Picture of the Year “Don’t Look Up,” an Oscar nominee, depicts a world in disorder and confusion as a result of an imminent apocalyptic event. The same vigour was expended in the run-up to this year’s Oscar nominations, which were once again dominated by a pandemic that forced actors, directors, and other nominees to campaign from behind their computers.

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Even prominent awards strategists said in recent days that they had no clue who would make the final cut since polling voters who were watching this year’s finalists from home on screeners rather than at FYC screenings and gatherings was difficult.

There were a couple of startling omissions. There will be no Lady Gaga in “House of Gucci.” Bradley Cooper’s scene-stealing performance in “Licorice Pizza” was overlooked.

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The biggest snubs are listed here.

 Lady Gaga, “House of Gucci”

As Patrizia Reggiani, Lady Gaga played an Italian woman who married into the Gucci dynasty and planned the assassination of her husband. Gaga fought hard for the Oscar, and she was the only actress to be nominated for every precursor, including the BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Award, Golden Globe, and SAG Awards. Gaga, on the other hand, came up short with Oscar voters in the end. Her rejection was the most egregious of the morning.

 Jennifer Hudson, “Respect”

The highly competitive best actress category was likely to have its share of disappointments and surprises, but Hudson’s chances looked excellent after receiving a SAG Award nomination for her daring depiction of Aretha Franklin. She was also in the running for the award for best original song for “Here I Am,” which is a very competitive category. However, the Oscar winner (for “Dreamgirls”) did not win in either category.

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 Denis Villeneuve for directing “Dune”

Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious sci-fi epic “Dune” got ten Oscar nominations, second only to “Power of the Dog’s” 12 (including best picture), yet he was not nominated for his ambitious sci-fi epic by the director’s branch. Even more impressive for Villeneuve is the fact that “Dune” was one of the few films released last year that performed well both in theatres and on HBO Max. He’ll get another chance with “Dune 2.”

 Caitriona Balfe, “Belfast”

Since Kenneth Branagh’s personal narrative of growing up in Ireland during the Troubles premiered at film festivals, the issue has been how many actors would be nominated. Caitriona Balfe’s performance as a strong-willed mother looked to be the only sure thing for most of the season; she was the only cast member nominated individually at the SAG Awards (though everyone was acknowledged in ensemble), and she struck every major antecedent. But in the end, Judi Dench was nominated for supporting actress for the eighth time (she’s also a winner for “Shakespeare In Love”).

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Both Ciarán Hinds and Jamie Dornan were in contention for the roles of father and son, but it was Hinds who won the supporting actor award.

 Ruth Negga, “Passing”

Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut was utterly overlooked, but most terribly, Negga was left out of the supporting actress race for her stunning performance as a Black woman passing for white in the 1920s. Negga got awards from the National Society of Film Critics and the London Film Critics’ Circle, as well as a SAG Award nomination for her performance, which is usually a good predictor of the winner.

 Leonardo DiCaprio, “Don’t Look Up”

Despite the fact that DiCaprio has been nominated for six Academy Awards (winning for “The Revenant”), he has a tense relationship with the organisation, having been passed over for some of his best performances, including “Titanic,” “Revolutionary Road,” “Django Unchained,” “The Departed,” and “Catch Me If You Can.” The most recent addition to that list is his role as an astronomy professor in Adam McKay’s comedy.

 Aaron Sorkin, “Being the Ricardos” screenplay

Sorkin has previously directed two films, “Molly’s Game” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” both of which got screenplay nominations. He’s also a winner for “The Social Network,” as well as a nominee for “Moneyball,” and is widely regarded as a lock in the screenplay category. So it came as a shock to see him miss out on his most recent – and probably greatest – film as a director.

 Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” screenplay

Musicals have a shaky track record when it comes to Oscar nominations for screenplays, and remakes are much worse. Kushner’s adaptation of the classic musical, on the other hand, had been singled out for its originality and intelligence. Despite a recent WGA nomination, the script did not make the final five.

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 Jared Leto, “House of Gucci”

Aside from Gaga, Leto’s gonzo portrayal as Paolo Gucci, the fashion family’s black sheep, was also passed over by the Academy. But, perhaps, the amount of acting was too much for Oscar voters? Under layers of prosthetics, Leto is unrecognisable in the film.

 Ben Affleck, “The Tender Bar”

The Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild both nominated Affleck for his role as an endearing Long Island uncle in “The Tender Bar.” But, once again, voters disregarded his performance. Affleck has never been nominated for an Academy Award for acting despite winning two Oscars (for writing “Good Will Hunting” and producing “Argo”).

 Bradley Cooper, “Licorice Pizza”

The actor received positive reviews for his appearances in “Nightmare Alley” and “Licorice Pizza,” but it was his supporting role as Barbra Streisand’s paramour Jon Peters in “Licorice Pizza” that won him a SAG Award nod and seemed to set him on the path to another Oscar nomination. In the end, he probably had to combat the notion that his screen time was too short and that the category was too competitive. Despite this, Cooper was nominated for an Emmy this morning for his work as a producer on “Nightmare Alley.”

 Cate Blanchett out in supporting

In “Nightmare Alley,” Blanchett gave a riveting performance as a doctor. However, she may have split her vote because, as a morning show anchor, she delivered some of the funnier lines in “Don’t Look Up.”

 “Belfast,” Editing

While “Belfast” received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture, it did not win an award for editing. It was always thought that a film could not win the Academy Award for Best Picture without receiving an editing nomination, but “Birdman” did it in 2014, as have nine other films since 1934.

 Ariana Grande for the song in “Don’t Look Up”

The amusing “Just Look Up,” which Grande co-wrote, was not nominated for best song. Her rendition of it would have been one of the telecast’s highlights this year.