The Biggest Snubs and Surprises of the 2024 Oscar Nominations
Awards season is in full swing, and the 2024 Oscar nominations have officially arrived. Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Joker: Folie à Deux) and Jack Quaid (The Boys, Oppenheimer) announced the categories for the 96th Academy Awards on Tuesday morning, and as always, there were expected nominations mixed in with snubs and surprises.
There were also several firsts this year: Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American woman to be nominated for best actress, for her role as real-life Osage woman Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorcese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. (Gladstone has already received a Golden Globe for her performance). Colman Domingo became the first Afro Latino man nominated for best actor (for his performance in civil rights drama Rustin); along with fellow Black nominee Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction, this marks the second time in Oscar history where more than one Black actor (who wasn’t either Will Smith or Denzel Washington), was nominated for the main prize. Domingo also made history with best supporting actress nominee Jodie Foster (for Nyad), as it’s the first time two openly LGBTQ actors were nominated for playing LGBTQ characters.
Jimmy Kimmel returns as host of the ceremony, which will be held Sunday, March 10 at 4pmPT at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, and will air live on ABC.
See the full list of nominees below, along with the biggest snubs and surprises this year:
Snubs
Greta Gerwig for Barbie
Despite directing the biggest box office hit of the year (clocking in at more than $1.4 billion) that also became a pop culture phenomenon, Greta Gerwig was once again overlooked, four years after being slighted for directing Little Women. Then again, the Oscars are often a bit frosty toward populist films.
Margot Robbie for Barbie
Barbie herself also received no nods—though her male co-star, Ryan Gosling, was recognized for his role as Ken.
Everyone in May December
Despite unforgettable performances by leads Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton—and sparking months-long conversations about the nature of filmmaking itself—Todd Haynes’ May December was completely shut out.
Leonardo DiCaprio for Killers of the Flower Moon
Though Leo has been up for an Academy Awards seven times (winning just once, for fighting that bear in 2015’s Revenant), he was overlooked this year for his leading role as the money-hungry, duplicitous Ernest Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Everyone in Saltburn
The most controversial film of the year was also given the cold shoulder. Though director Emerald Fennell nabbed the award for best original screenplay back in 2020 for Promising Young Woman (which also got best picture and director nods), she received nothing for Saltburn—and neither did the film’s stars, despite going to great lengths to slurp up (sorry) the competition.
Greta Lee for Past Lives
First-time director and screenwriter Celine Song made history as the first Asian woman to be nominated for best original screenplay for Past Lives, but her muse and star, Greta Lee, was overlooked for her role as Nora. (Song was also snubbed in the best director category).
Surprises
America Ferrera for Barbie
Though Robbie didn’t make the cut for Barbie, her co-star America Ferrera did. While Ferrera was in many ways—as a working human mom on a quest to connect with her daughter—the emotional center of the film about dolls, her role’s defining monologue remains a point of controversy for fans and detractors of the film.
Sterling K. Brown for American Fiction
Perhaps it was due to its late in the year release, but the riotous American Fiction slipped under the radar for many. Not the Academy, though, who honored Brown’s performance as Jeffrey Wright’s troubled brother. (The film received several other major nods, including best actor for Wright, best score, adapted screenplay, and best picture).
Annette Bening for NYAD
It feels a bit like it came out of nowhere, but Bening was nominated for lead role as swimmer Diana Nyad, who attempted to swim from Florida to Cuba in the early 2010s. It’s Bening’s fifth nomination over her career (her co-star Jodie Foster also received a nod for her work on the film).
Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall
Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising, given how Triet cleaned up at the Golden Globes for the thrilling courtroom drama. She’s the only woman nominated in the best director category this year, though, even after her own country (France) declined to submit the film for the best international category.
Full list of nominations:
Actress in a Supporting Role
Emily Blunt — Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks — The Color Purple
America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster — Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph — The Holdovers
Actor in a Supporting Role
Sterling K. Brown — American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling — Barbie
Mark Ruffalo — Poor Things
Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper — Maestro
Colman Domingo — Rustin
Paul Giamatti — The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy — Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright — American Fiction
Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening — Nyad
Lily Gladstone — Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller — Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan — Maestro
Emma Stone — Poor Things
Directing
Justine Triet — Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese — Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan — Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos — Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer — The Zone of Interest
Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Costume Design
Barbie – Jacqueline Durran
Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West
Napoleon – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick
Poor Things – Holly Waddington
Sound
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
Original Score
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
Live Action Short Film
The After
Invincible
Night of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Animated Short Film
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
Original Song
“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony
“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
Documentary Feature Film
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol
Documentary Short Film
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
International Feature Film
Io Capitano (Italy)
Perfect Days (Japan)
Society of the Snow (Spain)
The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)
Makeup and Hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Cinematography
El Conde – Edward Lachman
Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto
Maestro – Matthew Libatique
Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema
Poor Things – Robbie Ryan
