Some of the most prolific stars of the big screen had major cause for celebration in January, when the nominees for this year’s Oscars were announced.
Among the contenders for the 2023 Academy Awards – which are set to take place on Sunday night – include HuffPost faves like Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Colin Farrell, Lady Gaga and Rihanna – not to mention a few stars that few would have predicted to be in the running.
However, not everyone will have been feeling quite so joyful.
As ever, there were a few notable absentees from the categories, with many film fans disappointed to see their favourite films and actors had been snubbed.
Here are 12 of the most notable snubs and surprises from this year’s Oscar nominees...
SNUB
Danielle Deadwyler
Danielle Deadwyler’s performance as Mamie Till in the drama Till was met with a wave of praise, with many certain this would translate into an Oscar nomination.
However, she’s probably the most notable absentee from 2023’s Best Actress category, despite Danielle having received recognition at the Critics’ Choice Awards, SAG Awards and Baftas.
In fact, Till didn’t receive any nominations at all this year, despite its popularity with critics and film fans.
SURPRISE
Andrea Riseborough
First, some context.
Andrea Riseborough was completely absent from most people’s awards predictions until last week, when a string of actors began heaping plaudits on her performance in To Leslie, a film that – if we’re being honest – most of us probably didn’t even know existed.
Many suspected the acting world was trying to kickstart a grassroots campaign for Andrea to land her first Oscar nomination, with everyone from Cate Blanchett to Gwyneth Paltrow singing her praises.
And, what do you know? It worked, with the much-loved actor now being able to officially call herself an Oscar nominee.
SURPRISE
Stephanie Hsu
While Stephanie Hsu’s performance as Michelle Yeoh’s on-screen daughter Joy was a real highlight of Everything Everywhere All At Once (we had the young actor as one of our 12 stars to watch in 2023), so far awards season looked like it was favouring co-star Jamie Lee Curtis when it came to Best Supporting Actress nominations.
Imagine our delight then, when Stephanie was revealed as a contender for Best Supporting Actress, joining co-star Jamie in the same category, while Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Qwan are also up for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
As well as its four acting nods, the multiverse epic is this year’s most-nominated film, with 11 in total, including Best Picture.
SNUB
Dolly De Leon
Unfortunately, the Best Supporting Actress category is – as ever! – a particularly stacked one, meaning one of our top picks didn’t end up making the cut.
Dolly De Leon truly stole the show in the latter half of Triangle Of Sadness, and although the film itself picked up a string of nominations, we were disappointed to see that Best Supporting Actress was not one of them.
Still, at least Dolly can say she’s been recognised by the Golden Globes and Baftas – and if Triangle Of Sadness does end up picking up Best Picture, it’ll be thanks in no small part to the Filipino star’s unforgettable performance.
SNUB
Janelle Monáe
We know, the Best Supporting Actress category was especially stacked in 2023, but surely they could have made room for Janelle Monáe somewhere.
Not only did she essentially carry Glass Onion, she played two completely different characters in Netflix’s complicated murder-mystery – and made the whole thing look effortless.
SNUB
Decision To Leave
Upon its release last year, Decision To Leave was immediately met with Oscars buzz, with many speculating it could end up becoming one of the few foreign-language films to end up making the Best Picture category.
It wasn’t to be though, with Decision To Leave not actually racking up any nominations.
SURPRISE
Paul Mescal
Paul Mescal’s performance in Aftersun was one of our favourites of last year, and we’ve always had it in the back of our minds that we’d love to see him get nominated, even if we weren’t sure it was quite an “Oscars” performance.
Well, it turns out it very much is, with the Normal People actor racking up his first ever Academy Award nomination in 2023 for his performance as a troubled dad trying to give his daughter a nice holiday.
To put it simply… we love to see it.
SURPRISE
Ana De Armas
Blonde was undoubtedly one of 2022’s most divisive film offerings, with the film’s depiction of Marilyn Monroe and questionable themes not sitting well with many critics.
While the film initially felt like an Oscars vehicle for its leading star, we weren’t quite sure whether the controversy surrounding Blonde might have scuppered her chances.
However, while Ana De Armas has ended up landing her first ever Academy Award nomination, hers is the only recognition Blonde has received in 2023.
SNUB
Strange World
Strange World is going to be an interesting film to look back on in the Disney canon.
Not only did it wind up being a box office bomb (it received mixed reviews, although many fans have claimed its performance was more to do with a lack of promotion, as it later proved popular on streaming service Disney+), it’s officially the first Walt Disney Animation Studios film since 2011’s Winnie The Pooh not to land a nomination in the Best Animated Feature category.
It’s not all bad news for Disney, though. Pixar offering Turning Red has been recognised, while Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever has picked up a string of nominations. Speaking of…
SURPRISE
Angela Bassett
There’s no denying that Angela Bassett gives an absolute acting masterclass in Wakanda Forever with her powerhouse performance. Even so, we weren’t sure whether Oscars voters would be quite ready to nominate someone for their role in a Marvel film, although it goes to show that acting as strong as Angela’s can transcend genre.
With this nomination – her first in 30 years and second overall – she becomes the first actor to be recognised at the Academy Awards for a performance in an MCU film, which is pretty impressive going.
She’s already picked up the Golden Globe… could Wakanda Forever earn Angela her first Oscar? Fingers crossed.
SNUB
Viola Davis
Many thought four-time nominee (and previous Best Supporting Actress recipient) Viola Davis would be a shoo-in for Best Actress after her performance in The Woman King was not only met with a wave of praise, but also unveiled a new side to the already-multi-faceted performer.
Despite being a frontrunner, Viola didn’t end up getting nominated in 2023 – and neither did The Woman King, which ended up not receiving any recognition at all from Oscars voters, even though it has been on the radar of most other major awards shows.
SNUB
Female Directors
*sigh*
For the first time in three years, the Oscars failed to recognise a single woman in the Best Director category.
This is despite strong showings from Gina Prince-Bythewood (who directed The Woman King, earning her a Bafta nomination last week), Sarah Polley (who has received a nod in the Best Adapted Screenplay category) and Charlotte Wells (the director of Aftersun, which earned Paul Mescal his first ever nomination), to name just three.
At the past two Oscars ceremonies, women have taken home the Best Director title, with Chloe Zhao and Jane Campion joining Kathryn Bigelow as the only three female filmmakers to have won the award in the ceremony’s 94-year history.
Hopefully, then, this is just a blip, rather than an indicator of things moving backwards at the Oscars.
The 2023 Oscars will take place on Sunday 12 March.