Substance, Selena Gomez and more

The Academy revealed its full line-up of Oscar nods Thursday morning, with “Emilia Pérez” leading the field with 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” with 10 each. While guild nominations and other preliminary award shows can help provide a comprehensive forecast of Oscar nominations, there are always a few curveballs mixed into the mix. Big names like Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington missed out on acting nominations this year – and there were many, many more surprises.

SNUB: Angelina Jolie misses for ‘Maria’

The star received some of the best reviews of her career at the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of operatic icon Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larrain has previously delivered Oscar nominations to two of his stars who play historical figures — Natalie Portman for “Jackie” in 2017 and Kristen Stewart for “Spencer” in 2022. But Jolie didn’t get a nod when she fell behind in a highly competitive best actor field.

SNUB: Nicole Kidman Blanks for ‘Babygirl’ in Best Actress

The “Babygirl” star won the best actress award at the Venice Film Festival and later won the same award from the National Board of Review. But after sweeping the Screen Actors Guild and BAFTAs, Kidman’s performance as a glum tech CEO who begins an office affair with a young intern had lost too much momentum for Oscar recognition.

SNUB: Selena Gomez misses in supporting role

“Emilia Pérez” had no trouble securing her status as an award winner with an impressive number of nominations. But Gomez, the biggest name in Jacques Audiard’s daring cartel musical, ended up missing out in the supporting actor category. The Academy can certainly welcome pop stars entering the prestigious award, as evidenced by Ariana Grande’s nod for “Wicked.” Gomez’s miss is glaring for a film that was otherwise loved from top to bottom by the Academy.

SURPRISE: Jeremy Strong gets his first Oscar nomination

The “Succession” star earned rave reviews for “The Apprentice,” the Donald Trump origin story that was sparked by Strong’s turn as the ferocious Roy Cohn. After a splashy Cannes debut, no major American distributor seemed willing to touch the controversial element until upstart Briarcliff picked it up. Even with Trump back in office and awards season speeches thus far remaining light on politics, Strong’s performance managed to draw enough support to put him in the running for supporting roles.

SNUB: ‘Gladiator II’ Comes Up Empty for Best Picture and Denzel Washington

Ridley Scott’s decades-later follow-up to his Best Picture Oscar winner only got a nod for costume design. Heading into the fall, the Paramount blockbuster was seen as a potential awards show, with some expecting Scott to be a contender for the best director award. Despite a successful theatrical release and strong buzz for Denzel Washington, the sword-and-sandal sequel did not find support at the Academy beyond craftsmanship.

SURPRISE: ‘The Substance’ lands in Best Picture

Even as Demi Moore gave an outstanding acceptance speech for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, it seemed unlikely that her creepy horror film would be able to find widespread support among the Academy. Oscar voters love to recognize the career of an old star – but kick ass? Goblin transformations? Fire hoses of blood? Well, apparently they like them too, as “The Substance” soared to a Best Picture nomination that seemed unlikely even a few weeks ago.

SURPRISE: Sebastian Stan steps up with ‘The Apprentice’

Despite his controversial take on Donald Trump, Stan’s award season narrative created plenty of buzz for the Ali Abbasi film. Stan’s well-documented research for and commitment to the role was enough to get the Academy’s attention.

SNUB: Denis Villeneuve misses out on Best Director

Although the “Dune” filmmaker missed out on a directing nomination for his first entry in the sci-fi action franchise, Villeneuve was widely seen as a hot shot after “Dune: Part II” debuted nearly a year ago, and remained one. of 2024’s best-reviewed (and most commercial) films until the end of the year. Alas, Villeneuve was again overlooked. Some prognosticators are comparing “Dune’s” awards show to Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which largely swept the Oscars with its third and final entry, “Return of the King.” Notably, Jackson also fell into the Best Director category for his series’ second entry, “The Two Towers.” Perhaps Villeneuve will finally get his flowers with his final trilogy capper “Dune Messiah.”

