{"id":534878,"date":"2026-01-22T15:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/534878\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T15:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:35:15","slug":"the-biggest-surprises-and-snubs-of-the-2026-oscar-nominations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/534878\/","title":{"rendered":"The biggest surprises and snubs of the 2026 Oscar nominations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Oscar nominations landed Thursday morning<\/a> and you\u2019d really have to be a curmudgeon to complain, what with the year\u2019s two best films, \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d<\/a> and \u201cSinners,\u201d<\/a> hauling in the most nods. One of these movies is going to win best picture<\/a> (probably \u201cOne Battle\u201d), continuing a nice little streak of top-shelf winners. \u201cOppenheimer\u201d to \u201cAnora\u201d to \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d? That\u2019s the best run since the early \u201990s when \u201cThe Silence of the Lambs,\u201d \u201cUnforgiven\u201d and \u201cSchindler\u2019s List\u201d prevailed.<\/p>\n

Of course, not everyone is celebrating this morning. \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d? The complete disrespectation! The latest \u201cAvatar\u201d sequel? More ash than fire.<\/p>\n

The Oscars cap their nominees at five per category (with the exception of best picture), leading, invariably, to some surprises and omissions \u2014 some egregious, some understandable. For alliteration and search engine optimization, we\u2019ll call these \u201csnubs,\u201d though you\u2019d have to be a true narcissist, say somebody who\u2019d threaten to invade a country because he felt scorned over not winning a prize<\/a>, to really take it personally. <\/p>\n

Fortunately, Hollywood is free of ego, leaving us just to rationally contemplate the academy\u2019s choices and examine the snubs and surprises of the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards, which will be presented on March 15.<\/p>\n

\"Cynthia <\/p>\n

Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande in \u201cWicked: For Good.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Giles Keyte\/Universal Pictures\/Giles Keyte \/ Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n

SNUB: \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d (picture)<\/b>
The first \u201cWicked\u201d earned 10 nominations last year, going on to win two Oscars. Surely, the sequel would be popular too. But the box office was down (more than $200 million globally), the reviews were mostly meh, and academy members took note. Duplicating the first movie\u2019s Oscar haul was going to be a challenge, as some voters would naturally resist rewarding something they had just honored a year ago. And the material posed its own challenges, as the musical\u2019s second act isn\u2019t as fun or focused. But to go from 10 nominations to being completely shut out? What a difference a year makes.<\/p>\n

SURPRISE: \u201cF1\u201d (picture)<\/b>
There\u2019s a demographic in the motion picture academy affectionately known as \u201csteak-eaters,\u201d men in the autumn of their years who appreciate a good Dad Movie centered on old(ish) guys who most definitely know best. With membership broadening, this demo has lost a bit of its influence over the years. But the dudes can take a victory lap today, celebrating the nomination of Joseph Kosinski\u2019s swaggering, vroom-vroom sports movie. <\/p>\n

SNUB: \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d (picture)<\/b>
The third \u201cAvatar\u201d movie has grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, which is impressive, though still about $1 billion behind 2022\u2019s \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water.\u201d That movie, like the first one, was nominated for best picture. But \u201cFire and Ash\u201d couldn\u2019t even manage a nod from the Producers Guild, a group that operates from a bigger-the-better mentality. There\u2019s a feeling of fatigue about the franchise, with even creator James Cameron giving the distinct impression that he\u2019s ready to move on. Here\u2019s another signal that it\u2019s time. <\/p>\n

SNUB: \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d (picture)<\/b>
The warning signs were there. Jafar Panahi\u2019s searing (and often funny) social critique of authoritarianism did not fare well on the Oscar or BAFTA early lists. But with the current political climate and the alarming events transpiring in Panahi\u2019s native Iran, it still felt like it\u2019d make the best picture cut. Its absence feels like a big miss or, less charitably, a dereliction of duty.<\/p>\n

\"Stellan <\/p>\n

Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd, left, and Elle Fanning in a scene from director Joachim Trier\u2019s \u201cSentimental Value.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Kasper Tuxen\/Neon)<\/p>\n

SURPRISE: Joachim Trier, \u201cSentimental Value\u201d (director)<\/b>
Trier seemed to be slipping down the ranks of contenders, but voters no doubt appreciated his film\u2019s salty view of Hollywood as well as the way \u201cSentimental Value\u201d subtly shifted between past and present, hope and hurt. Trier also earned an original screenplay nomination, repeating the success he enjoyed with his last movie, \u201cThe Worst Person in the World,\u201d also starring Renate Reinsve<\/a>. <\/p>\n

SNUB: Guillermo del Toro, \u201cFrankenstein\u201d (director)<\/b>
Scorsese stumped for him, as did David Fincher, George Lucas and Jason Reitman. \u201cIt\u2019s a remarkable work,\u201d Scorsese said during a Q&A with Del Toro. \u201cIt stays with you. I dreamed of it.\u201d The affable, movie-loving Del Toro<\/a> has won many fans inside and outside the industry over the years, along with Oscars for directing and producing the 2017 best picture winner \u201cThe Shape of Water\u201d and for \u201cPinocchio,\u201d the enchanting 2022 movie that snagged animated feature. \u201cFrankenstein\u201d isn\u2019t his best work, but Del Toro did snag a Directors Guild nod<\/a>. And \u201cFrankenstein\u201d itself earned 9 Oscar nominations. The directors branch, though, went with Trier. <\/p>\n

SNUB: Jafar Panahi, \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d (director)<\/b>
Panahi has had quite the year: He won the Palme d\u2019Or at Cannes<\/a> in May and was sentenced in December to one year in prison for \u201cpropaganda activities\u201d related to his work. Both speak to the effectiveness of \u201cIt Was Just an Accident,\u201d a withering critique of the cruelty and corruption of an authoritarian regime. Panahi did receive his first Oscar nomination, an original screenplay nod.<\/p>\n

