The Oscar nominations are here, and once again, there are some welcome inclusions and shocking omissions. The highly anticipated list was announced early Thursday morning, with some of the year’s most talked about performances and films making it, and others surprisingly completely shut out of the competition.
Denzel Washington stands as perhaps the biggest snub, as his riveting performance in “Gladiator II” did not get an Actor in a Supporting Role nomination. At the time of the film’s release, it seemed like Washington was set to ride the film’s momentum all the way to the Academy Awards. While he earned a nomination for the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice, Washington has missed recognition in other key ceremonies, like the SAG Awards, for example.
“Challengers,” the Zendaya-led box office hit, was also shut out of the competition, despite earning multiple nominations at the Golden Globes earlier this year and even taking home Best Score at the ceremony. We’re sure Zendaya may still be in attendance, as her film “Dune: Part Two” has earned multiple Oscar nominations, but her omission, as well as the omission of “Challengers” overall, is certainly disappointing as the film was not only a surprise box office success, but a critical and cultural one as well.
What will it take for Danielle Deadwyler to get an Oscar nomination? Just years since her egregious Best Actress snub after her earth-shattering performance in “Till,” the actress is once again shut out of the competition this year, this time for her performance in Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson.”
Other performances from smaller films that earned critical raves were also shockingly shut out of the nominations. Take Marianne Jean-Baptiste, for example, whose performance in the UK film “Hard Truths,” which has been referred to as the best performance of the year, did not make it. And while “Sing Sing,” A24's moving film based on the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison earned some love, Clarence Maclin, who delivered one of the best performances in the movie, did not secure a nomination.
Thankfully, we are far from the #OscarsSoWhite days, as some pretty huge performances earned nods in major categories. Take Cynthia Erivo, for example, whose thunderous rendition as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in “Wicked,” earned her a nomination for Actress in a Leading Role. Colman Domingo also earned a nomination for Best Actor. His second Oscar nomination in a row, he received the nod this time for his performance in “Sing Sing.”
After taking home a Golden Globe and multiple Critics Circle awards, Zoe Saldaña, a clear frontrunner in the category, earned a nomination for Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in “Emilia Pérez.” The presence of “Nickel Boys” is also an exciting inclusion in the nominations. The acclaimed adaptation of of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel earned nominations in Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay. While the film’s powerful performances, including one from the legendary Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, were left unrecognized, the fact that the film is included at all among the nominees, is a highlight.
The Oscars are set to air March 2 on ABC and Hulu.