The Big Picture · Discussion · Rankings

The Snubs and Surprises of the Academy Award Nominations

March 15, 2021/ 63 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins

Sean and Amanda go through the 93rd Academy Award nominations morning by morning: LaKeith Stanfield's shock supporting-actor nod, Thomas Vinterberg bumping Aaron Sorkin for director, the shutouts for Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and One Night in Miami, then a power ranking of the Best Picture field with six weeks to go.

33 films across 4 segments.

AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.

The Best Picture Surprises93rd Academy Awards nominations morning

Judas and the Black Messiah 2021

Six nominations, including a genuinely surprising Best Supporting Actor nod for LaKeith Stanfield alongside co-star Daniel Kaluuya, two supporting nominees from a film with two leads.

The Father 2020

A Sundance 2020 title almost nobody had actually seen going into nomination morning; recency bias worked in its favor.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 2020

One of the eight Best Picture nominees; the real surprise attached to it was Aaron Sorkin missing a Best Director nomination.

Minari 2020

Six nominations, including Youn Yuh-jung for supporting actress and Lee Isaac Chung for director, expected but welcome nonetheless.

Another Round 2020

Thomas Vinterberg's surprise Best Director nomination knocked out the presumed Sorkin slot.

Mank 2020

Ten nominations, the most of any film this year.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm 2020

Maria Bakalova's supporting actress nomination, plus a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for a movie that's largely improvised.

The White Tiger 2021

Ramin Bahrani's Netflix film picked up a surprise Best Adapted Screenplay nomination.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga poster

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga 2020

"Husavik" landed a Best Original Song nomination.

My Octopus Teacher 2020

The Netflix documentary that wrecked a lot of people during lockdown; not either host's pick, but they get why it connected.

The Snubs

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 2020

Left out of Best Picture despite three acting nominations; Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, and George C. Wolfe's staging couldn't carry it in.

One Night in Miami 2020

Also shut out of Best Picture; Regina King didn't get a director nomination either, despite praise for how she handles her four leads.

Da 5 Bloods 2020

Delroy Lindo's total shutout, save a score nomination, is the sorest spot on the whole slate for both hosts.

The Mauritanian 2021

Jodie Foster won a Golden Globe for this and was widely expected in supporting actress; she's not here.

News of the World 2020

Four nominations, but nothing for Tom Hanks, Paul Greengrass, or Helena Zengel.

Hillbilly Elegy 2020

Glenn Close got in for this; Amy Adams did not, which both hosts count as a relief.

Boys State 2020

One of Sean's favorite films of the year, skipped by the documentary branch, likely because almost nobody saw it since it landed on Apple TV+.

Dick Johnson Is Dead 2020

Also shut out of documentary; too formally strange for that branch, in Sean's read.

What Happens the Next Six Weeks

Nomadland 2020

The presumptive Best Picture winner; Chloe Zhao could become the first person to win four Oscars in one night, for picture, director, adapted screenplay, and editing.

Mank 2020

Ten nominations, warm reviews, no enthusiasm. With no editing or original screenplay nod, this could be a repeat of The Irishman's zero-win night.

Judas and the Black Messiah 2021

Ryan Coogler's first Oscar nomination, as a producer; Sean reads it as an early Spielberg-esque career turn.

Promising Young Woman 2020

Five nominations that Sean thinks really add up to one real shot, for Emerald Fennell's original screenplay.

Sound of Metal 2019

Six nominations for a film that premiered at Toronto back in 2019 and built its support slowly online; Amanda's still not sure why it clicked this hard.