A look at the biggest snubs and surprises this awards season ahead of the Oscars
The 95th Annual Academy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, with the best and brightest honoured for their work in Hollywood over the past year.
The ceremony is forever viewed as the grand finale of awards season, coming at the end of a long run of glitzy red carpets and glamorous ceremonies.
However, this year hasn’t been without controversy, with some favourites missing out on recognition while other prizes were awarded to unknowns.
Bosses are also hoping this year’s Oscars will be drama-free, after Will Smith made worldwide headlines by slapping Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.
So, as Oscars fans count down to big night on Sunday March 12, MailOnline takes a look at the biggest snubs and surprises this awards season.
Really? British actress Andrea has found herself in the middle of a Hollywood scandal when she earned the surprise Best Actress nomination for To Leslie
Backlash! The Oscars faced backlash for failing to nominate any female directors this year, including Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King (pictured)
Andrea Riseborough’s controversial Best Actress nod
British actress Andrea has found herself in the middle of a Hollywood scandal when she earned the surprise Best Actress nomination for To Leslie.
The nod came after the film was promoted by stars like Gwyneth Paltrow , Kate Winslet, Mia Farrow, Jennifer Aniston , Charlize Theron , Susan Sarandon and Edward Norton – despite taking just £22,000 at the box office.
Andrea faced being stripped of her nomination as many believed the campaigning for her film by her famous friends violated the strict rules for the Oscars races.
Giving her side of the story, Andrea admitted she found the uproar ‘very confusing’ and slammed the ‘abhorrently unequal’ film industry after she was accused of ‘costing’ black actresses like Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) a nomination.
‘It’s been confusing. I’m coming to terms with what the nomination means, for me and for others,’ Andrea told The Hollywood Reporter.
‘It not only makes sense that this conversation would be sparked, but it is necessary. The film industry is abhorrently unequal in terms of opportunity. I’m mindful not to speak for the experience of other people because they are better placed to speak, and I want to listen.’
Men dominate the Oscars’ Best Director list
The Academy Awards has repeatedly faced backlash due to its lack of diversity, and this year proved to be no different.
When the shortlist was announced in January, fans noticed that there were no female filmmaker’s in the Best Director category, bringing an end to a woman scooping the gong for the past two years.
Instead, the nominees are Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Todd Field (Tár), Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin), Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness) and Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans).
Hollywood organisation Women In Film expressed their outrage in a statement, saying: ‘Once again, Academy voters have shown that they don’t value women’s voices, shutting us out of the Best Director nominations.
‘An Academy Award is more than a gold statue, it’s a career accelerator that can lead to continued work and increased compensation.
‘That’s why WIF will continue to advocate for the work of talented women directors like Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, Maria Schrader’s She Said, Chinonye Chukwu’s Till and Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, to be included.’
Devastating: Rihanna missed out on the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for her track Lift Me Up, which featured in the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Shock! Instead, the award was given to the song Naatu Naatu from the Indian blockbuster RRR, and it is now tipped as the favourite to win the Oscar
Wow! Austin was the surprise recipient of Best Actor at the British Academy Film Awards for his performance as Elvis Presley in the Baz Luhrmann biopic
Surprise! After rising to fame through his acclaimed performance in Normal People, Paul Mescal landed his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor at the age of just 27
Rihanna misses out on a Golden Globe for Best Song
Marking her first new music release in six years, Rihanna delighted fans when it was revealed she had recorded the ballad Lift Me Up for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Many were sure that she would sweep the Best Song categories with the track, but that has proven to not be the case.
While Rihanna attended the Golden Globes after securing a nomination, she missed out on the gong to Naatu Naatu from the Indian blockbuster RRR.
The hitmaker has landed an Oscar nomination for her song, alongside fellow hitmaker Lady Gaga, who released Hold My Hand for Top Gun: Maverick.
It remains to be seen whether either star will beat Naatu Naatu and scoop the Best Original Song prize.
Austin Butler’s BAFTAs win
Austin earned critical acclaim for his performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, moving viewers to tears with his tragic portrayal of The King.
While many fans tipped him to win a slew of Best Actor awards, he was not the favourite going into the British Academy Film Awards last month.
Instead, many were convinced that Irish actor Colin Farrell would win the gong for his acclaimed performance in The Banshees of Inisherin.
