In the weeks leading up to the Oscar nominations, the race typically begins to narrow and a clearer picture of the films that will be selected for each category by Academy voters presents itself. But this year, the race only became hazier and more bizarre as time went on. Movies like “Anora,” “Maria” and “The Brutalist” — which looked like sure things for slots in the big five categories only a few months ago — became less certain as late-breaking wildcard contenders like “Wicked” and “Conclave” picked up steam among general audiences, and in turn, Oscar voters.
Despite the Oscars being more global and diverse than ever, it seems like Academy voters have yet to shed their pretenses when considering truly noteworthy work that doesn’t fall neatly into a box.
Then, there was the question of “Emilia Pérez.” Despite dividing critics and audiences with its controversial depiction of a trans cartel leader who uses gender-affirming surgery transition as a redemptive arc, the film scored big at this month’s Golden Globes. Though the Globes represent a body of solely international voters, it was impossible to ignore the whopping 10 nominations they bestowed upon the film. That was echoed this morning by the Academy, which honored “Emilia Pérez” with an even more astonishing 13 nods, including a history-making nomination for star Karla Sofìa Gasćon, who became the first openly trans actor to be nominated for an Oscar.
“Emilia Pérez” also took home Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy at the Jan. 5 Globes ceremony quickly, which spotlighted the film as Netflix’s top contender at the Oscars, shuffling “Maria” to the bottom of the deck. “The Brutalist” took home the parallel award at the Globes, collecting gold for Best Motion Picture, Drama, and Best Director. But the sprawling epic made with a shoestring budget failed to make a splash among Screen Actors Guild voters, ultimately being shut out of the SAG Awards’ top category by “Wicked.” And, of course, there’s “The Substance,” the little movie that could. The body horror hagsploitation film was a surprise hit at the box office and has been stunning awards voters too, rubbing up alongside “The Last Showgirl” as a showcase of long-overlooked dramatic talent.
With the dash to Oscar Sunday heating up to a sprint, watching Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott announce the nominations certainly warmed up a chilly winter morning. But which of these films managed to pull ahead in the race and which were left out in the cold with a snub? Read on to check out the biggest surprises and the most jaw-dropping snubs of the 2025 Oscar nominations.
SURPRISE: Demi Moore has “The Substance”
With more than four decades of film work under her belt, Demi Moore finally scored her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her thrilling work in “The Substance.” Moore went full-tilt ferocious in French director Coralie Fargeat’s latest film as aging Tinseltown star Elisabeth Sparkle, who takes a mysterious anti-aging drug that promises her beauty and success. The twist? A younger, more perfect version of herself emerges from her back for seven days, and has complete control of Elisabeth’s life despite both women technically being the same person. Moore is astounding in the film; hilarious, audacious and all too real in the ways she layers her character with firsthand experience in a discriminatory industry. It’s not just a well-deserved nod, but a new chapter for Moore.
SNUB: Marianne-Jean Baptiste shut out of a nail-biting category
The Best Actress in a Leading Role category has been shifting nonstop in the weeks leading up to Oscar nomination morning, and there were three deserving actresses all in contention for the unsettled, eleventh-hour spot: Pamela Anderson, Fernanda Torres and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Unfortunately, it was Jean-Baptiste, who wowed critics with her searing, unforgettable turn in Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” who was ultimately excluded. Jean-Baptiste turned in a remarkable performance as Pansy, a beleaguered mother and wife who boils with rage and confusion that she can’t quite understand. While Jean-Baptiste’s stunning show was nominated for a BAFTA, it would’ve been nice to see her up for gold stateside as well.
SURPRISE: “Nickel Boys” and “I’m Still Here” break through for Best Picture
The Best Picture race has been tight over the last few months, and with “Nickel Boys” and “I’m Still Here” largely missing from the big categories among industry voting bodies, it was a delightful shock to see them make it into Oscar competition. While both films have their technical strengths, they’re best considered as entire works, stirring in the ways that they play with image and memory to stay with the viewer long after the credits have rolled. While “I’m Still Here” was a shoo-in for a Best International Feature nomination, making it into the main category is a significant win for Brazil, which has only had two other films nominated in this group in Oscars history.
