Substance, Selena Gomez and more

The Academy released the full list of Oscar nominations Thursday morning, with “Emilia Pérez” leading the way with 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” with 10 each. While nominations from guild and other preliminary awards bodies can help provide a comprehensive forecast of Oscar nominations, there are always a few curveballs mixed into the proceedings. Big names like Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington missed out on acting nominations this year — and there were plenty of other surprises.

SNUB: Angelina Jolie missing for “Maria”

The star received some of the best reviews of her career at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of opera icon Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larrain had already nominated two of his stars playing historical characters for the Oscars: Natalie Portman for “Jackie” in 2017 and Kristen Stewart for “Spencer” in 2022. But Jolie did not win a nod, leaving behind in a very competitive film. domain of the actress.

SNUB: Nicole Kidman Blanks for “Babygirl” in the Best Actress category

The “Babygirl” star won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival and later won the same award from the National Board of Review. But after failing at the Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTAs, Kidman’s performance as a brooding tech CEO who begins an office affair with a young intern had lost too much of its momentum to earn Oscar nods.

SNUB: Selena Gomez missing in a supporting role

“Emilia Pérez” had no trouble establishing herself as an awards favorite with an impressive number of nominations. But Gomez, the biggest name in Jacques Audiard’s daring Cartel musical, ended up missing out in the supporting actress category. Certainly, the Academy can be welcoming to pop stars entering prestige fare, as evidenced by Ariana Grande’s nod for “Wicked.” Gomez’s failure is remarkable for a film that was otherwise adored from top to bottom by the Academy.

SURPRISE: Jeremy Strong gets his first Oscar nomination

The “Succession” star received rave reviews for “The Apprentice,” the Donald Trump origin story sparked by Strong’s turn as the fierce Roy Cohn. After a stellar debut at Cannes, no major American distributor seemed willing to tackle the controversial feature until newcomer Briarcliff picked it up. Even with Trump returning to power and awards season speeches remaining light on politics so far, Strong’s performance managed to attract enough support to put him in the supporting cast race.

SNUB: “Gladiator II” comes up empty for best picture and Denzel Washington

Ridley Scott’s decades-later sequel to his best Oscar-winning film landed only a nod for costume design. Heading into fall, Paramount’s blockbuster was seen as a potential awards juggernaut, with some expecting Scott to be a contender for the best director award. Despite a successful theatrical release and strong buzz for Denzel Washington, the Swords and Sandals sequel failed to find support from the Academy beyond craft.

SURPRISE: ‘The Substance lands in Best Picture

Even though Demi Moore gave a remarkable speech accepting the Best Actress award at the Golden Globes, it seemed unlikely that her gooey horror film would find widespread support within the Academy. Oscar voters love recognizing a legacy star’s career — but butt shots? Goblin transformations? Blood fire hoses? Well, they apparently love them too, since “The Substance” has surged for a Best Picture nomination that seemed unlikely just a few weeks ago.

SURPRISE: Sebastian Stan emerges with “The Apprentice”

Despite his controversial take on Donald Trump, Stan’s awards season narrative created a lot of buzz for Ali Abbasi’s film. Stan’s well-documented research and commitment to this role was enough to attract the attention of the Academy.

SNUB: Denis Villeneuve missing in the best director category

Although the “Dune” filmmaker missed out on a directing nomination for his first installment in the sci-fi action series, Villeneuve was widely considered a candidate for a nod after the release of “Dune : Part II” almost a year ago, remaining one of the best. of the highest-rated (and most commercial) films of 2024 through the end of the year. Alas, Villeneuve has been forgotten again. Some prognosticators compare “Dune’s” awards chances with Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which won big at the Oscars with his third and final film “The Return of the King.” Notably, Jackson was also voted in the best director category for the second entry in his series, “The Two Towers.” Maybe Villeneuve will finally have his flowers with his possible “Dune Messiah” trilogy.

