2026 Oscars Snubs: The Performances the Academy Ignored

The Oscars took place last Sunday and were full of moments that left social media buzzing. With record-breaking nomination-receiver “Sinners” and joint-winners “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva”, this Oscars cycle has been one for the books. This also means that there were some insane snubs. As with any awards season, the excitement of the wins was matched by the frustration of who the Academy ignored. These snubs quickly became some of the most debated moments of the night. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest snubs of the 2026 Oscars.

1. Best Supporting Actress: Elle Fanning in ‘Sentimental Value’

Amy Madigan’s portrayal of Aunt Gladys in Weapons was amazing. However, Elle Fanning has been in the industry for so long, yet has received repeated snubs. I truly believe that she should have won Best Supporting Actress. Her performance, as usual, was ridiculously emotionally compelling and it deserved so much more recognition. This is extremely reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio not winning his first Oscar until “The Revenant” in 2016. This is kind of ironic, considering the film that he starred in, “One Battle After Another”, won a whopping six Oscars this year. Hopefully, her upcoming role as Effie Trinket in “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” receives more recognition from the Academy. 

2. Best Adapted Screenplay: ‘Frankenstein’

We live in an era of recycled scripts. I’ve become quite jaded about remakes. Therefore, I was extremely skeptical of another “Frankenstein” rendition. Guillermo Del Toro proved me wrong. Del Toro breathed new life into a story that has been told since the early 1800s, portraying Victor Frankenstein and The Creature in a unique way. The costume design, acting, and overall execution were surprisingly interesting for an adapted screenplay. This is extremely difficult to execute when the majority of the population already knows this story from any number of earlier iterations. Adapted screenplays often leave me feeling uninspired, but “Frankenstein” did the opposite and opened the door for a new take on old tales.

3. Best International Feature: ‘It Was Just An Accident’ and ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’

It’s undeniable that “It Was Just An Accident” is relevant now more than ever, considering the current US-Israeli-led war in Iran. Screen Rant, along with many other film-based publications, highlighted Jafar Panahi as a “shoo-in for the Best Director Oscar nomination list.” I was surprised that it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture or Best Director, but I was doubly surprised that it didn’t at least win Best International Feature. 

That being said, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” not winning was disappointing but not surprising. Director Kaouther Ben Hania directed “The Voice of Hind Rajab” in a way that evoked an intense range of emotions in me. A further point of contention is the issue surrounding lead actor Motaz Malhees’ refusal of entry to the United States. The government denied him a Visa to attend the Oscars after being nominated for a major category because of his Palestinian citizenship– but that just furthers the point of the film, does it not? 

4. Best Picture: ‘Sinners’

“Sinners” was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Oscars and won four. What happened here? Ryan Coogler was definitely a top contender for Best Director, and “Sinners” as a whole became an entire cultural phenomenon. It was objectively a standout movie for 2025. So, how on earth did “Sinners” lose to “One Battle After Another” in multiple major categories? “One Battle After Another” is not a film to be discounted. Its cultural relevance and production value were great.

Winning Best Director and Best Picture instead of “Sinners” is definitely questionable, though. It was also incredibly disappointing that “I Lied To You” did not win Best Original Song. K-Pop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” was awesome. However, it absolutely does not have the substance that “I Lied To You” does. The score for “Sinners” as a whole was brilliant, and”I Lied To You” was the pinnacle of the soundtrack. It incorporated hundreds of years of Black musical history, yet was lost to an arguably overproduced pop song. At least Ludwig Görranson deservedly won Best Original Score for “Sinners.”

Overall, the 98th Academy Awards brought controversy, laughter and tears from the nomination announcements through the actual award show. While it wasn’t entirely disappointing, there were definitely some films that were overlooked this year. 

Featured image credit: Ken Woroner/Netflix