“It’s an honor just to be nominated.” The public often hears that diplomatic answer from celebrities any timeawards seasonrolls around. It’s usually followed by thanking the voting board and noting the talent of the other nominees. While it is likely a huge accomplishment to just be nominated, are they truly telling the truth when they imply winning doesn’t matter? Maybe if they were nominated once, it’s easy to brush it off. But what if they were nominatedmultiple times in the same year?
When a film is nominated for severalOscars, fans often assume they’ll win at least one. Oftentimes, that’s true. However, throughout the Academy Awards' long history, there have been several films that had chances to nab several golden statuettes, yet walked away with none. For a few, the competition was particularly tough that year. And for others, many still believe they were snubbed. Let’s check out 10 films that were nominated for multiple Oscars, but went home empty-handed.
1012 Angry Men (1957)
12 Angry Menis the quintessential courtroom/legal drama. A group of 12 jurors has to hear the case of someone who killed their allegedly abusive father. Homicide cases are stressful on their own; now add to it that the person standing trial is a teenager. To convict the defendant, they must unanimously find him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. But the jurors have differing opinions, and it’s a matter of life and death, as a guilty verdict will lead to the electric chair.
3 Oscar Nominations
Jury duty isn’t something most people look forward to, and after watching this film, that won’t change. The tense conversations in the deliberation room kept audiences on their toes in a movie about murder that didn’t have to rely on gruesome scenes to be entertaining. At the 30th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. With the legacy it’s had in the decades since, it may surprise many that it didn’t win any.Stream on Paramount+
9It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
It’d be hard to think of a classic Christmas film and not nameIt’s a Wonderful Life. Set on Christmas Eve in 1945, it follows a man who is down on his luck. The holiday season doesn’t bring joy to George Bailey’s life. In fact, he’s thinking of ending it. But a guardian angel looking to earn his wings swoops down to Earth to stop it. To do so, George will see how pivotal events would’ve turned out had he never been bored.
5 Oscar Nominations
Though this story and premise are synonymous with the holiday season now, it didn’t resonate with audiences when it was released in 1946. Itflopped at the box office, yet still managed to secure five Academy Award nominations. Some of the recognition was for Best Actor (James Stewart as George) and Best Director. With the lukewarm reception, perhaps for the filmmakers and those involved, it truly was an honor just to be nominated.Stream on Prime Video
8True Grit (2010)
True Gritis a western based on a novel from 1968. U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn likely didn’t expect a 14-year-old girl to hire him to chase down a murderer. But Mattie Ross is determined to get the man who killed her father. And this outlaw, Tom Chaney, has more than these two on his tail. There’s a Texas ranger who joins them, and their quest will test their strength and resilience at nearly every step.
10 Oscar Nominations
The movie had 10 chances to snap up a golden statuette, and, unfortunately, none panned out. Fans of the film thought it deserved the accolade for multiple categories, but especially Best Supporting Actress for Hailee Steinfeld. The then-13-year-old held her own alongside seasoned actors like Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. TheCoen brothers directed, produced, and wrote the film, and stated beforehand, “Ten seems like an awful lot. We don’t want to take anyone else’s,” (per theNew York Times). Unfortunately, they didn’t.Stream on Paramount+
Related:Here’s Why So Many Actors Hate Awards Season
7The Turning Point (1977)
DeeDee Rogers inThe Turning Pointis a talented ballerina with the New York Ballet Company, who has to give up her spot when she falls pregnant. While she moves away, another dancer named Emma Jacklin takes her place and develops a stellar reputation with the company. Years later, Emma performs in Oklahoma, where her old friend DeeDee now lives. DeeDee’s daughter aspires to dance as well, and though she is excited, the future she never got to have causes an influx of jealousy.
11 Oscar Nominations
For those wondering what other film is tied withThe Color Purplefor most Oscar nominations without winning, here it is. Unlike many other entries on this list, plenty of people were surprised this one got as much recognition as it did. That’s not to say it’s a bad film, but it’s quiet, slow-paced, and a bit forgettable. Unless viewers are deeply into the ballet world,Turning Pointlikely didn’t stick with them.Stream on DIRECTV
6Nebraska (2013)
Nebraskais a modern black-and-white movie with atouching father-son relationshipat its core. Woody Grant is an elderly man spotted walking on the side of the road. A police officer hauls him into the station and contacts his son David to pick him up. Once there, David learns his father was seeking to get to Lincoln, Nebraska from Montana to collect his million-dollar win in a sweepstakes. Though dubious of its validity, David agrees to escort his father on his journey.
