The 94th Oscar nominations were full of surprises in both satisfying and disappointing ways, but when there are only five nominees in most categories, itB次元官网网址檚 almost guaranteed that a few favorites will miss the cut.

Here, the AP takes a look at some of the biggest shocks and upsets.

DENIS MISSES IN DIRECTOR

There is a general rule in Oscar snubs that you canB次元官网网址檛 just declare something a snub. You have to say who they should replace and the directing category this year is stacked with talent and merit, including Steven Spielberg for B次元官网网址淲est Side Story,B次元官网网址� Paul Thomas Anderson for B次元官网网址淟icorice Pizza,B次元官网网址� Ryusuke Hamaguchi for B次元官网网址淒rive My Car,B次元官网网址� Kenneth Branagh for B次元官网网址淏elfastB次元官网网址� and Jane Campion (the first woman to ever get two directing nominations) for B次元官网网址淭he Power of the Dog.B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 all to say that it was just a competitive year for directing and Denis Villeneuve, whose B次元官网网址淒uneB次元官网网址� got the second most nominations, simply missed the cut, though he can still celebrate his personal nominations for adapted screenplay and best picture.

KSTEW GETS REDEEMED

ItB次元官网网址檚 been quite a journey for Kristen Stewart on the way to her first Oscar nomination. She started out the season as the clear frontrunner for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo LarrainB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪pencer,B次元官网网址� but then she missed some big nominations, including from the Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTAS, and her chances looked slim. But the acting branch of the academy decided differently. Perhaps most surprisingly is the fact that hers was the only nomination for B次元官网网址淪pencer,B次元官网网址� which seemed ripe for Oscar recognition.

INTERNATIONAL LOVE

It was a good day for films not in the English language. Two years after B次元官网网址淧arasiteB次元官网网址� walked off with best picture and best director trophies, the increasingly global voting body showed its power Tuesday with both screenplay and acting nominations. Penelope Cruz got a best actress nomination for B次元官网网址� Parallel Mothers,B次元官网网址� which many expected her to miss out on. B次元官网网址淒rive My CarB次元官网网址� writers Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe were nominated for adapted screenplay and Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier shared an original screenplay nomination for B次元官网网址� The Worst Person in the World.B次元官网网址�

That said, five best international feature nominees hardly seemed enough and many lauded favorites missed the cut, including, most notably, Asghar FarhadiB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淎 Hero, B次元官网网址� from Iran (Farhadi has won the award twice before.) The surprise in the group was BhutanB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淟unana: A Yak in the Classroom,B次元官网网址� a first for the country.

NO RESPECT FOR GAGA, HUDSON

It wasnB次元官网网址檛 a great day for famous singers in the best actress category. Lady Gaga and Jennifer Hudson were both expected to score acting nods Tuesday B次元官网网址� Gaga for her portrayal of scorned woman Patrizia Reggiani in B次元官网网址淗ouse of GucciB次元官网网址� and Hudson for her soulful turn as Aretha Franklin in B次元官网网址淩espect. B次元官网网址� Perhaps the most surprising inclusion in the best actress category was Jessica Chastain for playing Tammy Faye Bakker, a performance that was widely praised in a film that otherwise underwhelmed.

A GOOD DAY FOR JESS(I)ES

Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons both emerged as surprising B次元官网网址� but welcome B次元官网网址� supporting acting nominees. Buckley was recognized for playing the younger Leda in B次元官网网址淭he Lost Daughter B次元官网网址� and Plemons for his turn as George Burbank in B次元官网网址淭he Power of the Dog.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� AND COUPLES

Speaking of Plemons, his partner and mother of his two children, Kirsten Dunst, also scored her first ever Oscar ( or shrimp, as she and her friends say ) nomination for playing the fragile Rose in B次元官网网址淭he Power of the Dog.B次元官网网址� Likewise, Javier Bardem (for playing Desi Arnaz in B次元官网网址淏eing the RicardosB次元官网网址�) and Penelope Cruz became the sixth married couple to get nods in the same year.

SPIDER-MAN FALLS TO EARTH

B次元官网网址淪pider-Man: No Way HomeB次元官网网址� will have to be content with simply being one of the highest earning films of all time. Though it became increasingly unlikely that it would score a best picture nomination after several big guilds, including directors and producers, passed it over, there was still some hope (possibly mostly from network execs praying for the biggest blockbuster of the pandemic to lure audiences to the Oscars telecast). Alas, Spidey and friends got only a single nomination, for achievement in visual effects.

`CODAB次元官网网址� PULLS THROUGH

The folks at Apple TV+ are certainly celebrating today with three nominations for B次元官网网址淐ODA,B次元官网网址� a heartwarming favorite that was in danger of peaking too early with its premiere at last yearB次元官网网址檚 Sundance and summer release. Not only did it get a coveted best picture nomination (a first for the streamer), but Troy Kotsur became the second deaf actor to ever get a nomination and director Sian Heder scored one for adapting the screenplay, too.

DENCH OVER BALFE AND NO NEGGA

The supporting actress category was full of surprises, most notably Judi Dench for B次元官网网址淏elfastB次元官网网址� over her co-star Caitriona Balfe. Many were also hoping Ruth Negga would get through for her turn as a light skinned Black woman in Rebecca HallB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淧assing,B次元官网网址� especially considering both SAG and BAFTA singled her out, but it was not to be.

BRADLEY COOPER SCORES, BUT NOT FOR ACTING

Bradley Cooper got his fourth best picture nomination for producing B次元官网网址淣ightmare AlleyB次元官网网址� (others are for B次元官网网址淛oker,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淎 Star Is BornB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淎merican SniperB次元官网网址�), but he was a fan favorite to score an acting nod this year, not necessarily for his leading role as Stanton Carlisle in B次元官网网址淣ightmare AlleyB次元官网网址� but for his small scene-stealing turn as the hotheaded Jon Peters in B次元官网网址淟icorice Pizza.B次元官网网址� Should he have been nominated and won, he would have been among a small group of Oscar-winning actors whoB次元官网网址檇 appeared in less than 10 minutes of a film, the most recent of which was Judi Dench in B次元官网网址淪hakespeare in Love.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� Lindsey Bahr THE ASSOCIATED PRESS