SURPRISE: Kate Hudson, \u201cSong Sung Blue\u201d (lead actress)<\/b>
Hudson\u2019s winning turn<\/a> in this sincere heart-warmer about a husband-wife Neil Diamond tribute act gave the actor her first nomination since her spectacular arrival a quarter-century ago in \u201cAlmost Famous.\u201d \u201cSong Sung Blue\u201d had its own lane in this race, appealing to voters starved for the kind of sincere adult drama that studios once routinely made. And Hudson had a number of famous friends \u2014 Demi Moore, Reba McEntire and, of course, her mom, Goldie Hawn \u2014 hosting screenings and singing her praises. Maybe even singing some Neil Diamond songs. Who can resist? Not voters. <\/p>\n

\"Chase <\/p>\n

Chase Infiniti in \u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Warner Bros. Pictures)<\/p>\n

SNUB: Chase Infiniti, \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d (lead actress)<\/b>
Infiniti\u2019s placement in the lead category, clearing the decks in supporting for co-star Teyana Taylor, raised a few eyebrows. She\u2019s only in the movie for about half an hour, and though her character drives the action and ends the movie in spectacular fashion, that wasn\u2019t enough in a category flush with weightier work. <\/p>\n

SNUB: Amanda Seyfried, \u201cThe Testament of Ann Lee\u201d (lead actress)<\/b>
For true believers<\/a> in Seyfried\u2019s frenzied work in Mona Fastvold\u2019s story of devotion and delusion, it\u2019s hard to shake this one off. <\/p>\n

SNUB: Cynthia Erivo, \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d (lead actress)<\/b>
Here\u2019s the rub: The second half of \u201cWicked\u201d no longer centers Erivo\u2019s Elphaba. When she\u2019s on the screen \u2014 and not wearing that sex cardigan<\/a> \u2014 she\u2019s still great, masterfully conveying Elphaba\u2019s vulnerability and sadness. But in a competitive lead actress category, Erivo simply didn\u2019t have the screen time to convince voters to give her an encore nomination. <\/p>\n

SURPRISE: Delroy Lindo, \u201cSinners\u201d (supporting actor)<\/b> Lindo finally earned his first Oscar nomination, riding the wave of \u201cSinners\u2019\u201d record haul. His portrayal of the world-weary Mississippi bluesman Delta Slim was central to the movie\u2019s exploration of life in the Jim Crow South and included a powerful monologue that told the story of the lynching of a fellow musician. The movie wouldn\u2019t have been as special without it.<\/p>\n

\"Paul <\/p>\n

Paul Mescal in \u201cHamnet.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Agata Grzybowska \/ Focus Features)<\/p>\n

SNUB: Paul Mescal, \u201cHamnet\u201d (supporting actor) <\/b>He played Shakespeare, but voters weren\u2019t in love. How sharper than a serpent\u2019s tooth it is to have a thankless audience. <\/p>\n

SNUB: Ariana Grande, \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d (supporting actress)<\/b>
Grande functioned as a co-lead in the first \u201cWicked,\u201d winning a supporting actress nomination last year, and took center stage in the sequel. But her Oscar fortunes waned as \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d couldn\u2019t replicate the spell the original cast on audiences. It\u2019s possible too that, good as she is at light comedy, some voters didn\u2019t buy Glinda\u2019s transformation after spending the nearly the entire movie betraying Elphaba at every turn. With friends like her, who needs enemies?<\/p>\n

SURPRISE: Elle Fanning, \u201cSentimental Value\u201d (supporting actress)<\/b>
SAG-AFTRA voters ignored the cast of \u201cSentimental Value\u201d for the Actors Awards, but the ensemble came back in a big way with the academy. Fanning, playing an A-list American actress navigating the strained family dynamics of the auteur who hired her for his comeback, joined Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd among the nominees.<\/p>\n

SNUB: Odessa A\u2019zion, \u201cMarty Supreme\u201d (supporting actress)<\/b>
A\u2019zion\u2019s chances at a nomination seemed to rise along with the success of \u201cMarty Supreme.\u201d She picked up an Actors Award nomination<\/a> earlier this month for playing Rachel, the film\u2019s chaos-creating schemer. Oh well. Maybe we\u2019ll see her at the Emmys later this year for her tumultuous turn as a Gen Z influencer in \u201cI Love LA.\u201d <\/p>\n

SNUB: \u201cNo Other Choice\u201d (international feature)<\/b>
Oscar voters have been resistant to Park in the past, ignoring the likes of \u201cDecision to Leave\u201d and \u201cThe Handmaiden.\u201d But \u201cNo Other Choice,\u201d a humane \u2014 and darkly comic \u2014 look at ugly things people can do when desperate felt like a potential breakthrough. Park will have to wait … again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Oscar nominations landed Thursday morning and you\u2019d really have to be a curmudgeon to complain, what with the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":534879,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[18046,236753,185,19728,171,190016,58203,75193,23190,236754,3196,211674,25784,34871,67,132,68,9111,17498,1628],"class_list":{"0":"post-534878","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-actor","9":"tag-big-surprise","10":"tag-celebrities","11":"tag-director","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-good-picture","14":"tag-guillermo-del-toro","15":"tag-jafar-panahi","16":"tag-kate-hudson","17":"tag-lead-actress","18":"tag-movie","19":"tag-oscar-nomination","20":"tag-sentimental-value","21":"tag-snub","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-us","25":"tag-voter","26":"tag-wicked","27":"tag-year"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115939490277332556","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}