Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds the award ceremony in Hollywood, California, where the deserving nominees receive their honor for both artistic and technical achievement.
Since the beginning, it’s been the dream of every person working in the cinema world to have this solid bronze statuette plated in 24-karat gold.
Oscar Snubs (Source: GQ Australia)
Unfortunately, you are not always lucky! Sometimes, you get snubbed.
If you are wondering what exactly is a snub, it is a performance that we believe deserve a nomination or award but did not.
Here in this article, we are shedding light on the recent Oscar snubs, and one of the greatest celebrities, Lady Gaga, is also on our list. Let’s get rolling!
Quick Overview
Here are the top 15 Oscar snubs we must consider…
S.no
Snubbed Actor/Director
Snubbed for
1.
Lady Gaga
House of Gucci (2021)
2.
Andrew Garfield
tick, tick…BOOM! (2021)
3.
Denis Villeneuve
Dune (2021)
4.
Jon Watts
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
5.
Ruth Negga
Passing (2021)
6.
Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight (2008)
7.
James Stewart
Alfred Hitchcock
Vertigo (1958)
8.
Stanley Kubrick
The Shining (1980)
9.
Anthony Perkins
Psycho (1960)
10.
Steven Spielberg
Jaws (1975)
11.
Gary Oldman
Sid and Nancy (1986)
12.
Gene Kelly
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
13.
Bradley Cooper
A Star is Born (2018)
14.
Timothee Chalamet
Beautiful Boy (2018)
15.
Emily Blunt
A Quiet Place (2018)
Oscar Snubs You Totally Missed
#1. Lady Gaga for House of Gucci (2021)
The world-renowned singer and actress Lady Gaga was born in 1986 as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.
Along with giving numerous hits, the singer has starred in a bunch of movies.
Likewise, she has secured awards and nominations for her roles such as BAFTA, Academy Award, Primetime Emmy, AACTA International, Atlanta Film Critics, and so on.
Lady Gaga in House of Gucci (Source: New York Post)
Sadly, Gaga was snubbed recently from Oscars for her part in House of Gucci (2021). The movie was directed by Ridley Scott and managed to collect $152.1 million at the box office.
The actress portrayed the role of Patrizia Reggiani in the movie along with other promising actors like Jared Leto, Al Pacino, and Adam Driver. However, she was left out of this year’s Oscar race.
The movie only landed one Oscar nomination for makeup and hairstyle.
Nominated Instead: Kristen Stewart for playing Princess Diana in Spencer.
#2. Andrew Garfield for tick, tick…BOOM! (2021)
Andrew Garfield is most commonly known for his role as Peter Parker in the movie The Amazing Spiderman (2012) and (2014).
The actor was snubbed for his role in tick, tick…BOOM, a 2021 movie. The movie presented the life of an aspiring composer portrayed by Garfield.
Andrew Garfield Subbed for tick, tick…BOOM (Source: Deadline)
To illustrate, tick, tick…BOOM! is an adaptation of the life of late Jonathan Larson, the American composer and lyricist.
Despite the fact that it was very inspiring, it seems like the Academy voters could fit only one musical in the category of best picture.
So, who was nominated instead? The coveted spot on the best picture list was bagged by Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car.
#3. Denis Villeneuve for Dune (2021)
We heard a lot about Dune this year, and it indeed was a very beautiful movie with brilliant actors like Timothee Chalamaet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac, and so on.
Unfortunately, the movie was snubbed, and the director Denis Villeneuve did not win the Best Director nomination.
Dune (Source: The New York Times)
Nevertheless, Dune took home altogether ten nominations for several categories such as Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Editing, and a lot more. Let’s just say it was not a year for Villeneuve.
So, who won? Instead of Dune, the winning film was Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter.”
The movie collected over $1.77 billion in a global theatre. However, Jon Watts could not land the award for the best picture category.
The film starred Benedict Cumberbatch, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Willem Dafoe, and a lot more.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Source: Hindustan Times)
Like Jon Watts, none of the aforementioned actors received any awards in the Oscar. Sadly, the only nomination bagged by this film was for visual effects.
Interesting detail: The same year, J.K Simmons, who was also a major part of NWH, bagged the award for the best supporting actor but for another movie- Being the Ricardos.
In 2021, the director Rebecca Hall made the movie Passing (2021), starring powerful actresses like Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson.
Negga portrayed the character of Clare Bellew, a mixed-race black woman. The movie was widely praised, and Ruth Negga was equally acclaimed by the reviewers.
Ruth and Tessa in Passing (2021) (Source: USA Today)
However, like all the above-mentioned names, Ruth was also snubbed for this film. Well, the actress did receive a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor at the SAG Awards.
Nominated instead: Nightmare Alley (2021) managed to pick the best picture nomination. Moreover, it also earned the nomination for costume and cinematography.
#6. Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight (2008)
We bet there is no need to introduce Christopher Nolan, one of the finest directors Hollywood has! Now more even, this brilliant movie Nolan directed- The Dark Knight (2008).
The movie turned out to be a cult classic and features great actors like Christian Bale as Batman and the late Heath Ledger as the joker.
Dark Knight Rises (Source: IMDb)
Unfortunately, this cultural phenomenon film was overlooked for the Oscars in the category of Best Picture, and Nolan got snubbed.
Which movie won instead?- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire.
