Movies

Oscar Nominations 2025: Shocking Snubs & Unexpected Surprises!

BBG News

Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards, initially set for March 2nd, were eventually submitted on January 23rd due to several postponements caused by the Los Angeles wildfires. The destruction left behind may linger over this awards season, but in true Hollywood fashion, the event will persevere and continue as planned.

2025’s award season landscape seems to be shaping up as a more competitive and unpredictable field, with the once-dominant “Oppenheimer” now facing stiff competition. While movies like “Wicked”, “Emilia Pérez”, and “Conclave” have been considered frontrunners, there’s growing debate about the Oscar-worthiness of a blockbuster film such as “Wicked” and concerns surrounding representation in “Emilia Pérez”, particularly with regards to trans and Mexican characters. The lengthy runtime of “The Brutalist” (over 3.5 hours) may be a deterrent for some voters, while the Golden Globe-winning performances of Fernanda Torres and Demi Moore could potentially translate into Oscar nominations for both actresses. (Interestingly enough, they did indeed!)

In this update, Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang announced the results on Thursday: Emilia Pérez stands out with 13 nominations, one shy of the all-time record of 14, trailed by “Wicked” and “The Brutalist,” each earning 10 nominations. As is typical, some anticipated names were missing from the list, but in certain instances, this allowed for a delightful surprise. Below, you’ll find the most significant omissions and unexpected inclusions in the 2025 Oscar nominations.

Surprise: Monica Barbaro for Best Supporting Actress

It wasn’t surprising at all. Barbaro shines like Joan Baez opposite Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” However, this was a tough category, and Barbaro’s nomination meant several other strong contenders missed out: Selena Gomez in “Emilia Pérez” (saving us from the escalating online feuds between Selenators and Arianators); Danielle Deadwyler, who stood out in an otherwise disappointing “The Piano Lesson”; Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as the affectionate grandmother in “Nickel Boys”; Margaret Qualley, who was spot on as Demi Moore’s young clone in “The Substance”; and a surging Jamie Lee Curtis for “The Last Showgirl.

Surprise and Snub: I’m Still Here sneaks in for Best Picture…and Sing Sing misses

Several movies that were considered strong contenders for a Best Picture nomination seemed like guaranteed winners, but some were on the edge of making it until the announcement on Thursday. One such film was “I’m Still Here,” a drama directed by Walter Salles based on real events during Brazil’s military dictatorship. This film was widely anticipated to receive two nominations – Best International Feature and Best Actress for Fernanda Torres, who won the Golden Globe earlier this month. However, its inclusion in the top 10 was unexpected and added to the critical acclaim of the film. Unfortunately, another film had to be left out, and “Sing Sing,” which earned a Best Actor nod for Colman Domingo, missed the cut.

Snub: Denis Villeneuve for Best Director

In line with predictions, “Dune: Part II” garnered a nomination for Best Picture and multiple technical awards. However, the creative genius behind this visually spectacular film, Denis Villeneuve, was surprisingly overlooked for the Best Director category – marking the second time this has happened in the Dune series. Some pundits speculate that “Dune” might follow in the footsteps of “The Lord of the Rings,” earning numerous awards when the third and final installment, “Dune Messiah,” is released, much like how “Return of the King” did in its day. However, book enthusiasts are aware that unlike the last film in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the third part of the Dune series is markedly strange and not particularly inspiring. It’s plausible that Villeneuve may never receive recognition for his success in adapting a book series that was once deemed unfilmable. In simpler terms, despite achieving critical and commercial acclaim with the Dune series, it seems Villeneuve might never be awarded for his work due to the challenging nature of the source material.

