The Academy were served an embarrassment of riches when it came to considering who and what would score Oscar nominations this year. With too many contenders and too few nomination slots, we were always looking at numerous painful snubs. To give you a sense of the staggering number of acclaimed and beloved films, performances, and technical work that missed out this year, we’ve created a list of alternate nominations constructed entirely from contenders that earned nods elsewhere this year but couldn’t make the Academy’s list. Consider this the “what might have been” of awards season.
Best Picture
Another Round
Da 5 Bloods
First Cow
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
One Night in Miami
Soul
Best Director
Regina King – One Night in Miami
Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods
Kelly Reichardt – First Cow
Darius Marder – Sound of Metal
Florian Zeller – The Father
Best Actress
Nicole Beharie – Miss Juneteenth
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version
Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yeri Han – Minari
Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man
Best Actor
Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami
Adarsh Gourav – The White Tiger
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
Mads Mikkelsen – Another Round
Tahar Rahim – The Mauritanian
Best Supporting Actress
Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman
Dominique Fishback – Judas and the Black Messiah
Jodie Foster – The Mauritanian
Talia Ryder – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Helena Zengel – News of the World
Best Supporting Actor
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods
Alan Kim – Minari
Orion Lee – First Cow
David Strathairn – Nomadland
Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Original Screenplay
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Palm Springs
Soul
Best Adapted Screenplay
First Cow
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The Mauritanian
News of the World
Best Score
Ammonite
The Invisible Man
The Midnight Sky
Tenet
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Original Song
“Poverty Porn” – The Forty-Year-Old Version
“Rain Song” – Minari
“Rocket to the Moon” – Over the Moon
“Tigress & Tweed” – The United States vs. Billie Holiday
“Turntables” – All In: The Fight for Democracy
Best Animated Feature
Look, I’d genuinely struggle to find five alternate nominees for this category. It wasn’t exactly a banner year for animation and the Academy chose the correct five.
Best Film Editing
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
The Invisible Man
Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Tenet
Best Cinematography
Da 5 Bloods
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
The Midnight Sky
Minari
Tenet
Best Production Design
Emma.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Best Costume Design
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
News of the World
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Promising Young Woman
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Bill & Ted Face the Music
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Promising Young Woman
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Sound
The Invisible Man
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The Midnight Sky
Nomadland
Tenet
Best Visual Effects
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
The Invisible Man
Mank
Soul
Welcome to Chechnya
Best Documentary Feature
All In: The Fight for Democracy
Boys State
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Truffle Hunters
Welcome to Chechnya
Best International Feature
I’m No Longer Here
La Llorona
The Mole Agent
A Sun
Two of Us