So it came as a surprise when it was revealed Austin had been awarded Best Actor for Elvis, and he fought back tears as he paid tribute to the Presley family while accepting the honour.
‘This means the world to me,’ he told the ceremony, still using the Elvis drawl that he learned for the biopic.
The win also threw the Best Actors Oscars race wide open, with Brendan Fraser also considered a favourite for his comeback performance in The Whale.
Paul Mescal’s surprise Best Actor nod
After rising to fame through his acclaimed performance in Normal People, Paul landed his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor at the age of just 27.
The star was praised for his performance as Calum Paterson in Aftersun, which tells the story of a girl called Sophie, played by Frankie Corio, who is reflecting on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father (played by Paul), 20 years earlier.
In a statement after the announcement he said: ‘This is truly a special moment for everyone involved in Aftersun. To be recognised by the Academy is such an insane honour and I’m so utterly grateful.
‘I want to dedicate this nomination to my two friends Charlotte and Frankie who I love dearly! This is bananas, thank you!’
Paul is competing against Austin (Elvis); Colin (The Banshees of Inisherin); Brendan (The Whale); and Bill Nighy (Living) in the Best Actor category.
Surprise! Netflix’s German adaptation of All Quiet Of The Western Front was never tipped for awards success, but went onto win seven BAFTAs
Sweep! Last month’s Screen Actor’s Guild Awards saw the stars of Sandra Oh’s multiverse blockbuster earn a record-breaking four gongs
Unlikely win: Tom Cruise’s return to Top Gun was the surprise winner of Best Picture by the National Board Of Review
All Quiet On The Western Front’s runaway BAFTAs success
Despite earning widespread critical acclaim, Netflix’s German adaptation of All Quiet Of The Western Front was never tipped for awards success outside of the Foreign Film categories.
However, it stunned the industry when the war epic was awarded fourteen nominations, and won in seven categories, including Best Film.
The feat broke the ceremony’s foreign film record, a title previously held by 1988 release Cinema Paradiso, but there were no nominations for Kammerer, despite his mesmerizing lead.
Director Edward Berger later told Sky News: ‘Best director is the one I never thought would work. It’s a German movie, for Christ’s sake!’
James Cameron is snubbed for the Best Director Oscar
Given he is viewed as one of Hollywood’s biggest directors, many assumed James Cameron would sweep the directing awards with Avatar: The Way Of Water, his first new film in 13 years.
But the Titanic frontman was noticeably shut out of the Best Director category at the Academy Awards, though his film did land nominations for Best Picture and Best Visual Effects.
Cameron did land a Best Director nomination at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, but has failed scoop any big prizes despite the vast box office returns of his latest film.
Everything Everywhere All At Once sweeps the SAGs
Last month’s Screen Actor’s Guild Awards saw the stars of Sandra Oh’s multiverse blockbuster win the top prize of Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture.
The unlikely action film wowed critics when it was released back in March 2022, and despite a long wait, has continued to scoop awards this season.
In total, the film won four SAGs, breaking the record for the highest number of wins, as just four films have won three since the awards began in 1995.
Yeoh became the first ever Asian actress to earn Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, while Jamie-Lee Curtis won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
Castmate Ke Huy Quan earned Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for the same American absurdist comedy-drama film.
Last month’s Screen Actor’s Guild Awards saw the stars of Sandra Oh’s multiverse blockbuster win the top prize of Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture.
Top Gun: Maverick’s win for Best Picture at the National Board Of Review
Tom Cruise’s return to Top Gun was hotly anticipated by fans when it hit screens in May, and for most fans it did not disappoint, with many even predicting it could be an Oscar contender.
Typically blockbusters are snubbed by the Academy and other awards voters, so it came as a surprise when the National Board Of Review gave Top Gun: Maverick the award for Best Film.
Yeoh, 60, became the first ever Asian actress to earn Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, while Jamie-Lee Curtis won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
‘Top Gun: Maverick is a thrilling crowd-pleaser that is expertly crafted on every level,’ NBR president Annie Schulhof said in a statement.
‘Tom Cruise, Joseph Kosinski and the entire filmmaking team have succeeded in making an incredibly popular film that brought audiences back to theaters, while at the same time being a full-on cinematic achievement.’
The film has landed a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, though is expected to face tough competition.
Typically blockbusters are snubbed by the Academy and other awards voters, so it came as a surprise when the National Board Of Review gave Top Gun: Maverick the award for Best Film.