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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe 2025 Oscar nominations delivered two acting nods for The Apprentice, a stronger-than-expected showing for A Complete Unknown, and a Best Picture breakthrough for Brazil’s I’m Still Here. At the same time, several prominent performers and entire films—including Challengers—were left out. “Snub” and “surprise” describe how those outcomes compared with awards-season expectations; they are not official Academy categories.
What counts as a snub or surprise?
The Academy announced nominations for the 97th Oscars on January 23, 2025. The ceremony, held March 2, honored films released in 2024. The Academy’s official list is the factual baseline: it names the nominees, while judgments about who was expected to make the cut come from contemporary awards coverage and precursor recognition.
There is no objective ranking of the day’s shocks. A contender who missed one acting category is a different case from a film that received no nominations at all; an unexpected nomination may also matter because it marks an unusual category breakthrough. The examples below distinguish those kinds of outcomes rather than presenting a definitive numbered ranking.
The Academy’s 2025 ceremony page identifies the event and eligible film year, and the official nominee list records the nominations.
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The biggest nomination surprises
The Apprentice landed two acting nominations
Sebastian Stan earned a leading-actor nomination and Jeremy Strong a supporting-actor nomination for The Apprentice. The pairing was striking because the film’s awards prospects had appeared uncertain. The Associated Press noted that Strong, but not Stan, had received a Screen Actors Guild nomination. The Academy list confirms both Oscar placements, making the film’s two acting nods a clear break from the momentum suggested by that particular precursor.
A Complete Unknown reached beyond its expected footprint
The Bob Dylan biopic received nominations that included James Mangold for directing and Monica Barbaro for supporting actress, as well as costume design. Vanity Fair characterized the film as an overperformer; that is an assessment of its awards-season showing, not a formal measure. The directing and acting nominations are confirmed by the Academy’s list.
I’m Still Here broke into Best Picture
The Brazilian film received nominations for Best Picture and international feature, while Fernanda Torres was nominated for leading actress. Contemporary coverage treated its Best Picture place as unexpected, and Vogue connected Torres’s awards-season rise with her Golden Globe win. The nominations themselves are confirmed by the Academy; the surprise rests on how the result compared with expectations.
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Nickel Boys made the ten-film Best Picture field
Nickel Boys secured a Best Picture nomination, one of ten in the category. The Associated Press and Vanity Fair described its inclusion as a relative surprise. The distinction matters: the film was recognized in the Academy’s top category, but it missed cinematography despite the distinctive point of view discussed in coverage of the film.
Flow earned nominations in two feature categories
Latvian animated film Flow was nominated for both animated feature and international feature. The Associated Press described its international-feature nomination as a first for Latvia. This was a notable category crossover, not an omission story.
The most talked-about omissions
Daniel Craig, Queer — leading actor
Craig’s Oscar omission came after a campaign that the Associated Press said had not gained traction. CBS also noted that he was the exception to an otherwise closely matching Screen Actors Guild leading-actor lineup. That precursor comparison helps explain why his absence drew attention without implying that a nomination was assured.
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Angelina Jolie, Maria — leading actress
Jolie’s performance in the biographical drama was a prominent awards-season contender, but she did not make the leading-actress field. The Associated Press and Vogue covered the omission. Its visibility reflected the profile of the role and the expectations around it, not a guarantee of Academy recognition.
Nicole Kidman, Babygirl — leading actress
Kidman, who won the acting prize at Venice for Babygirl, was not nominated. Contemporary writers differed on how surprising that outcome was, so it is more accurate to call it a notable omission than a certain near-miss.
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Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths — leading actress
The Associated Press called Jean-Baptiste’s omission confounding, and Vanity Fair noted that Hard Truths received no nominations. Her absence therefore stood alongside a complete shutout for the film, rather than being the sole missed category in an otherwise recognized contender.
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Denzel Washington, Gladiator II — supporting actor
Washington was among the high-profile supporting-actor omissions highlighted by both the Associated Press and CBS. The Academy nominated other performers in the category, but the available coverage does not establish one specific replacement as the direct cause of his absence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Films that missed the nominations entirely
Challengers
Challengers received no nominations, despite the cultural and critical attention Vanity Fair discussed. A complete shutout is different from losing a single anticipated category: the film did not appear anywhere on the Academy’s nominee list.
Hard Truths
Like Challengers, Hard Truths was shut out. That made Jean-Baptiste’s acting omission part of a broader absence for the film, rather than an isolated miss in a nominated production.
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Other notable acting misses
Coverage also called attention to omissions for Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez), Margaret Qualley (The Substance), Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson), and Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing). These names broaden the picture of a crowded acting field, but the sources do not establish a single objective scale for how shocking each absence was.
Where to verify the results
For category-by-category confirmation, consult the Academy’s official 97th Oscars nominee list. The Associated Press, Vanity Fair, CBS, and Vogue provide contemporary context for how the outcomes compared with expectations.
Quick Recap
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