Top 10 Oscar Snubs Of All Time
10. Hailee Steinfeld, ‘True Grit,' for Best Actress (2011)
Actual Winner: Natalie Portman for, “Black Swan”
There are two things that was wrong with Hailee Steinfeld's ‘True Grit' nomination: the first is that she didn't win and the secondly she was put in the supporting category instead of the lead when she is the only female actor in the film. For Hailee to be thrown into the deep end for her first major role with two legendary actors such as Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges she proved that she could swim with them. Natalie Portman won for Black Swan and while she turned in a solid performance I truly believe if Hailee was in the same category then she would have taken home the golden trophy.
9. Stanley Kubrick, ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ for Best Director (2000)
Actual Winner: Sam Mendes for, “American Beauty”
It's so unfortunate that Stanley Kubrick has been nominated for 13 Academy Awards and only won for Best Special Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey. My guess as to why this film was ignored by the Academy is because of the length of the film and the graphic nature of the film. Despite the length of the film and the graphic sex scenes this is still one of the most unsettling films to watch.
8. Tom Cruise, ‘Collateral,’ for Best Supporting Actor (2005)
Actual Winner: Morgan Freeman for, “Million Dollar Baby”
Once again this is another example of category fraud from the Academy Awards. Jamie Foxx was nominated twice in the same night: lead actor for Ray (which he won) and supporting actor for Collateral. Not only is Jamie Foxx the lead actor in this film but it was kind of obvious that the Academy voters weren’t going to put Jamie Foxx in the same category twice for two different films. Something I don’t understand is if an artist can get nominated more than once in the same category at the Grammy's then why can't actor's and directors?
The year Tom Cruise was completely ignored for his sociopathic portrayal of a contracted killer, Morgan Freeman took home the gold trophy for Million Dollar Baby. My problem is that Morgan Freeman should have won a decade earlier for his magnificent performance in The Shawshank Redemption. This is one of the rare times that Tom Cruise played an antagonist and for this performance to go unrecognized is still confusing.
7. ‘BlacKKKlansman’ for Best Picture (2019)
Actual Winner: “Green Book”
Two words: Green Book. Yes, Green Book was the curse of the 2019 Academy Awards. There are five types of films the Academy Awards love: War films, biopics, black trauma, musicals and white savior films. Unfortunately, for Spike Lee he was once again snubbed but by a white savior film. Black Panther was also in the same category but this year was Spike Lee's.
Spike Lee did walk away with an award for ‘BlacKKKlansman’ but for adapted Screenplay. Personally, I only think they did that because they snubbed Spike Lee for ‘Do The Right Thing’ and ‘Malcolm X' and wanted to give him an “apology” award. Green Book has aged very poorly and the white savior narrative has been done to death.
6. Michael B. Jordan, ‘Black Panther’ for Best Supporting Actor (2019)
Actual Winner: Mahersala Ali for, “Green Book”
Mahersala Ali took home his second Oscar trophy for a white savior film that no one is re-watching. Now while Mahersala Ali is an amazing actor the true winner wasn’t even nominated in the category with him and that person is Michael B. Jordan. I think the Academy got it right a couple years earlier when Mahersala won for ‘Moonlight'. Michael not only turned in one of the best performances of the 2010's but also of his career.
Angela Bassett was the first actor to be nominated for a comic book film for the sequel a few years later, but Michael should have been the first. Seeing Michael as this sociopathic villain looking to feel connected to his ancestors and his heritage and having that clash with T'Challa's ideals of what Wakanda should represent for their people still sparks conversations to this day. I’m sorry Mahersala but as great as you are this award should have gone to Michael B. Jordan.
5. Leonardo Dicaprio, ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street,’ for Best Actor (2014)
Actual Winner: Matthew McConaughey for, “Dallas Buyers Club”
This by far is not only the best performance of the 2010's but is Leonardo Dicaprio's best performance to date. This easily should have been his crowning moment, but instead they gave it to Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club. I have said multiple times that when white men play a role where they are terminally ill with HIV/AIDS then they win an Academy Award. Honestly, anytime actors play a role where they have to put their bodies through physical torture they are awarded for it. How many people are really re-watching Dallas Buyers Club over The Wolf Of Wall Street?
4. Angela Bassett, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ for Best Supporting Actress (2023)
Actual Winner: Jamie Lee Curtis for, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE that was in the same category as Jamie Lee Curtis had a way better performance than her. Jamie Lee Curtis wasn’t even the best part of Everything Everywhere All At Once. If they were going to award a supporting performance in that film they should have given it to Stephanie Hsu. However, if it was my choice I would have gave this award to Angela Bassett and I'm not the only person that thinks that either.
A lot of ignorant racist viewers online were saying things like, “why was Angela Bassett mad?” Or even, “she didn't she stand up and applaud Jamie?” Maybe because Jamie Lee Curtis won for a role where she wasn’t even the best actor. As the queen Angela Bassett played a major role in Shuri not unaliving herself after losing her father and brother.
3. ‘They Cloned Tyrone’ for Best Original Screenplay
Actual Winner: Anatomy Of The Fall (2024)
Netflix is hit-or-miss when it comes to their content especially their films. However, the Screenplay for They Cloned Tyrone is structured very well and the ensemble cast is great together. There are two reasons why a lot of people either didn't watch this film right away. Reason one being that it was released during Barbenheimer weekend and the other reason is lack of promotion.
A pimp, a prostitute and a drug dealer tackling white supremacy and racial stereotypes is just a stroke of genius. When great films like this come along they are largely ignored by the general public who deem it as “woke”. Even if this wasn't going to win I think the Screenplay itself should have been considered for a nomination.
2. Lily Gladstone, ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon,’ for Best Actress (2024)
Actual Winner: Emma Stone for ‘Poor Things’
The whole “infant in a woman's body” story is not only creepy but I don't think it will age very well. Emma Stone full bush being exposed isn't exactly on my bingo card. Once again this was the Oscar’s continuing to show their racism by given the golden trophy to a white actor. Lily Gladstone displayed so much class, dignity, respect, beauty and heartache. Lily was winning big leading up to the final award show of the season and to see her get passed over was such a disappointment because she had the best performance of the year.
1. Denzel Washington, ‘Malcolm X' Best Actor (1993)
Actual Winner: Al Pacino for, ‘Scent Of A Woman'
Four times. Four times the Academy screwed over Al Pacino. Scarface, Serpico, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II were all films that the Academy should have awarded Pacino for. I don’t think Scent Of A Woman is a memorable as the films that he should have won for. Malcolm X is a masterpiece of a film.
Denzel Washington gives three different performances in this film: Malcolm Little, Malcolm X and Malcolm X post Nation of Islam. This is still Denzel's best performance to date and for it to get passed up by Pacino playing a depressed, blind man is still very stupid on the Academy's part.
