Snub: Selena Gomez
While the Emilia Pérez star has enjoyed positive reception for her work as Jessi Del Monte—including a Golden Globe nomination—the Disney Channel alum did not find herself among the nominees for the Best Supporting Actress.
Surprise: Monica Barbaro
One who did find themselves on the coveted list was Monica Barbaro.
And don't get us wrong—Monica's nomination for her work as Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown comes as a pleasant surprise after not being nominated for a Golden Globe. Her performance did, however, earn a nod for the 2025 SAG Awards.
Snub: Angelina Jolie
While Maria marked the 49-year-old's first major role since 2021's The Eternals, and despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, Angelina was not nominated for an Oscar.
Surprise: Some of the First-Time Nominees
While it doesn't come as a surprise that they were nominated, you might be surprised to learn that the following Hollywood veterans have not been nominated for an Academy Award before this year.
Among those celebrating their first nominations amid enduring careers include Demi Moore (The Substance), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave), Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez), Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Brazil's Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here).
Snub: Jon M. Chu
Despite the box office success and critical acclaim of Wicked, the 45-year-old was not recognized in the Directing category.
Surprise: The Substance
While the body horror film—which stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley—earning a Best Picture nod doesn't come as an outright surprise given the project's positive reception, it does buck a longtime trend of horror movies being omitted from the top category.
Among the handful of previous films in the genre to have earned a Best Picture nomination are Get Out, SIlence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense and The Exorcist.
Snub: Nicole Kidman
While the Babygirl star—who has been nominated for five Academ Awards throughout her career—earned a nod at the Golden Globes, she was not among the list of nominees for this year's Oscars.
Snub: Challengers
While the tennis-centric film—starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor—didn't earn a single Oscars nomination, perhaps the most surprising category in which it did not feature was Music (Original Score).
Afer all, the electronica, bass-heavy background almost became a character itself throughout the film, making it one of the most unique scores of the last year.
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A (Future) Surprise: The TBD Nominees
Eagle-eyed fans tuned into the announcement may have noticed that under certain titles read, "Nominees to be determined."
Accordng to the Academy, producers need to be determined eligible by the Producers Guild of America, meaning in this case the names under certain nominees are still pending.
The announcements, coming in early February, therefore promise to be a surprise for all.
Snub: Pamela Anderson
While the 57-year-old's performance in The Last Showgirl received critical acclaim and earned her a Golden Globe nomination, Pamela—and the entire film, including fellow cast member Jamie Lee Curtis—were shut out of the Oscar nominations.
Surprise: Mindy Kaling
Yes, indeed, the Mindy Project alum has her hands in Live Action Short Film nominee Anuja after helping produce the project.