Nominations for the 88th Academy Awards are out (click here for the full list) and as usual, they’re an upset in one way or another. The Revenant leads the nominations with a total of twelve, followed closely by Mad Max: Fury Road, which has ten. The Martian has the third most nominations with seven and then Bridge of Spies, Carol and Spotlight all have six. Last year, there were five snubs I was slightly miffed about and this year – funnily enough – I have another five complaints.

Alicia Vikander
Snubbed of: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Vikander was a shoe-in for Best Leading Actress at the Oscars this year, having already received both a BAFTA and a Golden Globe nomination for her role in The Danish Girl, along with unanimous praise. Somehow, though… she has been nominated as a supporting actress. While that’s all well and good – any Oscar nomination is quite a feat – it just doesn’t make any sense. She was central to The Danish Girl and a definite co-lead with Eddie Redmayne. Heck, she may even have more screen time. Simply puzzling.

Rooney Mara
Snubbed of: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Like Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara has been nominated (by both the Academy and BAFTA) as a supporting actress when she was undoubtedly in a leading role and equal co-star with Cate Blanchett. The Golden Globes nominated both actresses, but if I had to guess, there’s likely some unfortunate rule that prevents actors or actresses from the same film being nominated in the same category at the BAFTAs and Oscars (that, or the producers didn’t want to push for both actresses to avoid splitting the votes).

Idris Elba
Snubbed of: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Apparently Beasts of No Nation and Idris Elba generated the most Oscar-snub buzz online following the announcement of this years nominations. Elba was so memorably tense and endlessly captivating, but the actor and the film – which had a limited run in the US likely for the sole reason of qualifying for the Oscars – ultimately ended up with nothing in what looks to be a ceremony surprisingly void of diversity this year.

Quentin Tarantino
Snubbed of: Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
I said in my review that I would be shocked if Tarantino isn’t up for Best Original Screenplay this year and I truly am. His screenplay was wholly unique in its play-like presentation and the dialogue was always on-point, but I guess The Hateful Eight hasn’t been as well received as I first thought (to the Academy, anyway). The writer-director recently said how he wants to have more original screenplay Oscars than anybody, so that when he dies the award can be renamed ‘the Quentin’.

Ridley Scott
Snubbed of: Best Director
Despite garnering seven nominations – including Best Picture and Best Leading Actor for Matt Damon – Ridley Scott apparently missed the cut for Best Director this year. George Miller – director of Mad Max: Fury Road – was “taken aback” that Scott wasn’t also up for the award and added that he was a huge fan of The Martian and his body of work. Ridley Scott has been nominated for Best Director three times before, but has never won the award.

Those are my most surprising snubs this year! I’m most shocked about Alicia Vikander’s nomination and Tarantino’s exclusion, but it’s not all bad. Leonardo DiCaprio looks set to win his first Oscar (though Edie Redmayne shouldn’t be underestimated) and I’m super glad Brooklyn is up for Best Picture and Saoirse Ronan is up for Best Leading Actress. Really great to see Stallone nominated for Creed, too. Carol being nominated for cinematography and costume design and both The Martian and The Danish Girl up for production design are also well deserved in my books.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on the 28th of February, but until then – what about you! Any nominations you’re particularly pleased or miffed about? Let me know and I’ll see you next time.