#snubs

Most Underrated Supporting Actor 

Chris Messina in Air 

Jacob Elordi in Priscilla

Ben Affleck in Air

Andrew Barth Feldman in No Hard Feelings

Cory Michael Smith in May December

Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers

Noah Galvin in Theater Camp

It wouldn’t be award season if we weren’t talking about white mediocrity being rewarded or people being surprised that it was awarded. The never-ending saga of ‘I can’t believe Taylor won over [insert great black artist here]’ is now plaguing my timeline for the time being and what better way to break my silence?

During my writing hiatus, I went on an inspiration scavenger hunt—poking around pop culture, TV, music, and yes, even sports (times are tough, sisters). Yet, nothing sparked that writing flame. Then came the Grammys buzz, the usual drill: nominations, snubs, and the betting game of who should win versus who will win. We all would like to think of ourselves as Grammy psychics to some degree. So, imagine my surprise at the post-Grammys shockwave. Why the gasps for the winners? Why the faux shock when black artists get the snub? And seriously, why keep submitting music if it's playing hide-and-seek with recognition? It's like sending your resume to a job that never calls back—maybe it's time to rethink the application process, huh?

Jay-Z delivered a powerful speech while receiving his honoree Hip Hop award. Rather than talking about his accomplishment he went on to give a rant about his wife, Beyoncé, being the most awarded Grammy winner yet always falling short of her peers of winning the coveted Record of the Year award. The speech was compelling and it reflected what many of us said for years. I would’ve been moved by the speech if I knew they weren’t going to keep submitting their music to be snubbed yearly. The speech reflected all of my thoughts of Beyoncé being categorically snubbed every year for that award that we know is likely missing from her résumé. However, I don’t like the fact that it’s being deemed that she’s missing this one thing from greatness. Beyoncé is great on her own and her career, music, and work ethic back up that claim. I think that it’s unfair that her ‘shortcoming’ amounted to an award where the line is always moving.

The award show progressed, and we’re all left to simmer with Jay-Z's speech about snubbing at the Grammys. The end of the award show comes around, and the last and biggest award is Album of the Year. The album of the year award was presented by the one and only Celine Dion. The Album of the Year award is a coveted award, it’s essentially the album that shaped the year we just went through, and the cultural and social impact of said album are factors into who gets the win, or so I thought. The category for album of the year was groundbreaking on its own because this is the first time it has ever had seven of the eight nominations be women. The category on its own with poised for someone who showed great artistry through one album that spoke to the public, and to the Grammy voters. Imagine the lack of surprise on my face when Taylor Swift won. Taylor Swift’s album Midnights won the most desired award beating out SZA’s SOS, Miley Cyrus’ Endless Summer, Janelle Monae’s Age of Pleasure, etc. This Album of the Year award made Taylor Swift the most winningest recipient of the award receiving the most nominations and win in this category.

The aftermath was a storm of criticism that hit Taylor Swift like a hurricane. From her award-acceptance antics to dropping her album bombshell mid-show and dragging poor Lana Del Rey on stage, Swift's behavior was undeniably tacky. But let's not kid ourselves—the uproar wasn't just about her manners. It was the fact that she clinched the Grammys' holy grail, becoming the all-time winningest. Viewers collectively winced, wondering why Taylor got the crown instead of, say, SZA. We act shocked, but really, we've read the exposés, pondered the think pieces, and still tune in annually. Artists keep submitting, black artists keep getting snubbed. If Taylor's the poster child for white mediocrity, why do we willingly sign up for this annual masochism? It's like déjà vu with a side of irony.

I'm not exactly Taylor Swift's number-one fan (and never will be), and I join the chorus of critics giving her the side-eye. But what grinds my gears is the phony shock everyone's putting on. Sure, there are more deserving artists out there, and it's downright ludicrous that a powerhouse like Beyoncé hasn't snagged the top prize. Yet, when does the surprise party end? We've witnessed Grammys snubs so brutal they make 2024 look like a tea party. That's why Jay-Z's speech didn't move my needle. Valid points, definitely, but let's be real, you're still cashing in those Grammy chips and probably gonna play again. Our beloved artists secretly crave that Recording Academy nod and that's why they keep tossing their tunes into the Grammy ring. It's like a messed-up lottery where, once in a blue moon, an artist (looking at you, Zayn and The Weeknd) says, "Enough is enough!" If it's a rigged game, why keep rolling the dice? If you know the ending, why splurge on the movie ticket?