SNUB: The “Challengers” score failed to electrify Oscar voters
Despite pulling in for a big win at the Golden Globes earlier this month, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pulsating electronic score for Luca Guadagnino’s sex-and-sweat-filled tennis drama “Challengers” missed out on a nomination for Achievement in Music, Original Score. (Not to mention it failed to pick up a nod for its kinetic editing as well.) While other nominated films like “The Brutalist” and “Conclave” had decently memorable arrangements, there’s no denying that Reznor and Ross’ thumping beats were some of the most thrilling original compositions at the movies last year. One look at social media and you’ll find just about everyone echoing that sentiment. Perhaps a little throbbing techno was too unconventional for the more buttoned-up Academy members?
SURPRISE: Sebastian Stan lands a nom for playing Trump, three days after the inauguration
Sebastian Stan has had a landmark awards season so far, drawing attention for both “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice,” and winning a Golden Globe for the former. But it was Stan’s work in “The Apprentice,” a biopic about the early years of Donald Trump’s career that telegraphed his eventual rise to power in politics, that connected with Academy voters. Late last year, Stan spoke openly about how he was offered a spot for the “Actors on Actors” conversations conducted by “The Hollywood Reporter,” which never ultimately happened due to other performers being too cautious to talk about Trump. If Stan can pull off a win in this category, amid the second Trump regime — sorry, administration — look out for an acceptance speech that will have the world (and the president) talking.
SNUB: It really was the last show, girl
Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” was already doing better in this year’s awards race than most people initially thought it would. The film picked up steam among viewers who finally got to see it after dragging its feet to a wide opening, going on to pull multiple acting noms at The Golden Globes. Perhaps it was the lack of long-term audience buzz that hindered the movie’s chances at the Oscars, because it was shut out from the nominations entirely. Given that Jamie Lee Curtis was a one-time Oscar winner already and that she was nominated for a BAFTA for “The Last Showgirl,” some pundits thought that Curtis might edge out the film’s lead, Pamela Anderson, for a supporting nom. As it turns out, it wasn’t in the cards for either actress, which is a tough blow for Anderson considering the momentum behind her stirring onscreen comeback. But on the bright side, Anderson’s success has revitalized her dramatic career and put her into a new echelon that both audiences and Anderson herself thought she might never get to. Mark my words: This isn’t the last we’ve seen of this showgirl.
SURPRISE: Fernanda Torres is, indeed, still here
The aforementioned contentious Best Actress race might have brought a major snub for Marianne Jean-Baptiste, but it also gave us a huge surprise in Fernanda Torres, nominated for her extraordinary performance in “I’m Still Here.” As Eunice Paiva, the wife of a real-life disappeared Brazilian political prisoner, Torres turned in one of the most revelatory performances of any film last year. Watching her work, it’s no shock that she managed to pull ahead of other one-time contenders like Nicole Kidman and even Pamela Anderson. Torres is notably stoic in the face of sudden loss, and holds her family — and the film — together with a beautiful, maternal love. In that respect, Torres’ nomination is a bit poetic, too. The only other Brazilian actress to be nominated for an Oscar is Torres’ mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated in 1999 for “Central Station.” The extra kismet cherry on top? Both Torres and Montenegro play Eunice Paiva at different stages of her life in the “I’m Still Here.”
SNUB: The most towering achievement in directing is nowhere to be seen
While Brady Corbet is on the fast track to Oscar gold with the buzz around “The Brutalist” surging, the film that critics famously touted as “monumental” pales in comparison to RaMell Ross’ phenomenal direction in “Nickel Boys.” Corbet’s work is certainly admirable, but much of it is flash with very little substance at the heart of the film itself. Ross, however, took an unconventional approach for “Nickel Boys,” shooting the film with a first-person vantage point, meaning that viewers could see the film through a character’s eyes. Other directors might’ve relied on this technique as a gimmick, but Ross used it as a way to stare into a viewer’s soul, directly communicating the vitality being snuffed out of his characters as they toiled at a segregated reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. Ross’ work is unparalleled, especially when compared to James Mangold’s efforts in “A Complete Unknown,” which were nominated instead. Mangold’s film is a straightforward, unremarkable biopic; Ross’ is an incomparable masterwork. Despite the Oscars being more global and diverse than ever, it seems like Academy voters have yet to shed their pretenses when considering truly noteworthy work that doesn’t fall neatly into a box.
Check out the full list of 2025 Oscar nominees.
The 97th Oscars ceremony will air Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
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about Oscar-worthy work that wasn’t nominated
