<p id=”par-1_50″>Hollywood’s biggest night has a history of shocking upsets. But some <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/oscars/”>Oscars</a> snubs are so egregious they’ve left audiences outraged for decades. Whether it’s legendary actors denied their due or groundbreaking films <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/who-votes-for-the-oscars.html/?swcfpc=1″>ignored by the Academy</a>, these oversights prove that even the most celebrated awards show can get it wrong.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-leonardo-dicaprio-s-long-wait-for-gold”>Leonardo DiCaprio’s long wait for gold</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/leonardo-dicaprio-winning-oscar.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Leonardo DiCaprio wins best actor Oscar in 2016″ class=”wp-image-3782319″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Leonardo DiCaprio wins best actor Oscar in 2016 | Christopher Polk/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_54″>After years of Oscar snubs, <span style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px;”>Leonardo DiCaprio celebrated a <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/timothee-chalamet-pursuit-greatness-compare-greatest-actors.html/?swcfpc=1″>Best Actor win</a> for <em>The Revenant</em> (2016)</span>. His performances in <em>Titanic</em> (1997), <em>The Aviator</em> (2004), and <em>The Wolf of Wall Street</em> (2013) all earned nominations but no wins. Fans watched in disbelief as he lost time and time again, making Leo’s eventual victory feel like overdue justice.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-alfred-hitchcock-never-won-best-director”>Alfred Hitchcock never won Best Director</h2>
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<iframe title=”Psycho (1960) Theatrical Trailer – Alfred Hitchcock Movie” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/DTJQfFQ40lI?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-3_58″>Alfred Hitchcock remains one of the greatest filmmakers in history. He was nominated five times for Best Director but endured many Oscar snubs. Classics like <em>Psycho</em> (1960) and <em>Rear Window</em> (1954) redefined suspense, yet the Academy consistently overlooked him. In 1968, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, but the snub remains a stain on Oscar history.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-color-purple-nominated-11-times-with-no-wins”>‘The Color Purple’: Nominated 11 times with no wins</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-3″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/whoopi-goldberg-steven-spielberg.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘The Color Purple'” class=”wp-image-3782326″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘The Color Purple’ | Warner Brothers/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-4_35″>Steven Spielberg’s <em>The Color Purple</em> (1985) was nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Whoopi Goldberg. It shockingly won none, marking one of the biggest Oscar shutouts in the evening’s history.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-glenn-close-the-perpetual-bridesmaid”>Glenn Close: The perpetual bridesmaid</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-4″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/glenn-close-at-oscars-2021.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Glenn Close at the 2021 Oscars” class=”wp-image-3782329″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Glenn Close at the 2021 Oscars | Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-5_49″>With eight Academy Award nods, Glenn Close holds the record for the most acting nominations without a victory. Her performances in <em>Fatal Attraction</em> (1987) and <em>Dangerous Liaisons</em> (1988) were widely expected to win, yet she was repeatedly passed over. Even in 2021, <em>Hillbilly Elegy</em> couldn’t break her losing streak.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-goodfellas-loses-to-dances-with-wolves”>‘Goodfellas’ loses to ‘Dances With Wolves’</h2>
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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Dances With Wolves Wins Best Picture: 1991 Oscars” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Fl7vDRKUho?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-6_60″>Martin Scorsese’s <em>Goodfellas</em> (1990) is considered one of the greatest films of all time. Yet it shockingly lost in the Best Picture category to <em>Dances with Wolves</em>. While Kevin Costner’s western was well-received, many believe <em>Goodfellas</em> had the cultural and cinematic impact worthy of the win. Scorsese would have to wait until <em>The Departed</em> (2006) to finally claim Best Director.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-stanley-kubrick-never-won-best-director”>Stanley Kubrick never won Best Director</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-6″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/jack-nicholson-in-The-Shining.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Jack Nicholson starred in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining'” class=”wp-image-3782334″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Jack Nicholson starred in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic ‘The Shining’ | Warner Brothers/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-7_41″>Despite directing classics like <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em>, <em>A Clockwork Orange</em>, and <em>The Shining</em>, Stanley Kubrick never won Best Director. His only Oscar win was for Best Visual Effects in <em>2001</em>, proving that even visionary directors don’t always get their due.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-saving-private-ryan-lost-to-shakespeare-in-love”>‘Saving Private Ryan’ lost to ‘Shakespeare in Love’ </h2>
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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Shakespeare in Love Wins Best Picture: 1999 Oscars” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/IP9a10PK54g?start=27&feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-8_56″>Many consider Steven Spielberg’s <em>Saving Private Ryan</em> (1998) one of the greatest war films ever made. The movie won Best Director but shockingly lost Best Picture to <em>Shakespeare in Love</em> (1998). Many believe this upset was the result of an aggressive marketing campaign by now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, rather than an honest reflection of cinematic excellence.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-judy-garland-barbra-streisand-and-lady-gaga-were-all-snubbed-for-best-actress-in-a-star-is-born”>Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga were all snubbed for Best Actress in ‘A Star Is Born’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-8″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/a-star-is-born-starring-judy-garland-and-barbra-streisand.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand both lost in the category of Best Actress for ‘A Star is Born'” class=”wp-image-3782339″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand both lost in the category of Best Actress for ‘A Star is Born’ | LMPC via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-9_59″>In 1954, Judy Garland’s heartbreaking performance in <em>A Star Is Born</em> (1954) was widely considered a sure bet for Best Actress. Many believed she would win—some outlets even had a camera crew at her hospital bed, ready to capture the moment. Instead, Grace Kelly won for <em>The Country Girl</em>, in one of the most controversial upsets in Oscar history.</p>
<p id=”par-10_44″>Twenty-two years later, Barbra Streisand’s performance in <em>A Star Is Born</em> (1976) was a tour de force, yet she wasn’t even nominated for Best Actress. Her song “Evergreen” won Best Original Song, but her absence from the acting category remains a shocking oversight. </p>
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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”A STAR IS BORN – Official Trailer 1″ width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/nSbzyEJ8X9E?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-11_37″>In 2019, the film was nominated again with Lady Gaga in the lead role. The film was nominated eight times, including a Best Actress nod for Gaga. But only scored one win, Best Original Song for “Shallow.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-will-the-academy-ever-get-it-right”>Will the Academy ever get it right?</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-10″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oscar-statuettes.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Oscar statuettes” class=”wp-image-3782340″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Oscar statuettes | Al Seib/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-12_44″>While the Oscars remain the pinnacle of film awards, these snubs prove <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/academy-awards-same-oscars-answer-controversial.html/?swcfpc=1″>the Academy</a> isn’t always in tune with public opinion. The Academy has certainly made some questionable choices over the years, often favoring politics, industry campaigns, and safe picks over true artistic merit.</p>
<p id=”par-13_45″>However, the Academy has made efforts to diversify its voting body and expand Best Picture nominations, which could lead to more deserving winners. Still, as long as awards politics, studio influence, and personal biases play a role, Oscar winners will likely continue to spark debate.</p>