Snub: Challengers gets completely blanked

The charming tennis movie “Challengers,” directed by Luca Guadagnino, deserved numerous awards due to his inventive incorporation of symbolic food items. However, the Academy doesn’t always recognize genius in its time. Maybe Guadagnino prioritizing the promotion of his other 2024 film, “Queer,” impacted “Challengers” chances. Zendaya’s captivating performance in “Dune: Part II” might have overshadowed her work in a lighter, yet equally entertaining movie. We may not fully recognize Josh O’Connor’s charming smirk until he assumes the role of James Bond. Nevertheless, experts anticipated “Challengers” to secure at least a screenplay or musical score nomination. Blast the soundtrack and let it fuel your anger against this injustice!

Snub: A slew of luminaries in the Best Actress category

It’s always enjoyable to witness up-and-coming talents competing for the prestigious Academy Awards, but it comes as a shock when well-established figures such as Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, and Tilda Swinton are overlooked. Interestingly, this year’s nominees for Best Actress—Cynthia Erivo (from Wicked), Mikey Madison from Anora, Fernanda Torres from I’m Still Here, Demi Moore from The Substance, and Karla Sofia Gascon from Emilia Pérez—are all first-timers in the Oscar race. Additionally, despite her strong performance in Babygirl that some deemed “the performance of the year,” Marianne Jean-Baptiste was not included among this year’s nominees for Hard Truths.

Surprise: The Apprentice makes a Comeback

Recently, there had been doubts about whether the contentious biopic of Donald Trump, “The Apprentice”, would secure distribution in the U.S., given the president’s opposition to his portrayal in the movie. However, Sebastian Stan has now received a nomination for his portrayal of Trump, and Jeremy Strong has earned his first ever nomination for playing Trump’s real-life ruthless mentor, Roy Cohn. It’s worth noting the impressive campaign run by Sebastian Stan that transformed other actors’ reluctance to engage with him in Variety’s “Actors on Actors” videos into a discussion point, effectively accusing Academy voters of timidity. He successfully framed “The Apprentice” as the anti-Trump choice after Trump was elected president.

Snub: Denzel Washington for Best Supporting Actor

In the movie Gladiator II, the actors’ performances don’t quite blend seamlessly. Paul Mescal appears in a compact, intense film, while Pedro Pascal seems to be in an episode reminiscent of The Mandalorian. Denzel Washington, however, steals the show as if he were the ringmaster at a chaotic and gory circus. His movie is the most entertaining and compelling reason to watch it. His bold performance, filled with swagger, manages to twist the film around him, turning stale dialogue into sharp, witty one-liners. Unfortunately, even his outstanding acting was not enough to prevent Gladiator II from feeling like a rehash or to secure Denzel another Oscar nomination as he hints at retirement in the near future.

Surprise: The Substance disrupts the balance

Following her victory at the Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy on January 5th, Demi Moore is now considered the leading contender for the Best Actress Oscar, thanks to her exceptional performance as Elisabeth Sparkle in Coralie Fargeat’s gruesome hit movie “The Substance.” On Thursday, Moore received her anticipated nomination, but the joint recognition of Fargeat and “The Substance” in the Academy’s Best Director and Best Picture categories generated excitement among horror aficionados. This year, Fargeat is the only female director nominated for an Oscar (only the ninth woman to achieve this in Oscars history), and if she wins, she would become the second director ever to do so with a horror film, after Jonathan Demme for “The Silence of the Lambs” in 1991. Similarly, if “The Substance” were to win Best Picture, it would be only the second movie to do so in this category, following closely behind “Silence.

Odds and Ends

Clarence Maclin, who lived through and later acted out his experiences from the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, wasn’t chosen in the Supporting Actor category for Sing Sing. The Indian drama All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia, which had been considered for Best International Feature and Best Director, didn’t receive nominations. Hugh Grant, who won a Golden Globe for his role in Heretic, and Daniel Craig, who delivered an outstanding performance in Queer, were not chosen for the Best Actor category. Edward Berger, despite receiving 10 nominations for his film Conclave, was not included among the Best Director nominees. Although The Wild Robot received three nominations, many had hoped it would also be considered for a Best Picture nomination or a nod for its song “Kiss the Sky” performed by Maren Morris.

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2025-01-23 19:08

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