#7. James Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock for Vertigo (1958)
The master of suspense “Alfred Hitchcock” is one of the best directors the film industry has seen. Hitchcock is celebrated for directing thrillers, but sadly, this man never won an Oscar.
Here, we are talking about the 1958 movie Vertigo directed by Hitchcock starring James Stewart.
Vertigo 1958 (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
This duo is frequently seen together. Likewise, Vertigo is considered Alfred’s masterwork, along with Stewart’s best performance. But as stated earlier, the film could not bring the Oscars for either of them.
So, who got nominated for the Best Picture award instead?- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Auntie Mame (1958)
And who won?- Gigi (1958)
#8. Stanley Kubrick for The Shining (1980)
One of the greatest filmmakers of cinematic history, Stanley Kubrick, has given several classic masterpieces.
In 1980, Stanley directed The Shining, which is regarded as one of the finest movies in Hollywood.
Sadly, The Shining did not receive the critical acclaim it deserved. Instead, it got only two Razzie nominations, and you will be surprised that Kubrick was nominated for Worst Director.
The Shining 1980 (Source: The Times)
Fortunately, viewers understood this treasure with time, and it still is acclaimed to date.
Nominated Instead: Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Elephant Man, Tess
A little extra detail: Stanley was robbed one more time for another masterpiece- 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Even though this movie made in 1968 is greatly appreciated today, it got snubbed at that time. Instead, the movies like Funny Girl, The Lion in Winter, Oliver!, etc., secured their places.
#9. Anthony Perkins for Psycho (1960)
We have already stated this before that even though Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most intriguing filmmakers, he never landed with an Oscars.
The same is the case for his 1960 movie Psycho. But here, we are not just talking about the director but the actor Anthony Perkins who portrayed the role of Norman Bates in the movie.
Anthony Perkins in Psycho (Source: IMDb)
In Psycho, Perkins outdid himself with such a classic act. However, he was snubbed for the category of best actor.
Who won it instead? Jack Lemmon for The Apartment, Laurence Oliver for The Entertainer, Burt Lancaster for Elmer Gantry, and so on.
#10. Steven Spielberg for Jaws (1975)
In 1975, maybe the best directors’ category was crowded, or just Steven Spielberg got unlucky, but this excellent director was robbed for the masterpiece he made- Jaws.
Spielberg was snubbed for the best director while he created the summer blockbuster that audiences will forever love and remember.
Jaws, 1975, by Steven Spielberg (Source: MoMA)
The movie was prepared on a budget of $9 million and managed to earn $472 million. As a matter of fact, Jaws changed how we watch movies and inspired so many upcoming filmmakers.
Now, instead of Steven, other directors like Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Stanley Kubrick (Barry Lyndon), and Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon) won the nomination that year.
In 1986, Alex Cox directed “Sid and Nancy,” starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb in the lead role.
It is a British biographical film, and for this, Gary totally changed himself to fit into the character.
Gary Oldman in Sid and Nancy (Source: Paste Magazine)
To illustrate, Oldman portrayed himself as Sid, the guy who is a punk icon as well as a drug addict and a killer. He lost too much weight and mentally devoted himself to the role.
Sadly, Gary Oldman was not able to bring the Oscars home. He was snubbed for Best Actor.
Instead of him, the actors who received the honors were James Woods (Salvador), Paul Newman (The Color of Money), Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa), and others.
#12. Gene Kelly for Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
The 1952 movie Singin’ in the Rain is equally tasteful today as it was when first released.
The musical movie stars Eugene Curran Kelly or Gene Kelly, an American actor, director, singer, and dancer.
Singin’ in the Rain (Source: Mental Floss)
The handsome actor was popular for his athletic dancing style, and his role in the very movie held audiences spellbound.
Nevertheless, he was overlooked for the best actor. The Academy failed to acknowledge him despite his sheer talent, and Kelly got snubbed.
The same year, some of the other nominations who managed to win included Gary Cooper (High Noon), Kirk Douglas (The Bad and the Beautiful), and so on.
There are several actors and directors who get snubbed each year during the Academy Awards. Bradley Cooper also joined this list for the 2018’s movie A Star is Born.
Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born (Source: Harper’s Bazaar)
Cooper both directed and starred in this film. As a matter of fact, it was his directorial debut.
The actor starred along with Lady Gaga, and yes, the film got several nominees and other big awards. However, Bradley was overlooked for his directorial/lead role.
#14. Timothee Chalamet for Beautiful Boy (2018)
Timothee Chalamet is a growing name in the Hollywood film industry.
Chalamet in Beautiful Boy (Source: Vox)
The gorgeous American actor was born in 1995 and has appeared in several great movies like Call Me By Your Name (2017), Dune (2021), Interstellar (2014), Little Women (2019), and several others.
And here, we are talking about his work in the 2018’s movie Beautiful Boy, for which he was overlooked. The drama film won him several big nominations, but he was snubbed from the Oscars.
#15. Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place (2018)
If you remember, the talented British actress Emily Blunt is one of the most overdue actresses in Hollywood.
Blunt has never been lucky for an Oscars even though she performed greatly in the movies like “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Into the Woods.”
Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place (Source: The Indian Express)
Likewise, she was snubbed for the Best Actress for her role in 2018’s A Quiet Place. The movie was directed by her husband, John Krasinski, and has landed other big awards apart from the Academy one.
Similarly, Blunt is also due for another movie- Mary Poppins Return (2018).
