When it comes to the film industry, there is no event more coveted to represent some of the best films, performances, and everything else than the Academy Awards! The Oscars first came about back in 1927 in Los Angeles, California, and are only a few years away from celebrating their 100th anniversary.
The awards ceremony has seen some of the most iconic moments in pop culture history, including Halley Berry's legendary win, which she has gone on to say she regrets. Viewers have also seen some of their favorites take home a golden statue, including Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, and Viola Davis, to name a few.
Despite the Oscars rewarding some of the best talents out there, which include some of the youngest actors in the industry, they have also made a few mistakes! Whether it's announcing the wrong winner or giving the award to a less worthy actor, the Oscars have been full of questionable moments, especially when it comes to some of the biggest snubs, ever!
10 Orson Welles
The Oscars have been alive and well for nearly a century, however, one of the biggest Oscar snubs came about back in 1947. When the time came to announce the award for Best Picture, everyone was convinced that Orson Welles' film, Citizen Kane, would easily take the win.
Well, the Oscar ended up going to How Green Was My Valley, a film everyone knows! Oh, wait... Despite Orson's loss that year, the film has continued to appear in the American Film Institute's 100 Great Movies of All Time, proving just how great a movie it was, Oscar or not.
9 Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock is easily one of the most recognized names when it comes to the film industry. The film director went on to create a cinematic style that became synonymous with his very name, where his work could be distinguished just about anywhere!
Despite being the mastermind behind films such as Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds, the film mogul has never taken home an Oscar! Alfred has been nominated for an Academy Award on five separate occasions, making his losses one of the biggest snub of all time!
8 Glenn Close
Glenn Close is one name that you have certainly heard of before! The actress has appeared in hit films such as Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, and Albert Nobbs, to name a few, however, despite her talent, Glenn has yet to win an Oscar.
Although it's clear that the star should have won many Oscars by now, she does hold one record when it comes to the Academy Awards. Close now hold the record for the actress with the most Oscar nominations, which has officially reached 8, without ever winning. Talk about a snub!
7 Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is easily one of the biggest names in the industry and his catalog of work is proof of just that! While Spielberg has won an Oscar before, three to be exact, he too is a victim of being snubbed by the Academy.
In 1999, one of the most shocking snubs occurred when Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan lost to Shakespeare. Gwyneth Paltrow, who appeared in Shakespeare, took home the Oscar for Best Actress, a feat Glenn Close believes Paltrow didn't deserve, making it quite a questionable year for film awards.
6 Spike Lee
Spike Lee has been creating cinematic magic for decades! He has put forth films such as Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, Inside Man, and BlacKkKlansman, a film that earned Lee his first-ever Best Director nomination.
While he has been recognized by the Oscars, the Academy has certainly shafted the film director year after year, especially when it comes to the Best Director category, which Spike has never won in. In 2019, Spike took home Best Adapted Screenplay, however, he was snubbed yet again after being overlooked in the 2021 nominations for Da 5 Bloods.
5 Pam Grier
In 1997, Pam Grier portrayed the role of Jackie Brown in the film Jackie Brown. The film's director, Quentin Tarantino, had written the role of a flight attendant turn part-time smuggler specifically for Grier, and boy did she ever deliver!
Despite her stellar performance, Pam did not even score an Oscar nomination, outraging just about everyone. What made everything turn south even quicker was the fact that Robert Forster, who appeared opposite Pam Grier was, in fact, nominated. Yikes!
4 Cicely Tyson
The late and great Cicely Tyson is also a film and television treasure who deserved far better from the Oscars. Cicely was nominated only once throughout her 50+ year career in 1973 for her work in Sounder but ended up losing to Liza Minelli for Cabaret.
Despite having appeared in countless films, Cicely was never nominated for an Oscar, leaving many confused with the Academy. Well, in 2018, Cicely was finally recognized by the Oscars when she received her honorary Academy Award. The actress was an absolute icon, which made her passing this past January a very tough pill to swallow.
3 Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio was quickly becoming the Susan Lucci of the film industry! Leo has been nominated for an Academy Award seven times, however, he's only won once. The actor took home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2016 for his performance in The Revenant.
Despite his success on-screen, Leo scored four other Best Actor nominations prior to his win, leaving many to wonder why it took so long. Additionally, the actor was clearly snubbed by the Academy when his role as Jack Dawson in the Titanic wasn't even nominated!
2 Ang Lee
Ang Lee found himself being snubbed by the Oscars back in 2006 when his hit film, Brokeback Mountain, failed to win the Academy Award for Best Director. The award ended up going to Crash, which we all remember, right? Ang Lee went on to describe the moment as "disappointing" and rightfully so!
The snub was such a shock that actor, Jack Nicholson himself could not contain his surprise as the cameras panned to his stunned expression, which is exactly what the rest of us were feeling at the time.
1 Regina King
Regina King has been taking the industry by storm, and we love to see it! The actress took home her first Oscar in 2019 for Best Supporting Actress in If Beale Street Could Talk. This marked her first win and nomination, however, it seems as if the star was snubbed by the Academy after she didn't make the cut for Best Director.
Regina directed the film, One Night In Miami, which went on to become critically acclaimed and led viewers to assume she was a shoo-in for the win, however, the actress wasn't even nominated! A true shame.