As predicted, there were few major surprises with the announcement of the 76th Academy Awards nominations, but there were enough to raise an eyebrow or two. Of course, “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” dominated the proceedings with 13 and 11 nominations with “Killers of the Flower Moon” earning 10 nods and “Barbie” taking 8. And, of course, Diane Warren. Again.
READ MORE: “Oppenheimer” dominates the 2024 Oscar nominations [Full List]
There is no better way than to glaze over the aftermath of the nominations announcement by considering some obvious and not-so-obvious snubs and surprises.
Snub: Dua Lipa
We knew it was coming. “Dance The Night” may have earned a prestigious Song of the Year Grammy nomination, but Oscar rules are Oscar rules. If only two songs can be represented from a film then Billie Eilish‘s “What Was I Made For” and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt‘s “I’m Just Ken” were going to represent “Barbie.” Is it a dumb rule that should be changed? Should the category be expanded? Should the music branch fix the qualifications for the category? Yes, yes and yes. Will that happen in our lifetimes? Maybe, no, and, likely not. For Ms. Lipa, however, all of this legitimate campaigning only sets her up for what should be an eventual nom for another song down the road. It’s a game and she’s playing it.
Surprise and Snub: “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Martin Scorsese‘s epic had something of a better showing than expected on Oscar nomination morning or maybe not? There were fears that Scorsese could be snubbed in the Directing category, but that didn’t happen. He earned his 10th nomination in the category. Sure, star
Surprise and Snub: “Killers of the Flower Moon”
After some rocky moments over the past few weeks, Martin Scorsese‘s epic had something of a better showing than expected on Oscar nomination morning. There were fears that Scorsese could be snubbed in the Directing category, but that didn’t happen. He earned his 10th nomination in the category. Sure, star Leonardo DiCaprio got snubbed, but everyone saw that coming after SAG and BAFTA Awards nominations were revealed. And not landing an Adapted Screenplay nod? I mean, not great, but the surprise was “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” landing a nomination for Original Song. And when all was said and done, “Killers” still has 10 nominations including one in every category you – in theory – need to win Best Picture. Not bad.
Snub: “Origin” and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
This was also not a surprise. Several Academy members came to Ava DuVernay’s aid in the week before voting ended including Angelina Jolie, Holland Taylor (who pretty much broke Academy rules) Cher, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Rosanna Arquette, but it was all too little, too late. The movie needed this boost weeks ago if not over the holidays. Ellis-Taylor was a deserving Best Actress nominee, but the category was just too competitive. Was it the movie itself? Did members watch the movie? Was it an over-stretched NEON? Or was it a combination of all three? Ponder.
Surprise: Justine Triet
She may not have earned a DGA Award nomination, but the Academy’s directing branch is much more international. They made sure the Palme d’Or winner made the cut. In fact, she’s the third Palme winner to earn a directing nom in the past five years. The Original Screenplay nomination? Once “Barbie” was bizarrely recategorized for Adapted Screenplay, “Anatomy” was a pretty safe bet.
Snub: “The Taste of Things“
France just can’t win, can they? After selecting Tran Anh Hung’s “The Taste of Things” over Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” for their International Film submission, Academy members said “no thank you” to what would have been a lock of a nomination 10 years ago. And “Anatomy”? The movie that wasn’t French enough? Five nominations including Best Picture, Director, Actress (Sandra Huller), Original Screenplay, and Editing.
Surprise: “Napoleon”
Ridley Scott’s epic may not have impressed critics, but it made an impact with the below-the-line branches earning three nominations including Costume Design, Production Design, and Visual Effects.
Snub: “Fallen Leaves”
Few thought Italy’s “Io Capitano” would earn an International Film nomination, but even fewer thought Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves” would get snubbed. A critical favorite since its Cannes debut, the quirky romantic dramedy was a given for many observers. Granted, we predicted it, but it always felt off. Should have gone with our gut.
Snub: “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
The Apple TV+ release played both the Emmy and Oscar game and it appears that didn’t sit well with the latter. Perhaps winning four Emmy Awards while voting was going on – a historical anomaly because of the strike-delayed Emmy season – wasn’t ideal.
