Denzel, Will Smith, Beyonce & More Nab 2022 Oscar Noms

The Academy has spoken … and the 2022 Oscar Nominations are in.

On Tuesday, Tracee Ellis Ross and  Leslie Jordan announced the nominees for the 94th annual Academy Awards and there were lots of surprises and snubs.

Multiple nominations went to The Power of the Dog which garnered 12 noms,  Dune earned 10 nods, and Belfast and West Side Story both received seven.

The Best Actor category include nominations for Denzel Washington for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Will Smith for King Richard, marking the second time the actors have been up against each other for the Oscar.

Back in 2002, Denzel beat out Will for Best Actor for his role as Alonzo Harris in Training Day.  If Denzel beats out Will and the other nominees, he will become the first Black actor to win three Oscars.

Will’s King Richard co-star Aunjanue Ellis nabbed her first Oscar nom in the Best Supporting actress category.  Beyonce also received her very first Oscar nomination for her song “Be Alive” from the soundtrack.

QuestLove also nabbed a nomination in the Best Documentary category for his film Summer Of Soul.

Snubs

Despite all the buzz  Ruth Negga didn’t garner a nomination for role in Passing. Many also thought Jennifer Hudson would be a shoe in for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect.

Lady Gaga also received no love from the Academy for her portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci despite garnering rave reviews. We certainly thought she’d nab a nom in the Best Actress category.

Surprises

Folks were pleasantly surprised to see former So You Think You Can Dance contestant Ariana DeBose, garner her first Oscar nomination. The actress was recognized in the Best Supporting actress category for her portrayal in West Side Story.

She’ll be up against veteran actress Judi Dench for her role in Belfast. While everyone thought Caitriona Balfe would land a nomination for her meaty role in the film, she was left out in favor of Dench, who was nominated for the eighth time and the third in this category.

HERE is the full list of 2022 Oscar nominations.

This year’s ceremony which will be produced by Will Packer and directed by Glenn Weiss. The show will be on March 27 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. The in-person ceremony will be televised on ABC for the first time in three years with a host.