2022 Ocars: The Nominations, Surprises, and Biggest Snubs From The 94th Academy Awards

2022 award season is gradually unfolding, with the movie report cards arriving. No matter how criticised the Oscars might be, actors, production houses, basically anyone who’s involved in an Oscar winning project can pride themselves in saying they have reached the pinnacle of filmmaking.

COVID was a mess on the industry, no doubt. It has changed the movie industry both; it has changed what’s available in cinemas, it has changed how we use the cinemas, but it looks like it’s not affecting how the voters at the Film Academy do their thing.

However, the show must go on and the  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the nominees for the 94^th edition of the annual awards.

What to Note

Which movies qualify for the 2022 Oscars?

Only movies released for viewership from March 1 to December 31, 2021 qualified for consideration.

When and where is the ceremony?  

The 94^th Academy awards will take place on the 27^th of March, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

The Nominations:

Best supporting actress

Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)
Ariana Debose (West Side Story)
Judi Dench (Belfast)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)

Best costume design

Cruella
Cyrano
Dune
Nightmare Alley
West Side Story

Best sound

Belfast
Dune
No Time to Die
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

Best original score

Don’t Look Up
Dune
Encanto
Parallel Mothers
The Power of the Dog

Best adapted screenplay

Coda (Sian Heder)
Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe)
Dune (Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts & Denis Villeneuve)
The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)
The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)

Best original screenplay

Belfast (Kenneth Branagh)
Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay, David Sirota)
Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)
King Richard (Zach Baylin)
The Worst Person in the World (Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier)

Best animated short

Affairs of the Art
Bestia
Boxballet
Robin Robin
The Windshield Wiper

Best live action short

Ala Kachuu – Take and Run
The Dress
The Long Goodbye
On My Mind
Please Hold

Best supporting actor

Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Troy Kotsur (Coda)
Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)
JK Simmons (Being the Ricardos)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

Best film editing

Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick… BOOM!

Best makeup & hairstyling

Coming 2 America
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci

Best animated feature

Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells Vs the Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon

Best documentary feature

Ascension
Attica
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing With Fire

Best documentary short

Audible
Lead Me Home
The Queen of Basketball
Three Songs for Benazir
When We Were Bullies

Best original song

Be Alive (King Richard)
Dos Oruguitas (Encanto)
Down to Joy (Belfast)
No Time to Die (No Time to Die)
Somehow You Do (Four Good Days)

Best cinematography

Dune
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Best international feature

Drive My Car
Flee
The Hand of God
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
The Worst Person in the World

Best production design

Dune
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Best visual effects

Dune
Free Guy
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
No Time to Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home

Best actress

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)
Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)
Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

Best actor

Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)
Andrew Garfield (tick, tick … BOOM!)
Will Smith (King Richard)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

Best director

Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Drive My Car (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)
Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)

Best picture

Belfast
Coda
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

The Surprises:

Don’t Look Up’s 4 Nominations: Wow! Many critics did not hide their reservations for Adam Mckay’s star-studded satire, Don’t Look Up. However, as much as we loved the film here at Media Rants, we’re a little surprised it managed to rack up 4 nominations including for best picture and score. Wow.

Beyounce’s King Richard “Be Alive” Nominated for Original Song: Can anyone rival BK’s list of accomplishments? Now an Oscar nominee, Beyounce might be set to bring the Oscar statuette to the home of the Carters, albeit surprisingly.

The Snubs (LOL)

Spider-Man No Way Home (LOL): This will shock many people, but really, what were you expecting? Money doesn’t necessarily mean critical acclaim. Lol

Lady Gaga’s Performance in House of Gucci (SHOCKING): The best actor and actress categories are probably the most contentious and most competitive categories at the Oscars. Many will agree that Lady Gaga’s performance in Ridley Scott’s Gucci family biopic, House of Gucci was the life and wire of the film, and it’s a surprise she didn’t make the final cut of nominees for the best actress category.

Unsurprisingly, Dune is the most nominated film with 10, and might do a clean sweep in most of the categories it’s been recognised just like we said in our review of the David Villeneuve directed remake. It is also worthy to note that legendary actor Will Smith also got another Oscar nod after 15 years.

What are your thoughts on the 2022 Oscar Awards nominations? Share this post and get in the discussion.