Nominations for the 95th annual Academy Awards were announced in Hollywood Tuesday morning, leaving some high-profile names of the industry in shock.
"Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads the pack with an impressive 11 nominations. While, the Ireland-set tragicomedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" and the German language World War I epic "All Quiet on the Western Front" are close behind, with nine nods.
As usual, some favourite faces, who were hotly being predicted to win Oscars, have been shunned by the Academy Awards.
Tom Cruise - a three-time Oscar nominee, was gunning for his first shot at the Best Actor prize since 1996’s "Jerry Maguire." His long-awaited "Top Gun" sequel showed the money as the highest-grossing film of 2022, while also generating positive critical reaction.
"Maverick" earned six nominations, including one for Best Picture. Many pundits thought Cruise might catch a ride with the "Top Gun" train, but landing an acting nod for a popcorn picture proved to be a mission impossible.
In the same way, James Cameron - who declared himself "the king of the world" upon accepting the Directing Oscar for "Titanic" a quarter of a century ago - was also snubbed by Oscars.
The director of "Avatar: The Way of Water" could win the nomination, while the movie did make the Best Picture list along with three craft categories
For the first time, two sequels - “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” - have been nominated for best picture. The two blockbusters together have brought $3.5 billion in box office.
However, Tom Cruise missed out on an acting nomination. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' members also declined to nominate James Camron on Tuesday for best director – one of the most notable Oscar snubs.