Los Angeles has revealed the nominees for the world’s most prestigious film award. Hollywood star Angelina Jolie had hoped that the jury would recognize the biographical film Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín, in which she played the late opera diva Maria Callas.
The film marked Jolie’s long-awaited return to the big screen after several years away, during which she honed her directing skills and spent time with her six children. The movie tells the story of one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, who spends her final days in 1970s Paris after losing her voice and fading into obscurity.
However, Angelina was not nominated for Best Actress at the 2025 ceremony, despite critical acclaim. “The Academy’s snub devastated Angie, who was really hoping for a nomination. She’s in despair. Look at everything she did for the film. She was on Jimmy Fallon’s show, her first late-night appearance in over a decade. She even attended the Gotham Awards ceremony. She appeared on all those magazine covers. The lack of recognition is painful for Angelina, and she is undoubtedly upset,” an insider revealed.
Those close to Jolie believe the disregard she received is linked to another Oscar winner—Brad Pitt. The actors finalized their divorce in December after an eight-year legal battle. “The foreign press is kind to Jolie, while Brad remains Hollywood’s golden boy. It just shows that Hollywood is on Brad’s side. The Golden Globe proved that Angie is loved by the public but not by Hollywood. No one was going to vote against Brad and give the vote to Angelina… People just love Brad.”
At the same time, insiders noted that the Academy chose to nominate many newcomers rather than past winners. Nicole Kidman, who was predicted to be nominated for her role in the bold film Bad Girl, also missed out. “Politics are influencing the agenda. But the fact that many nominees are first-timers shows that we still have a healthy industry,” said an anonymous representative of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 2. Instead of Angelina and Nicole, the nominees for Best Actress will include Demi Moore (Substance), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Mikey Madison (Anora), Karla Sophia Gascon (Emilia Perez), and Fernanda Torres (I Am Still Here). Meanwhile, Yuriy Borisov is vying for a statuette for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Anora, making him the first Russian actor to be nominated for an Oscar.
