Don’t despair, Dominic Sessa: 24 performers got Oscar nominations without bids from Critics Choice, SAG Awards and Golden Globes

Ever since “The Holdovers” premiered at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, 21-year-old Dominic Sessa has steadily attracted heaps of praise for his debut performance as one of its central characters. Despite earning recognition from some critics groups, he now unfortunately sits as a BAFTA longlist contender with no other key industry precursor bids. However, there is plenty of precedent for performers to still earn Oscar nominations after snubs by the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

Below, we list the 24 performers who pulled off Oscar nominations surprises after being overlooked earlier in awards season. However, for all of those who overcame these earlier snubs the nomination had to be reward enough as none took home the Oscar. Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”) is the latest addition to this list for her Best Actress bid last year.

(Note: Marcia Gay Harden won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Pollock” without any precursor bids. However, that was in 2001, the year before the Critics Choice introduced nominations. Frances McDormand won with that group for both “Almost Famous” and “Wonder Boys,” Kate Hudson took home the Globe for “Almost Famous” and Judi Dench prevailed at SAG for “Chocolat.” All three lost to Harden at the Oscars as did Julie Walters for “Billy Elliot.”)

Do you think anyone from this year’s roster of 16 performers who reaped bids at all three key precursor prizes will be snubbed on Oscars nominations morning on January 23?

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BEST ACTOR
Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby” (2005)
Tommy Lee Jones, “In the Valley of Elah” (2008)
Javier Bardem, “Biutiful” (2011)
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2012)
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper” (2015)

BEST ACTRESS
Laura Linney, “The Savages” (2008)
Penelope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers” (2022)
Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie” (2023)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Djimon Hounsou, “In America” (2004)
Alan Alda, “The Aviator” (2005)
William Hurt, “A History of Violence” (2006)
Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road” (2009)
Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (2012)
Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2014)
LaKeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021)
Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog” (2022)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Shohreh Aghdashloo, “House of Sand and Fog” (2004)
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart” (2010)
Jacki Weaver, “Silver Linings Playbook” (2013)
Laura Dern, “Wild” (2015)
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” (2018)
Marina de Tavira, “Roma” (2019)
Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter” (2022)
Judi Dench, “Belfast” (2022)