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The 97th Oscars Nominations: The 5 Biggest Shocks And Snubs From The January 23rd Announcement

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The 97th Academy Awards nominations announcement on Thursday, January 23, 2025, delivered one of the most polarizing and historic mornings in recent memory. As of today, December 22, 2025, the dust has largely settled, but the impact of the nominations—particularly the record-breaking sweep by a foreign-language musical and the shocking exclusion of several A-list stars—continues to dominate awards season conversations. The nominations, announced by Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang, set the stage for the ceremony on March 2, 2025, where the industry will celebrate a year defined by bold, unconventional cinematic choices.

The biggest headline was undoubtedly the stunning performance of the Spanish-language, French-made musical, Emilia Pérez, which shattered expectations by earning a near-record 13 nominations, instantly cementing its status as the film to beat. This article dives deep into the full list of nominees, the films that surprisingly dominated the field, and the major stars and acclaimed movies that were completely shut out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

The Complete 97th Academy Awards Nominations Snapshot

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony, set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, 2025, is hosted by late-night legend Conan O'Brien, marking his highly anticipated debut as an Oscars host. The nominations, which were announced a week later than usual due to scheduling adjustments, confirmed a shift towards international and genre-bending cinema.

Here is a quick look at the films that led the pack in terms of sheer volume of nominations, indicating where the bulk of the Academy’s voting power was concentrated:

  • Emilia Pérez: 13 Nominations (Including Best Picture, Director, and multiple acting nods)
  • Wicked: 10 Nominations (A massive showing for the musical adaptation, particularly in technical and acting categories)
  • The Brutalist: 10 Nominations (A strong performance for the period drama, including Best Picture and Actor)
  • A Complete Unknown: 8 Nominations (The Bob Dylan biopic proved a major contender)
  • Conclave: 7 Nominations (A surprise critical darling that resonated with voters)

The nomination of Emilia Pérez for 13 awards—just one shy of the all-time record of 14 nominations—was a historic moment for French cinema and the representation of the transgender community on film. The film’s success highlights the Academy's expanding, more international voting body.

The 5 Biggest Snubs and Surprises That Defined the Morning

While the leading films were expected to perform well, the true drama of the January 23rd announcement lay in the shocking omissions and unexpected inclusions that immediately sparked debate across social media and industry circles. The following are the five most talked-about snubs and surprises from the 2025 Oscar nominations.

1. The Complete Shutdown of Daniel Craig and 'Queer' Cinema

One of the most widely predicted nominations was for Daniel Craig's transformative performance in the drama Queer. Despite universal critical acclaim and a strong showing in precursor awards, Craig was completely shut out of the Best Actor category. The film itself failed to secure any major nominations, marking a significant disappointment for a project that was once considered a lock for multiple nods. This snub was immediately grouped with other high-profile omissions of critically praised LGBTQ+ themed films, raising questions about voter priorities.

2. The 'Challengers' and Zendaya Technical Knockout

Luca Guadagnino's tennis drama Challengers was a commercial and critical success, with many predicting nominations for its screenplay, score, and star, Zendaya. However, the film received zero major nominations, failing to land a single nod even in technical categories like Best Editing or Score where it was heavily favored. Zendaya's omission from the Best Actress race was particularly painful, as her performance was widely praised as the best of her career.

3. The Shocking Exclusion of Hollywood Royalty

The acting categories saw the surprising exclusion of several established, high-profile stars who were widely expected to be nominated. The list of shut-out talent reads like a who’s who of Hollywood royalty, including Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and Denzel Washington. Furthermore, the exclusion of Selena Gomez and the beloved cast of Sing Sing, which was a favorite for a feel-good Best Picture slot, demonstrated the Academy's willingness to look past celebrity buzz in favor of lesser-known performances and films.

4. The Unexpected Rise of 'Nickel Boys' and 'Conclave'

On the flip side, the nominations brought forth several pleasant surprises that energized cinephiles. The biggest shock was the strong performance of Nickel Boys, which earned several key nominations, including a surprise Best Supporting Actor nod. Similarly, Conclave, a quiet, contained thriller, managed to secure an impressive seven nominations, including a coveted Best Picture slot, proving that smaller, more focused dramas can still break through the blockbuster noise.

5. 'Wicked' Dominates Technical and Supporting Categories

While Emilia Pérez led the overall count, the musical adaptation of Wicked showed enormous strength in its ten nominations, securing nods across all technical categories (Costume Design, Production Design, Visual Effects, etc.) and landing multiple nominations in the supporting acting races. This massive showing for a mainstream blockbuster demonstrated that the Academy is still interested in spectacle, provided the execution is flawless, setting up a major showdown between the international indie darling and the Hollywood tentpole.

What Happens Next: The Road to the 97th Oscars

With the nominations now finalized, the focus shifts entirely to the final round of voting, which begins shortly. The period between the announcement and the March 2nd ceremony is crucial, as studios ramp up their final campaigns to sway the votes of the over 10,000 members of the Academy. The intense competition between Emilia Pérez, Wicked, and The Brutalist is expected to make this one of the most unpredictable Oscars races in years.

The nominations have successfully created a narrative of old Hollywood versus new global cinema, with the unexpected success of a Spanish-language musical challenging the dominance of traditional English-language prestige pictures. Whether host Conan O'Brien can successfully navigate the inevitable post-snub tension and celebrate the diverse slate of nominees remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the 97th Academy Awards are already one for the history books.

The 97th Oscars Nominations: The 5 Biggest Shocks and Snubs from the January 23rd Announcement
oscar nominations 2025 announcement
oscar nominations 2025 announcement

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