OSCARS: Snubs

Tom Cruise for 'Top Gun: Maverick' 

Even with a best picture nomination, and a bevy of nods in technical categories, the blockbuster Top Gun sequel was shut out in best director (Joseph Kosinski) and – more egregiously – best actor (Tom Cruise). It also missed a nomination for best cinematography, which it had widely been predicted to win. 

Viola Davis for 'The Woman King'

Davis delivers a spectacular performance in The Woman King, playing a world-weary general who reunites with her long-lost daughter (Thuso Mbedu). But the September release was forgotten by voters, who also overlooked the film for best picture, director (Gina Prince-Bythewood) and supporting actress (Lashana Lynch). 

Taylor Swift for 'Where the Crawdads Sing' 

It's hard out there for a Swiftie. Last month, Swift's "All Too Well" short film was snubbed on the Academy shortlist for best live-action short. And now, her Where the Crawdads Sing track, "Carolina," has been excluded from best original song in favor of Lady Gaga ("Hold My Hand") and Rihanna ("Lift Me Up"). 

Adam Sandler for 'Hustle'

After being snubbed by the Oscars for the 2019 gambling thriller Uncut Gems, Sandler tried again for a nomination with basketball drama Hustle. But even with a best actor nod from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the comedy giant ultimately couldn't cross the finish line. 

Female directors 

In the last two years, Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) made history as only the second and third women to win best director in the Oscars' nearly 100-year history. But the Academy Awards took a giant step back Tuesday by nominating only men in the category, in a year that gave us exquisite films from Sarah Polley (Women Talking), Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) and Charlotte Wells (Aftersun), among many others. 

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

Angela Bassett is the front-runner to win the best supporting actress Oscar for Wakanda Forever, bringing emotional gravitas to the role of a grieving mother and queen. But the Marvel sequel couldn't match the tremendous awards haul of the first Black Panther, which became the first superhero movie to earn a best picture nomination in 2019. 

Danielle Deadwyler for 'Till' 

The rising star has been earning nominations left and right for her devastating portrayal of the resilient Mamie Till, civil rights activist and mother of Emmett Till in Till. But even with wins from the National Board of Review and the Gotham Awards, Deadwyler was passed over for in the best actress category, where Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) surprised after a viral Oscar campaign. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'

Rian Johnson's star-studded whodunit was a streaming hit for Netflix and even picked up a nod for best feature film from the Producers Guild Awards (a reliable Oscar bellwether). But the Knives Out sequel came up short in Tuesday's nominations, earning just one nod for best adapted screenplay. 

Dolly de Leon for 'Triangle of Sadness'

The Filipino actress is a third-act scene-stealer in the wealth satire Triangle of Sadness, playing a housekeeper who seizes power after a luxury cruise ship is attacked by pirates. De Leon earned Golden Globes and BAFTA nominations for best supporting actress but was passed over by Oscar. But the film itself still managed three major nods, for best picture, best director (Ruben Östlund) and best original screenplay. 

Brad Pitt for 'Babylon'

The A-lister gives his most poignant performance yet in Babylon, playing a hard-boozing actor coming to grips with his fading star power. But the movie's polarizing reception and abysmal box office may have sunk his chances: After nabbing a best supporting actor nod from the Globes last month, Pitt wasn't singled out for any other major awards this season. 

Paul Dano for 'The Fabelmans' 

Dano just can't catch a break. Despite appearing in multiple best picture nominees including There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine and 12 Years a Slave, the actor has yet to earn an Oscar nod himself. We hoped that might change this year for his understated and heartbreaking work as Steven Spielberg's dad in The Fabelmans, but Dano was once again shut out. His co-stars, Michelle Williams and Judd Hirsch, still managed best actress and best supporting actor nods, respectively. 

James Cameron for 'Avatar: The Way of Water' 

The iconic filmmaker is a seven-time Oscar nominee and a three-time winner who has helmed megahits including Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic and the original Avatar. But even with four nominations for its visually stunning sequel, Cameron couldn't float into this year's crowded best director race. 

S.S. Rajamouli for 'RRR'

The Indian filmmaker has been the breakout star of awards season, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Spielberg and Cameron, and delivering moving speeches at the Globes and New York Film Critics Circle Awards. Some pundits thought Rajamouli could crack the best director category for his jaw-dropping action spectacle RRR, but his name was sadly missing from Tuesday's announcement. The movie still managed one nod for best original song for the infectious "Naatu Naatu." 

Eddie Redmayne for 'The Good Nurse'

Despite mixed-to-positive reviews and very little campaigning, Redmayne has coasted through awards season with true-crime drama The Good Nurse: picking up best supporting actor nods from the Globes, SAG and the British Academy Film Awards for playing serial killer Charles Cullen. But the academy didn't share the love, overlooking the former Oscar winner for his chilling performance. 

Baz Luhrmann for 'Elvis'

The Aussie auteur has carved out an eccentric lane all his own with Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby, but has somehow never been nominated for a best director Oscar. He'll have to sit this year out as well, despite a best picture nomination for his go-for-broke Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler.