The 2023 Oscar nominations dropped on Tuesday, January 24. While many great films were nominated for various awards, certain films and actors failed to receive nominations, even after being fan favorites and acclaimed by critics.

Here are some of the unexpected Oscar snubs and surprises of this year:

Viola Davis for Best Actress

American actress Viola Davis who secured nominations in both the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards did not receive a nomination at the Oscars for her lead role in the action drama The Woman King. Even though Cate Blanchett (Tar) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) are the frontrunners for the award, fans are disappointed that Davis was left out of the nominations.

Will Smith for Best Actor

The 2022 historical action drama Emancipation starred Will Smith in the title role of Peter. Smith’s role was praised by critics, but he failed to receive a nomination at the Oscars.

Also Read | Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick’s cinematography snub at Oscars 2023 leaves fans disappointed

Dolly De Leon for Best Supporting Actress

Even after receiving a Golden Globes nomination, Filipino actress Dolly De Leon was not nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2022 black comedy Triangle of Sadness. De Leon played the role of Abigail in the movie.

Zero nominations for Nope

The horror genre is rarely represented at the Academy Awards, and the fact that Jordan Peele’s 2022 horror blockbuster Nope received no nominations at the awards is just another instance of the same. The visual effects and sound design of the movie, which were heavily praised, did not gain the attention of the Oscars. Barbarian, an indie horror movie that was released in 2022 was also snubbed at the awards.

Also Read | 95th Academy Awards: Rihanna earns her first Oscar nomination, ‘Lift Me Up’ singer’s fans elated

No nominations for Female Directors

The Best Director category in the 2023 Academy Awards saw the nomination of six directors for five films, namely Martin McDonagh, Steven Spielberg, Todd Field, Ruben Ostlund, and Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The nominations included no female directors even though films like Women Talking and The Woman King saw Sarah Polley and Gina Prince-Bythewood doing phenomenal jobs as directors.

Lack of Inclusivity

Other than English language films, other languages having great films were not represented at the Oscars. Despite a massive campaign for RRR to receive a Best Picture nomination, it could only earn a Best Original Song nod. South Korean director Park Chan-Wook, despite being recognized at the Critics’ Choice Award, didn’t receive a single nomination for his film Decision to Leave at this year’s Oscars.