The biggest snubs at the 2021 Oscar nominations
The 2021 Oscar nominations have been unveiled, and while they might not have been quite as unexpected as the Golden Globes' picks, that's not to say there weren't a few major snubs.
Here are the biggest surprise omissions from this year's nominations.
1. One Night in Miami and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom snubbed for Best Picture
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It seemed likely both films would secure Best Picture nominations, but surprisingly, neither did. Meanwhile, The Father and Sound of Metal, two films whose Best Picture prospects seemed less certain, did earn nods.
2. Regina King and Aaron Sorkin snubbed for Best Director
One Night in Miami's Regina King was left out of the Best Director race, and surprisingly so was The Trial of the Chicago 7's Aaron Sorkin.
3. Delroy Lindo snubbed for Best Actor
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Lindo was once again shockingly snubbed for his performance in Da 5 Bloods, a film that was in general almost completely shut out, though it did get a Best Original Score nod.
4. Jodie Foster snubbed for Best Supporting Actress
Foster unexpectedly won the best supporting actress Golden Globe a few weeks ago, but that didn't prevent her from getting snubbed for The Mauritanian. The same goes for Rosamund Pike, who didn't get nominated despite a Golden Globe win.
5. Chadwick Boseman snubbed for Best Supporting Actor
Boseman was posthumously nominated for Best Actor for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, but surprisingly not Best Supporting Actor for Da 5 Bloods, which would have given him a historic two posthumous acting nods.
6. Mank snubbed for Best Original Screenplay
Mankmay have led the Oscar nominations, but don't get too certain about its Best Picture prospects considering it was also snubbed both for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing, the latter award being one that's typically crucial for a Best Picture victory. It seems Nomadland's position as Best Picture frontrunner may be safe — for now, at least.
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
How oil tankers have been weaponisedThe Explainer The seizure of a Russian tanker in the Atlantic last week has drawn attention to the country’s clandestine shipping network
-
The rise of the spymaster: a ‘tectonic shift’ in Ukraine’s politicsIn the Spotlight President Zelenskyy’s new chief of staff, former head of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, is widely viewed as a potential successor
-
5 critical cartoons about the deadly crackdown on protesters in IranCartoons Artists take on twinning, booed off stage, and more
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
