Every year, we gather around for the reveal of the Academy’s Oscar nominations, and every year, there’s something to be disappointed about. While some standout actors got their due this year – Denzel Washington continued his streak as the most-nominated Black actor, Beyoncé earned her first-ever nomination, and Lin-Manuel Miranda is on track to become an EGOT winner – it’s hard to ignore the lack of recognition for others’ phenomenal work.
One of the biggest snubs this year was for Lady Gaga, who, after much Oscars buzz for “House of Gucci,” failed to snag a nomination for best actress. The Academy also didn’t give Jennifer Hudson any love for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in “Respect.” In addition, several major films – including “The French Dispatch,” “The Card Counter,” and “C’mon C’mon” – walked away with zero nominations. Ahead, check out other shocking snubs from the 2022 Academy Awards.
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Lady Gaga in "House of Gucci"
Lady Gaga’s portrayal of Italian socialite Patrizia Reggiani in “House of Gucci” generated months of buzz. Unfortunately, Gaga’s performance wasn’t enough to convince the Academy to put her up for best actress. The film’s hair and makeup team (composed of Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock, and Frederic Aspiras), however, is up for best makeup and hairstyling.
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Jennifer Hudson in "Respect"
Many thought Jennifer Hudson’s portrayal of the Queen of Soul in “Respect” would make her a shoe-in for best actress at the Oscars. However, it seems the Academy didn’t have any R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Hudson – her name, along with others from the movie, was left off the nomination list.
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"The Harder They Fall"
“The Harder They Fall” was one of Netflix’s biggest releases last year, and it performed quite well at the virtual box office, with nearly 1.2 billion minutes of streaming views as of Dec. 2021. However, while Netflix dominated the 2022 Oscar nominations, Jeymes Samuel’s Western film didn’t make the cut.
JAY-Z, Kid Cudi, and Samuel’s “Guns Go Bang” track was shortlisted for best original song, but it looks like it got beat out by Beyoncé’s “Be Alive.” If JAY-Z had also scored a nomination, he and Bey would have been the first married couple in Oscars history to appear in the same category.
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Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson in "Passing"
Many film fans were hoping to see “Passing” snag an Oscar nomination this year. Ruth Negga not receiving a supporting actress nomination for her portrayal of Clare Kendry was a particularly disappointing snub.
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Leonardo DiCaprio in "Don't Look Up"
Yes, I know – it’s surprising “Don’t Look Up” managed to snag this many nominations at all. But if the Academy was going to recognise the movie, it could have at least made sure Leonardo DiCaprio earned a nomination for best actor.
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"Zola"
Janicza Bravo’s buzzy film “Zola” got a lot of attention last summer when it premiered in theatres. Although Taylour Paige convincingly portrayed of her real-life counterpart, the biggest snub for the movie – which scored zero nominations – was for Colman Domingo’s portrayal of his menacing character, X.
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Mahershala Ali in "Swan Song"
Double Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali gave an Oscar-worthy performance in Benjamin Cleary’s “Swan Song.” But his performance went unrecognized by the Academy – another big let-down for one of last year’s most underrated films.
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Caitriona Balfe in "Belfast"
“Belfast” director Kenneth Branagh was a big hit with the Academy this year, earning Oscar nominations in seven different categories – including best original screenplay and best picture – for his autobiographical film. However, Caitriona Balfe failed to make the cut for best actress in a supporting role, despite predictions that she’d snag her first nomination.
Branagh touched on Balfe’s snub with “Entertainment Weekly,” saying, “We know that this is a phenomenally competitive year. They are just some wonderful films out there, and inevitably, there are wonderful performances. What I know for sure is that I wouldn’t have any nominations, for sure, without the incredible work of Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and Jude Hill. It sounds clichéd, but I mean it when I say these nominations absolutely belong to them.”