The Grammys will persist as the top accolade artists crave for artistic validation. However, it's crucial to grasp that Grammy wins don't make or break careers. Complaining without a push for change is futile. The Grammys will keep snubbing until artists stop submitting. Despite acknowledging the celebration of mediocrity, there's a glaring lack of transformative action. Perhaps, giving Grammys less power than fans and artists do is key. Even Beyoncé, the greatest artist, faces snubs. Does she need another Grammy to prove her greatness? No, because she already is. Embracing this mindset could make music more enjoyable, sans the Grammy obsession.

What do you guys think? Do you think artist should continue to submit their music to the Grammys? Do you think the Grammys are losing their credibility every year go on? What can the Grammys do to gain back the credibility?

Let me know what you think!

Until then…

"This year, he criticizes media blowback over Best Actress snubs for Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) as going one step too far, when, despite this year's crop of nominees still being overwhelmingly white, he feels the Academy is doing its part to champion diversity in the industry.

"When they get in trouble for not giving Viola Davis an award, it's like, no, sweetheart, you didn't deserve it. We voted, and we voted for the five we thought were best," he finishes. "It's not fair for you to start suddenly beating a frying pan and say [they're] ignoring Black people. They're really not, they're making an effort. Maybe there was a time 10 years ago when they were, but they have, of all the high-profile things, been in the forefront of wanting to be inclusive. Viola Davis and the lady director need to sit down, shut up, and relax. You didn't get a nomination — a lot of movies don't get nominations. Viola, you have one or two Oscars, you're doing fine".

How Academy members feel about Andrea Riseborough's Oscar nomination and accusations of the Academy shutting out Black women

Actor: I feel like anything goes, all's fair in love and war. I thought she gave a great performance. It was very much "for your consideration" — like, what's going to win me an Oscar? It had all the check-boxes through it, and it seemed to be pandering a bit, so that bugged me. The ending was terrible. Good for them, they went about it and got her a nomination. I'm sure other people were doing equally political maneuverings behind the scenes, they just didn't get caught. If it hadn't been for Viola Davis being mad she wasn't nominated, I don't think anybody would've questioned it.... it's ridiculous, it's sour grapes. The Academy has bent over backwards to be inclusive. Last year, there were more Black people presenting. It's like, come on. I think Viola Davis is talented, I didn't see Woman King, but I'm a little tired of Viola Davis and her snotty crying. I'm over all of that. I'm willing to believe that Andrea Riseborough gave a better performance. [Danielle Deadwyler] was so pandering [in Till] for an Academy Award nomination. She was good. I mean, who wouldn't be good in a part like that? The strong, wronged mother. But you look at the real Mamie Till, she's not wearing all of these incredible gowns and beautifully made-up. I thought it was a confusing message. If they'd really [made a movie about] that woman, who was not used to being in the public eye and wore house dresses, she [wouldn't have] had one incredible outfit after another. The ego behind this pushing her to be a movie star was too blatant for me."

"Angela Bassett, you know, it's a comic book, and she was a comic book character. She sort of over-articulates everything in this weird, fake English way. I didn't buy it."

Same anonymous voters who didn't vote for Beyoncé to win aoty because, "With Beyoncé, the fact that every time she does something new, it’s a big event and everyone’s supposed to quake in their shoes — it’s a little too portentous" gotta be the same people who vote for the academy too. Full of bias, prejudice, racism, penalizing (for not being mediocre) and absurdity in their decisions.

...the politics for these major awards are a sham. These awards are a farce because everything is based on the most illogical rationale and not merit or these entertainers' talent.

All reasons why I stopped watching major award shows years ago.

(Angela not being awarded by this specific entity for her past phenomenal roles and now, neither her nominated role is complete insanity!)

Tyrone Power, Jane Greer, Alan Ladd. What do these three stars have in common? Oscars – or more accurately, the lack thereof.

