Snubs & Surprises
Despite winning Best Lead Actor for playing a father and coach in the film King Richard, this actor infamously slapped Chris Rock during the ceremony
Will Smith
Known for a blend of animatronics and CGI, this terrifying summer blockbuster from Steven Spielberg took home Best Visual Effects in 1994
Jurassic Park
One of only six actors to be nominated for the same role twice, his character famously says "Yo, Adrian!"
Sylvester Stallone (playing Rocky)
After more than a decade of thrilling and immersive filmmaking, Christopher Nolan finally took home Best Director for this 3-hour biopic
Oppenheimer
This racing blockbuster from the director of Top Gun: Maverick managed to score nominations for Best Picture, film editing, sound, and visual effects
F1
La La Land almost won Best Picture in 2017, but the wrong announcement at the ceremony led to this coming-of-age drama winning instead
Moonlight
Jim Carrey wore full-body makeup in this holiday classic, which went on to win the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Clocking in at just 16 minutes of screentime, Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor in a Leading Role for this iconic villain in The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal Lecter
Becoming the first non-english film to take home Best Picture, director Bong Joon Ho thrilled audiences with dark comedy and social commentary
Parasite
This nominee for Actress in a Leading Role shaved her entire head in her fifth collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos
Emma Stone
This musical adaptation, directed by Jon Chu, is a notable omission from this year's nominees, especially after its predecessor earned a whopping 10 nominations
Wicked: For Good
Famous for its red armor and neck rings, which incorporated African cultural symbols, this superhero flick won Best Costume Design in 2019
Black Panther
Training for 16 hours a day and dealing with a dislocated rib, this Star Wars alum won Best Actress as a tormented ballet dancer in Black Swan
Natalie Portman
Director Peter Jackson's epic fantasy famously made a "clean sweep" at the Oscars, earning all 11 awards it was nominated for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Amy Madigan plays the dark, twisted Aunt Gladys from this film, which is currently getting its own prequel centered around her character
Weapons
Despite massive commercial success, the Academy has often overlooked comic-book films in top categories, including this influential 2008 crime-thriller, which wasn't even nominated for Best Picture.
The Dark Knight
Drawing from Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, this film's immersive desert landscape combined with brutalist architecture earned an award for Best Production Design in 2021
Dune (part one)
Frances McDormand holds three awards for her roles in: Nomadland, Fargo, and this tense crime mystery from 2017
Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri
These two directors, known by their first names, both took home awards for Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
The Daniels (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert)
Based loosely on the political thriller novel "Vineland", this film about revolutionaries is predicted to take home Best Adapted Screenplay
One Battle After Another
Francis Ford Coppola lost Best Director for The Godfather to this WWII musical based on the hit Broadway show of the same name
Cabaret
A pioneer in animation and storytelling, this famous creative producer currently holds the record for the most Oscar wins of any individual.
Walt Disney (he won 22 awards!)
Known for her high-energy, wit, and rapid-fire dialogue, this actress holds the record number of acting awards, starring in classics like On Golden Pond, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Katharine Hepburn (4 wins)
Nominated this year for 'Hamnet', director Chloe Zhao previously won her first Oscar in the middle of Covid for this Best Picture winner
Nomadland
Shot in secret due to government bans, this film by Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and is nominated for Best International Feature
It Was Just An Accident