6 Oscar Nominations
Supporters of actor Bruce Dern, who played Woody, were particularly incensed at the lack of wins for this film. Many saw it as the actor’s last true chance to win a coveted Oscar. With over 60 years in the entertainment industry, it’s a marvel that he hasn’t yet won an Academy Award. It wasn’t the biggest or most critically acclaimed film in any of the six categories, so most accept it as an unfortunate but fair loss.Stream on Paramount+
5The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Streetis a comedy crime movie based on a memoir. In the film, Jordan Belfort is a stockbroker in New York City trying to claw his way to the top. He doesn’t fall apart when Black Monday, one of the worst stock market crashes, causes him to lose his job. Thanks to his charisma, he makes money at another job. Instead of being an inspiring rags-to-riches story, viewers witness Jordan engaging in corruption and other legal activities to continue amassing his wealth.
For many years, it was a running joke on the Internet that, despite his extensive filmography, Leonardo DiCaprio had not earned an Oscar. That all changed for him in 2016, with his Best Actor win forThe Revenant. However, withThe Wolf of Wall Streetbeing a runaway success, it was one of the many times the public wondered if the Academy had had a grudge against DiCaprio. Not only did the lead actor walk away empty-handed, but so did director Martin Scorsese, and co-star Jonah Hill, among others.Stream on Peacock
Related:20 Actors Who Have Never Won an Oscar (But Deserved To)
4The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemptionstands as an all-time classic. Starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, the film follows Andy (Robbins), who has been falsely sentenced to prison for the murders of his wife and her lover. While in jail, he meets Red (Freeman), who is imprisoned for his past work as a contraband smuggler. The two strike up a life-changing friendship over the next two decades.The Shawshank Redemptionis based on Stephen King’s novella,Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.
7 Oscar Nominations
The Shawshank Redemptionscored seven Oscar nominations at the 67th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (for Freeman). Indeed, this is the most nominations ever earned by a Stephen King movie adaptation. In addition to being a highly revered prison drama, the film has gone down in history as one of the biggest snubs by the Academy.Stream on Paramount+
3The Color Purple (1985)
The Color Purple
The Color Purpleis an important but heartbreaking drama film directed by Steven Spielberg. This book-to-screen adaptation centers on the life of Celie Harris. She grew up in a household where she faced abuse from her father. When she’s married off, her husband is no better. After her husband causes Celie’s sister to run off, her world is rocked. With the new woman around her, and as Celie continues to grow into her own, perhaps she can learn to break free from the oppressive forces in her life.
Some Oscar-nominated films fly under the radar and shock people with their inclusion. Such was not the case withThe Color Purple. People had a lot to say about the film, and along with praise camea lot of controversy. Still, it managed to earn a whopping 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress (for Whoopi Goldberg), and Best Original Song, making it all the more shocking when it won none. As of 2024, it is tied for first place for the most Oscar nominations without winning any — not the accolade they were hoping to have.Stream on Max
Related:Oscars: 10 Black Performers Who Should Have Been Nominated for Best Actress
2Gangs of New York (2002)
Gangs of New York
Gangs of New Yorktakes place in a poor Manhattan neighborhood during the 1800s. In this area, there’s a group of Protestants and a group of Catholics, who go head-to-head to gain respect and control. Amsterdam Vallon was raised in an orphanage after witnessing his father’s murder at the hands of the Protestant gang. Years later, with that group in charge, Amsterdam returns to avenge his dad’s death. To do this, he conceals his identity and tries to join this rival gang.
This film is a more adult version ofThe Outsidersand can go further in ways that that film couldn’t. The historical backdrop added more complexity to the narrative and was brought to life with exquisite acting, costume design, music, writing, and more.Gangs of New Yorkseemed to be a shoo-in for several of the 10 awards it was nominated for — but nope. Especially for Best Director, passing over this film is a particularly egregious rebuff.Stream on Max
1American Hustle (2013)
American Hustle
American Hustleis a star-studded black comedy crime film set in the late-70s. Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser are con artists by trade, forced to assist with a sting. FBI agent DiMaso catches them in a crime, but offers them a deal if they can help him arrest four others. His targets are agroup of corrupt politicians, and the two must infiltrate this aristocratic world.
Skeptics think if big enough names are tied to a project, it’ll guarantee them a win at major award shows. Well, not even Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, and other famous actors could turn even one of their 10 nominations into a success. To be fair, it was a pretty stacked year in terms of competition (from12 Years a SlavetoDallas Buyers Club). Still, the Oscars are notorious for not giving comedies their flowers, so it shouldn’t have been much of a shocker.Stream on Paramount+
