The Worst Oscar Snubs of All Time

Ranker Film
Updated July 3, 2024 50.1K views 100 items
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5.5Kvoters85.4Kvotes
34reranks

Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors the very best in film - at least as they see it. It seems each year these nominations are wildly contended by viewers and critics alike. Critical darlings and fan favorites slip trough the cracks and make for some crazy Oscar snubs come award season - and this Oscar snub list has them all.

Naturally some Oscars snubs are far worst than others, and we also have the benefit of hindsight, but can you believe Citizen Kane didn't win Best Picture? Neither did Shawshank Redemption. 2001: A Space Odyssey wasn't even nominated and neither was The Shining or Do the Right Thing. Then there are the poor actors, actresses, and directors who work hard, turn in excellent performances, and campaign for Oscar gold only to never to make the cut. Academy Award snubs are a matter of opinion, but some just can't be ignored.

This isn't to say each of these snubs should have definitely won that year, but the films, actors, and directors listed here definitely deserved a nomination. Jack Nicholson in The Shining probably shouldn't have beaten Robert De Niro in Raging Bull for 1970's Best Actor award, but he certainly should have been on the ballot.

These are the biggest Oscar snubs of all time! Vote up the people and films you feel were wrongfully snubbed by the Academy, or deserved to win if they did garner a nomination.
Most divisive: Boogie Nights
Over 5.5K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Oscar Snubs
This list is dynamically ranked based on user voting. The order reflects the consensus of our voters and is not influenced by paid placements or editorial bias.
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  • Nominated for Best Picture - Saving Private Ryan (1998)
    Winner - Shakespeare in Love (1998)

  • Nominated for Best Director - Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather (1972)
    Winner - Bob Fosse, Cabaret (1972)

  • Cate Blanchett
    3
    1,228 votes

    Nominated for Best Actress - Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth (1999)
    Winner - Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love (1998)

  • Alfred Hitchcock
    4
    2,107 votes

    Nominated for Best Director - Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho (1960)
    Winner - Billy Wilder, The Apartment (1960)

    Not Nominated for Best Director - Alfred Hitchcock, North by Northwest (1959)
    Winner - William Wyler, Ben-Hur (1959)

    Nominated for Best Director - Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window (1954)
    Winner - Elia Kazan, On The Waterfront (1954)

    Nominated for Best Director - Alfred Hitchcock, Rebecca (1940)
    Winner - John Ford, The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

  • Citizen Kane
    5
    2,082 votes

    Nominated for Best Picture - Citizen Kane (1941)

    Winner - How Green Was My Valley (1941)

  • Vertigo
    6
    1,646 votes

    Not nominated for Best Picture - Vertigo (1958)

    Winner - Gigi (1958)