some films got nominated but were shut out of other categories, while other films were completely snubbed. Some highly praised performances didn't make the cut. These are some of the biggest snubs from the 2023 Academy Awards.
The Woman King
One of the biggest snubs at the Oscars was The Woman King, being completely shut out in every category. Despite nominations for Viola Davis at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Golden Globes, the actress was snubbed for Best Actress. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood was also snubbed for Best Director.
Even more frustrating was the fact that the film was snubbed in Best Costumes, Best Production Design, and Best Make-Up and Hairstyling. The Woman King was both a critical favorite and a box office hit, but sadly was ignored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.
Nope
While Nope received slightly more mixed reviews than Jordan Peele's previous two films, Get Out and Us, when it was first released, the film's estimation grew as time went on. By the end of 2022, the film made multiple Best of the Year lists making it seem like the film might see a resurgence at the Oscars. Nope.
Nope did not secure a single nomination, despite star Keke Palmer gaining some traction towards the end of the year and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema seeming like a lock. While Nope sadly did not secure any nominations, it at least has a box office total of $171.4 million to take comfort in and will likely be revisited for years to come.
Danielle Deadwyler in Till
Ever since Till opened in theaters, Danielle Deadwyler's performance earned widespread critical acclaim. In a competitive year that so far has been a race between Cate Blanchett in Tár and Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once, it seemed like Deadwyler seemed like a lock for the Best Actress nomination.
However, despite rave reviews from critics, the actress was snubbed. What was more shocking was her exclusion in favor of Ana de Armas in Blonde, which was a more controversial film, or the late resurgence of Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie.
Top Gun: Maverick
For months, it seemed like Top Gun: Maverick was going to be the rare blockbuster that would go the distance and become a major awards contender. While Top Gun: Maverick did secure six nominations including Best Picture, the movie did lose some key nominations many expected.
Particularly, it seemed like Tom Cruise was a lock for Best Actor, but despite all the work the actor put into the movie, he was snubbed in the acting category. Many were shocked that director Joseph Kosinski was also snubbed for Best Director, and that cinematographer Claudio Miranda's impressive aerial photography didn't secure the Best Cinematography nomination.
Paul Dano in The Fabelmans
The Fabelmans secured seven Academy Award nominations, including acting nominations for Michelle Williams for Best Actress and Judd Hirsch for Best Supporting Actor. Yet it was certainly a shock that Paul Dano was snubbed as Best Supporting Actor, particularly given how important his and Michelle Wiliams's dynamic is to the film. While Judd Hirsch had the more showy role, Dano's subtle and heartbreaking performance went overlooked.
James Cameron for Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water secured four Academy Award nominations, which is less than the nine its predecessor garnered. One notable snub for Avatar: The Way of Water is for director James Cameron. It was a competitive year for Best Director, and sadly Cameron did not make the cut. Yet the snub does feel particularly glaring given how successful Avatar: The Way of Water was at the box offic, and much of what made the film work was the care and attention that Cameron put into the film over the long, decade-plus production.
Sarah Polley for Women Talking
Women Talking managed to secure two nominations, for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. While many of the performances were overlooked one of the biggest was for Sarah Polley for Best Director. Polley began the awards season as a front-runner but was sadly overlooked for the Best Director nomination.
To the frustration of many, all the nominees for Best Director were men. Polley, along with director Gina-Prince Bythewood for The Woman King and Charlotte Wells for Aftersun, were just three women who directed award-worthy work that was overlooked by the Academy.
RRR
India did not submit RRR for Best International Film at the Academy Awards, but the filmmakers did make a big push in other categories, including Best Picture. The film was not only a box office hit but a favorite among audiences and critics and the online discourse around the movie gave hope the movie could become a major player at the Academy Awards. Sadly the movie was snubbed for both Best Picture and Best Director for S. S. Rajamouli. The film did land a Best Original Song nomination for Naatu Naatu, but that was the movie's only nomination.