SURPRISE: Fernanda Torres is still there in the race for best actress

Despite going up against Academy-friendly names like Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet, the “I’m Still Here” star managed to break through in the awards race to land an acting nomination. After surprising with a Best Actress win at the Golden Globes, Torres’ momentum has only accelerated since. As Academy voters learned about the Brazilian drama, an outpouring of support poured in from fans who were vocal on social media. Today, “I’m Still Here” is one of the rare foreign-language feature films to earn an outstanding Oscar nomination.

SNUB: Edward Berger excluded for having directed “Conclave”

The popular papal sequel from the director of “All Quiet on the Western Front” scored eight nominations, including best picture. Berger was a favorite in terms of achievement, but was unable to secure a place in the crowded field. Yet this snub is no indicator of the film’s better image chances, since “Green Book,” “CODA” and “Argo” have all won that highest statue in recent years without a best director nomination.

SURPRISE: “I’m Still Here” enters the race for best photo

Despite strong support for Fernanda Torres and a nomination for a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category, “I’m Still Here” was not widely predicted to rise to Best Picture.

SNUB: Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis failed to land an acting nomination for ‘The Last Showgirl’

Anderson made a splash in the awards race with her portrayal of showgirl Shelly Gardner, which showed a different side of the actor. Hollywood loves a comeback story, so when she received nominations from the Gotham Awards, Golden Globes, and SAGs, it seemed like she had a chance to disrupt a competitive category. Additionally, Curtis — who won the 2023 Best Supporting Actress statue for her role in “Everywhere All at Once” — gained buzz for another supporting role in “Showgirl.” Curtis also received a SAG and a BAFTA for playing former showgirl Annette in the film.

SNUB: Daniel Craig misses acting nomination for “Queer”

Craig campaigned vigorously for his vulnerability in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ work. The actor’s portrayal of William Lee was celebrated with a National Board of Review Best Actor Award and a Golden Globe nomination, but was unable to maintain momentum for an Oscar nomination.

SURPRISE: Little-Seen ‘Better Man’ Gets Best Visual Effects Nod

Due to its lack of American star power, this Robbie Williams biopic was a colossal box office failure. Yet apparently enough voters saw the film to celebrate this high-profile musical comedy starring chimpanzees.

SNUB: Clarence Maclin excluded from an acting nod for “Sing Sing”

“Sing Sing” has had a long campaign cycle, given its July 2024 release date and modest box office returns. Still, the acclaimed film was able to make big waves at the Oscar nominations, as it landed three nominations. That said, Clarence Maclin, favorite as a supporting actor playing himself, was snubbed despite a strong campaign. Still, he received a nomination for an adapted screenplay for the film, which he co-wrote. Colman Domingo was also nominated for lead actor, and “Like a Bird” from the film received a nomination for Best Original Song.

SNUB: “Challengers” does not get the nomination for best score

The propulsive soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross was a hit with audiences and an essential addition to gym playlists around the world. Yet despite numerous Academy honors in the past — including Best Original Score wins for “Soul” with Jon Batiste and “The Social Network,” as well as a nomination for “Mank” — their score for “Challengers” could not be obtained. an application.

SNUB: Margaret Qualley Misses Best Supporting Actress Award for “The Substance”

Qualley’s physically demanding performance may have been overshadowed by the strong awards season performance of Demi Moore, his other half in the film.

SNUB: “Wicked” misses the best adapted scenario

The musical juggernaut was unable to compete in this competitive category, but had plenty of other love from the Academy with ten nominations.

SNUB: Joe Walker not nominated for editing “Dune: Part Two”

Walker has led all the major predictions and has been nominated for the American Cinema Editors Awards as well as the BAFTA Film Awards. Plus, he won the editing Oscar for the first “Dune,” making it a below-the-line shocker.

SURPRISE: Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang brought fun to the ads

Both men were light and funny, able to add a bit of personality and laughter to the morning announcements. With funny jokes about too much caffeine, mispronouncing nominees’ names, and a shout-out from Charli XCX, it was a fun and bubbly delivery.