SURPRISE: Fernanda Torres is still in the race for Best Actress

Despite going up against Academy-friendly names like Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet, the “I’m Still Here” star was able to break through in the awards race to win an acting nomination. After surprising with a Best Actress win at the Golden Globes, Torres’ momentum has only increased since. As Academy voters caught up with the Brazilian drama, a wave of support unfolded from vocal fans on social media. Now “I’m Still Here” is one of the few foreign-language features to have received a nomination over the line at the Oscars.

SNUB: Edward Berger shut out to direct “Conclave”

The “All Quiet on the Western Front” director’s popular papal sequel earned eight nods, including best picture. Berger was a front-runner in instruction but couldn’t make it into the crowded field. Still, the snub isn’t any bellwether for the film’s best picture chances, as “Green Book,” “CODA” and “Argo” have all taken home the top statue in recent years without a best director nomination.

SURPRISE: “I’m Still Here” takes part in the best picture race

Despite strong support for Fernanda Torres and a shoo-in for a best international feature nomination, “I’m Still Here” wasn’t widely predicted to lift itself to a best picture slot.

SNUB: Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis could not land acting nominations for “The Last Showgirl”

Anderson hit the awards race with her portrayal of showgirl Shelly Gardner, which showed another side of the actor. Hollywood loves a comeback story, so when she received nods at the Gotham Awards, Golden Globes and SAGs, it seemed like there was a chance for her to upset a competitive category. In addition, Curtis – who won the Best Supporting Actress statue in 2023 for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” – was given another supporting role in “Showgirl”. Curtis also received a SAG and a BAFTA nod for playing former showgirl Annette in the film.

SNUB: Daniel Craig misses acting nomination for “Queer”

Craig had a strong campaign for his vulnerable turn in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ work. The actor’s portrayal of William Lee was celebrated with a National Board of Review win for Best Actress and a Golden Globe nomination, but failed to sustain momentum for an Oscar nomination.

SURPRISE: The little-seen “Better Man” gets a Best Visual Effects nod

Due to his lack of American star power, this Robbie Williams biopic was a colossal box office flop. Still, apparently enough voters saw the film to celebrate the high-concept, chimp-forward musical.

SNUB: Clarence Maclin shut out an acting nod for ‘Sing Sing’

“Sing Sing” had a long promotional cycle given its July 2024 release date and modest ticket sales. Still, the acclaimed film was able to make big waves during the Oscar nominations as it landed three nods. That said, Clarence Maclin, a supporting actor favorite playing himself, was turned down despite a strong campaign. Still, he received an adapted screenplay nomination for the film, which he co-wrote. Colman Domingo was also nominated for lead actor, and the film’s “Like a Bird” got a nod for best original song.

SNUB: “Challengers” does not earn Best Score nomination

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ driving soundtrack was a hit with audiences and an essential addition to fitness playlists everywhere. But despite plenty of Academy accolades in the past — including best original score for “Soul” with Jon Batiste and “The Social Network,” as well as a nomination for “Mank” — their “Challengers” score failed to secure a nomination.

SNUB: Margaret Qualley misses out for Best Supporting Actress for “The Substance”

Qualley’s physically demanding performance was perhaps overshadowed by Demi Moore’s strong award season showing as her other half in the film.

SNUB: “Wicked” misses out for best adapted screenplay

The musical juggernaut failed to compete in this competition category, but had plenty of other love from the Academy with ten nominations.

SNAP: Joe Walker not nominated for editing “Dune: Part Two”

Walker led all the major predictions and was nominated for the American Cinema Editors Awards as well as the BAFTA Film Awards. Plus, he won the editing Oscar for the first “Dune,” making this an under-the-line shocker.

SURPRISE: Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang brought fun to the announcements

The pair were light and funny, able to add some personality and laughs to the early morning announcements. With hilarious jokes about being overcaffeinated, mispronouncing the names of the nominees and a Charli XCX shoutout, it was a fun, effervescent delivery.