Many deserving candidates were snubbed of Oscar nominations on Thursday, and there were a few surprise inclusions.
A number of contenders in the Best Director category, in particular, were omitted.
Even after receiving critical acclaim for his direction on the film "Argo," Ben Affleck still did not make the cut. Critics expected him to receive a nomination and even nab an Oscar, since the Directors Guild of America and the Golden Globes nominated him for Best Director.
It was thought that Affleck's chances at a Best Director win were boosted by the fact that other actors-turned-directors had taken home trophies in the past, including Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, and Warren Beatty.
Another major exclusion in the Best Director contest was Kathryn Bigelow for "Zero Dark Thirty." Bigelow was the first woman in Academy history to win Best Director for "The Hurt Locker." She was also nominated by Directors Guild and the Globes, so many thought she was a shoo-in.
Tom Hooper, director of "Les Miserables," garnered a nomination from the Directors Guild but was also rejected by the Academy. Hooper took home an Oscar in 2011 for "The King's Speech." Additionally, Quentin Tarantino, who received a Globe nomination for "Django Unchained," did not appear on the Academy's list.
Two first-time nominees, Benh Zeitlin for "Beasts of the Southern Wild," and Michael Haneke for "Amour," were surprise picks.
In the Best Actor category, John Hawkes, who received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for his acting in "The Sessions," was snubbed by the Academy, while Joaquin Phoenix, was given a nomination for "The Master," despite making a few disparaging comments about the Academy Awards. Phoenix was ignored by the Screen Actors Guild.
Leonardo DiCaprio was denied a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in "Django Unchained." So was Javier Bardem, who was in "Skyfall," despite his Screen Actors Guild nomination.
In the Best Actress category, the youngest nominee is 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis for "Beasts of the Southern Wild," and the oldest nominee is 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva for "Amour," both of who are surprises.
Shockingly, the last film of the Batman trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises," received no nominations.
Although "The Avengers" was the highest grossing film of the year, it was only given one Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.
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