Snub: “American Symphony”
After a massive launch at the Telluride Film Festival, an expected “lock,” the acclaimed Jon Batiste documentary, didn’t make the Best Documentary cut. That being said, Batiste did get his second nomination with an Original Song nod for “It Never Went Away.”
Snub: Margot Robbie
I mean, when Twitter is reacting to how on the nose the fact that Ken (Ryan Gosling) got a nomination and Barbie (Robbie) didn’t, and that’s the entire point of the movie, well, you sort of have a problem. Many casual awards watchers clearly didn’t see Robbie was also snubbed by BAFTA, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But, a disturbing one nonetheless. In a slim silver lining, Robbie still earned a nomination for producing “Barbie.”
Surprise: America Ferrera
She didn’t get a SAG nomination and she didn’t earn a BAFTA one, but Ferrera was hot on the campaign trail this season. Other Oscar consultants will tell you “Barbie” might have pushed the pedal to the metal a bit too hard for some, but the Oscar Acting branch may be the biggest branch in the Academy, but if you share your story just enough, it might resonate. With a stirring monologue which is the heart of the movie, the Emmy Award winner pulled of her first Oscar nom.
Surprise and Snub: Mark Ruffalo over Willem Dafoe
“Poor Things” had an incredible morning but after Dafoe took SAG and BAFTA nominations, it was assumed his fifth nomination was in the bag. Instead, Rufallo, who delivered a funnier performance, took his fourth.
Surprise: Netflix
They won’t win Best Picture this year, but they still earned another nomination with “Maestro,” their sixth straight year with a nomination. More importantly, despite a supposed “down” year, they took 18 nominations, more than any other studio. For a company that doesn’t report box office, that’s a win in the film biz and will make their filmmakers and stars happy. Now can they help get Wes Anderson his first statue after that Live Action short nomination?
Snub: Greta Gerwig
We sort of saw this coming, but it was still a shock to see the filmmaker besides the biggest hit of the year, one of the most transgressive studio releases in at least a decade, get snubbed by her own branch. I’d spoken to a member of this branch a few months ago who said they were specifically going to vote for Gerwig because of what she pulled off making a studio movie. Sadly, enough of their colleagues didn’t feel the same way.
Surprise: Annette Bening
In a very competitive category, Bening earned her fifth nomination for playing the title role in “Nyad.” She earned a nomination and she’s not even the best performance in the movie (that goes to co-star Jodie Foster who was also nominated). We’re not sure how on earth Bening or Netflix pulled this off. Even with the SAG nomination, this seemed like a reach. Guess not!
Snub: Charles Melton
After snubs on the BAFTA longlist and from SAG, it was assumed the “May December” star wouldn’t land a Best Supporting Actor nomination. And…that’s exactly what happened. We never understood the critical love for his performance, but he became a red carpet darling and, well, at least it helped his career.
Surprise: Diane Warren
We finally predicted Warren would earn a nomination and, surprise, it happened. Again. How did she pull this off? She attended every possible event. She called every member of her branch. She worked it. Again. And for a song that no one will remember after the ceremony. Sigh.
Snub: Andrew Scott
After the shocking BAFTA snub, it was assumed his Oscar chances were close to nil, but it’s still disheartening considering the “All of Us Strangers” star gave one of the best performances of the year. In another universe, the SAG strike ends earlier, “Strangers” opens in theaters earlier and the film’s Oscar fate is decidedly different.
Snub: Rosamund Pike
C’mon Academy members, don’t you like to have some fun? Pike gave a classic performance in Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” that should have been a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Except, of course, this was the most competitive Supporting Actress race in at least a decade. She can take solace in that at least 3 other actresses were “robbed” by not making this category too.
Snub: Olivia Rodrigo
Again, The Academy’s music branch has issues. “Can’t Catch Me Now,” her original song from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a stunning ballad that in any other year could actually win the category. But, no. Not in 2024. Was it Rodrigo? Was it the movie? How much egg are they going to have on their face when the song earns 3 Grammy noms next December?