Not only did these performers never take home a golden statuette, they never even snagged a nomination! In honor of TCM’s 360 degrees of Oscar celebration, below are six Golden Age stars overlooked by the Academy during their careers, why that may have been and what performances I would have nominated them for.

Vincent Price

Like fellow Oscar-less pal Boris Karloff, Vincent Price is best remembered for his foray into the macabre; classics like HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (‘59) and THE RAVEN (‘63) sealed his Hollywood fate. While Price’s talent reached far and wide, his typecasting may have been his Oscar doom. Though early films such as LAURA (‘44) and LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (‘45) established his fine-tuned dramatic abilities, I’d like to have seen a nod for his dual role in THE HAUNTED PALACE (’63), which found the actor playing a relatively normal man AND his evil great-great-grandfather, who was burned alive and reincarnates himself through his ancestor’s body!

Myrna Loy

It’s easy to forget that Myrna Loy vamped it up for almost a decade before strutting into sophistication in the early 1930s. The comfort with which she glided from pre-Code insanity like THIRTEEN WOMEN (’32) to the charming Nora Charles belied the talent required for such tonal shifts, which may have accounted for her snub: She made it look too easy. Comedic turns are less likely to earn awards – just look at Lucille Ball, Danny Kaye and others who remained nomination-less. Though I’d personally bestow Loy with a collective Oscar for her William Powell-paired performances, her most realistic bet was the heart-wrenching WWII drama THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (‘46), which won seven of the eight Oscars it was up for. Nevertheless, Loy earned an honorary award in 1991.

Joseph Cotten

The fact that an actor who appeared in CITIZEN KANE (‘41), THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (‘42) and THE THIRD MAN (‘49) never scored an Oscar nomination is mind-boggling. Sensitive and practical in his craft, Joseph Cotten excelled in a string of 1940s dramatic roles. As with others on this list, I think the seeming simplicity with which Cotten shifted between nuanced characters could have contributed to the Academy overlooking his vast talents; Put simply, he was good all the time. His chilling performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s SHADOW OF A DOUBT (‘43) would be my nomination pick. Cotten balanced the delicate tinges of twisted charisma, manipulation and menace with such precision that his characterization still evokes praise 75+ years later.

Ida Lupino

Ida Lupino probably earns more acknowledgement today for her independent directing, writing and producing career at the time. Could her visionary path calling the shots behind the scenes have gotten in the way of Oscar recognition? Perhaps. As an actor, Lupino turned in striking performances in films like HIGH SIERRA (‘41) and ON DANGEROUS GROUND (‘51), and she even did double duty behind and in front of the camera in THE BIGAMIST (‘53). Her willingness to confront subjects like rape and unwed motherhood in her work is rightly celebrated today. I would have given her groundbreaking scripting and directing on OUTRAGE (‘50) a nomination for its insightful examination of the devastation and complex emotional response rape brings not only upon victims but those who care for them as well.

Peter Lorre

In a way similar to fellow Oscar-less emigre Edward G. Robinson, Peter Lorre is best remembered for his villains; despite his range, Lorre’s proficiency at playing peculiar rogues probably fell outside the Academy’s normal purview during the 1930s and ‘40s. The Hungarian-born actor jumped from the German film industry to Hitchcock movies to memorable menacing supporting roles in classics like THE MALTESE FALCON (‘41) and CASABLANCA (‘42). Though an early nod for M (‘31) would have been well-deserved, I’d have nominated Lorre for his first Hollywood movie, MAD LOVE (‘35). His unhinged, fanatical Doctor Gogol stands out profoundly among an impressive cast and darkly atmospheric, devious proceedings.

Rita Hayworth

I’m placing Rita Hayworth in a category of ‘bombshells’ without Academy nominations that includes Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow and Maureen O’Hara – all women whose beauty, and sometimes tragedy, outshined their talent. GILDA (‘46) easily stands as Hayworth’s best-known picture, the title role making her an iconic figure today. Turns in films like YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (‘42) and THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (‘47) put the spotlight on Hayworth’s alluring and sometimes enigmatic persona, but the film I’d have nominated her for is SEPARATE TABLES (‘58). Hayworth breezes in with glamour and drama, but the subtle loneliness, yearning and desperation she brings to the part is striking.

Yes.

Am I surprised at the genre snobbery?

No.