Not everyone is a winner – and some, shockingly, aren’t even contenders. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the nominations for the 97th Annual Awards this morning. Oscars known. And as usual there were cries of joy all over the country: Viva Anora! You are nominated for best film, Nickel Boys! Well done, Karla Sofia Gascon! There were exclamations of astonishment as some unexpected surprises spiced up some key categories. And there were cries of pain as the inevitable disappointments were raised at the names not called by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott up on the podium. Here are the big snubs and surprises regarding that Oscar nominations 2025.
SNUB: Best Actress, Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard truths)
That hurts. In collaboration with her director Mike Leigh, with whom she already worked with Secrets & Reads – you may recall that this 1996 film earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination – the British actress gave one of the most impressive performances of the last decade, let alone last year, as a one-woman wrecking crew that takes over the life of her makes fellow human beings hell. Jean-Baptiste won awards from many critics groups and made Critics Choice and BAFTA selections, and many of us were hoping that the Oscars would be next. A bitter truth that is difficult to digest.
Surprise: Best Director, Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)
The Best Director category went more or less as expected, with Brady Corbet, Jacques Audiard and Sean Baker securing the spots – some wondering whether James Mangold or Denis Villeneuve would be there as a wildcard entry. (Congratulations, Mr. Mangold.) And it was assumed that Edward Berger, whose terribly trashy Conclave was decided as the best film, would end up in 5th place. Instead, French director Coralie Fargeat slotted into the final slot and deservedly took it, much to our delight. The film also made it into the “Best Film” category. Apparently her story about a Hollywood actor who would do anything to stay young and relevant resonated with even the most squeamish of voters.
SNUB: Best Film, A Real Pain
It was a generally accepted fact that Kieran Culkin would be one of the five nominees for Best Supporting Actor, considering how much his portrayal of a beaming, happy stoner on a trip with his cousin was loved. Big praise also goes to the screenwriter, director and fellow actors Jesse Eisenberg for its nomination for Best Original Screenplay. However, most of us thought that this funny, moving and thoughtful take on the road movie would be among the 10 films selected for Best Picture and – without that most of those who managed to offend – the fact that he was left out feels like a glaring mistake. This title now also serves as a description of our feelings on this matter.
Surprise: Best Film, I’m Still Here
So many movie lovers had their fingers crossed that Fernanda Torres would make it into the Best Actress nominations, even if that meant popular potential contenders like Pamela Anderson for The Last Showgirl (or worse, for Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard truths) meant a “Sorry, maybe next time.” Her portrayal of a woman navigating decades of life under a military dictatorship is undoubtedly a tour de force. But the inclusion of Walter Salles’ political drama in the top category was, to be honest, a bit of a shock. The film was barely talked about other than the lead actress, although it received positive word of mouth at the festival. Still, this is the first Brazilian film to make it into the Best Picture category, and we’re excited that a whole new audience will now see it.
SNUB: Best Actress, Nicole Kidman (Baby girl)
What, no love for a woman of a certain age who finds sexual release one glass of milk at a time? There are committed performances, and there’s Nicole Kidman’s all-or-nothing take on a business executive who plunges headlong into an affair with a younger man, in Halina Reijn’s Conversation Piece in the form of a romantic melodrama. It’s such a vulnerable, literally naked take on female desire that we understand why some voters may have felt too much like voyeurs watching her portrayal of the character and reacted accordingly. But if this isn’t the best work from an actress who has never shied away from going deep and taking on dark tones, and who is so beloved by many inside and outside the Academy, then it’s pretty darn close. And that’s what makes this snub particularly abhorrent.
Surprise: Best Actor, Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)
Like so many critics, pundits and pranksters, we had assumed that a biopic about the early years of the most controversial political figure in recent memory – let alone one in which the main character rapes his wife – would be worth more even before a certain election in November or less dead. The fact that Sebastian Stan was nominated for his portrayal of Donald Trump might seem like a passive-aggressive protest vote given the current climate, but who the hell cares! Stan is great in this role; as does Jeremy Strong as His Satanic Majesty Roy Cohn, who was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor this morning. As someone said on social media, it’s just crazy that such a portrayal of a sitting president, which neither completely demonizes him nor does him any favors, could earn the person behind the portrayal a possible gold statuette. This only exists in America!
SNUB: Best Score, Challengers
But Emila Perez‘ Score comes in? Hmmm. We sincerely apologize to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. We knew that Challengers would pose a challenge for voters in a crowded year like this, but we figured her absolute hit would not only be nominated, but also a favorite. What else can you say except: 40, love.
Surprise: Espthe supporting actor: Yura Borisov (Anora)
This wasn’t the biggest surprise of this morning’s announcements, but it was definitely one of the best. The Russian actor is something of a secret star in Sean Baker’s sex worker screwball comedy, especially when he takes a more prominent role in the second and third acts – and his soulful thug and confidant role as the title character is part of what makes the film makes it so wonderful. Borisov’s name had already come up in early discussions about who might be shortlisted in this category, but it still seemed like a long journey. As a reminder: sometimes underdog chances pay off. We’re so excited he’s in here.
SNUB: Best Supporting Actor, Denzel Washington (Gladiator II)
OK, maybe that’s more of a personal disappointment. The Best Supporting Actor category was always a strong one, and people were generally conflicted about Ridley Scott’s sequel to his 2000 Oscar winner. But let’s be honest! The best supporting actor categories have always been about honoring exceptional performances, be they funny (Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda, Marisa Tomei in My cousin Vinny), crazy-quirky (Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects) or scene-stealing and outrageous (Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, Dianne Wiest in Bullets Over Broadway).
All of these adjectives describe Denzel Washington’s extraordinary, hilarious portrayal of a powerful player in the Roman Empire, and long after we’ve forgotten most aspects of that blockbuster, we’ll remember how Denzel sprinkled in sly and menacing lines, how he cockily shouted, “More.” Wine!” shouted before quizzing a drinking partner for information and fooling around with a severed head. We knew he probably wouldn’t get nominated. But ignoring it still feels like a crime.