Snubs and Surprises from the 2017 Oscar Nominations

Oscar nominations were announced yesterday. La La Land was a favourite this awards season, and as predicted, received 14 nominations including best actor for Ryan Gosling and best actress for Emma Stone. Every year, there are several snubs and surprises when nominations are announced and this year is no different.

Amy Adams (Snub)  

Amy Adams has been nominated five times and has yet to secure a win. This year, she failed to secure even a nomination for the sci-fi film Arrival despite the praise she received for the role.

Viggo Mortensen (Surprise) 

Viggo Mortensen is nominated for his role in Captain Fantastic. He plays a a bohemian father raising his family off the grid and an Oscar nomination seemed unlikely until he was nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for the role. He’s been nominated once before for Eastern Promises in 2007.

Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington & Martin Scorsese (Snubs)

Denzel Washington may have earned a best actor nod for his role in Fences, but failed to get that directing nomination. Clint Eastwood’s Sully was only nominated for best sound editing. Both Eastwood and Tom Hanks failed to secure nominations for best director and best actor respectively. Martin Scorsese’s Silence only received a nomination for cinematography, no best director nod there either.

Ruth Negga (Surprise) 

(photo via Gage Skidmore flickr)

Ruth Negga plays one half of an interracial couple facing persecution for getting married in the Jim Crow South in Loving. The film premiered at Cannes to rave reviews, was nominated for a few awards, but failed to secure a spot on the ‘favourites’ list, which made Negga a long-shot for an Oscar.

Mel Gibson (Surprise) 

Mel Gibson is working hard for redemption post-meltdown. Hacksaw Ridge is his latest film about World War II corporal, Desmond T. Doss, who saved 75 men in Okinawa without firing a bullet.