Despite so many incredible films, there just aren’t enough slots to honor everyone at the Oscars. The 2023 Oscar nominations were unveiled on January 24, with Austin Butler, Cate Blanchett, Angela Bassett, and more receiving nods. However, some notable big names were not called when the Academy Award nominees were being announced.
There are major Oscar snubs every year, and this year was no exception. The snubs extended across several categories, including Actress in a Leading Role, and more. While some nominees were a lock, there were several who had a chance at becoming a nominee, but didn’t.
Two of the most notable Oscars snubs are Viola Davis for The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler for Till. Both actresses received nominations for their stunning performances at previous awards shows leading up to the Oscars, but were left out of the Oscar nominations. At the beginning of awards season, Margot Robbie had a lot of buzz surrounding her performance in Hollywood-centric Babylon, but she also didn’t make the cut for Actress in a Leading Role.
A few popular movies from the past year weren’t recognized by the Academy, at all. That includes Don’t Worry Darling, which was constantly in the news because of the drama surrounding Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde‘s relationship. The Academy also didn’t show love to the historical thriller The Northman or the horror film The Menu, both starring Anya Taylor-Joy. And despite having strong female-led performances, The Woman King and Till also didn’t make the cut for Best Picture.
After Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” short film didn’t make the Oscars shortlist for live-action short film, fans assumed she could still score an Oscar nod for her haunting original song “Carolina” from Where The Crawdads Sing. Unfortunately, Swifties, that’s not the case. She was left out of the Original Song nominees. If she hadn’t been snubbed, this would have been Taylor’s first Oscar nomination.
Top Gun: Maverick became the biggest movie of 2022 and is highly regarded as one of the best sequels. While Top Gun: Maverick earned several Oscar nods, including Best Picture, Tom Cruise didn’t get nominated for his performance in the epic sequel.
“He does an amazing job in the movie. He’s extraordinary as a person and fantastic as an actor, and I think that he is just perfect,” Jennifer Connelly, Tom’s Top Gun: Maverick co-star, told Variety. “He embodies that character so beautifully, and I think he absolutely deserves it.”
Despite Jennifer voicing her support for Tom to get an acting nomination, which would have been his first since the 2000 film Magnolia, it didn’t go Tom’s way this time. However, he could still walk away a winner on Oscar night if Top Gun: Maverick wins Best Picture.
The Actor in a Supporting Role category was up in the air going into the nominations. Judd Hirsch got in for The Fabelmans, but both Paul Dano and Gabriel LaBelle were snubbed. While Judd and Paul have gotten much more buzz this awards season for their performances in Steven Spielberg‘s film, it’s truly a shame Gabriel hasn’t been properly recognized. The Fabelmans wouldn’t have worked unless he was great, and Gabriel was tremendous in his breakout role.
In the Supporting Role category, Triangle of Sadness breakout Dolly De Leon didn’t get a nomination, even though she was nominated for a Golden Globe and BAFTA. Eddie Redmayne‘s chilling performance in The Good Nurse was also recognized by the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, but The Academy ignored the Oscar winner this time around.
The Academy also didn’t recognize any female directors this year, even though female-directed films scored Oscar nominations across the board. Sarah Polley‘s Women Talking got nominated for Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, but Sarah didn’t get a directing nod. In the last two years, female directors have won the directing category — Jane Campion for Power of the Dog and Chloé Zhao for Nomadland.
The 2023 Oscars will be held on March 12. The ceremony will air live on ABC with Jimmy Kimmel serving as the host.