The 10 biggest Oscar snubs ever – Which actors, movies never won?

With the 2026 Academy Awards airing Sunday, March 15 (ABC and Hulu, 7 p.m. ET/4 PT), we look back at the biggest Oscar snubs of all time.

All this time later, it still hurts. 

The list of snubbed A-list actors, directors and hallmark movies is long when it comes to the Oscars. Legends such as Judy Garland (a two-time nominee), Marilyn Monroe (zero nominations) and Richard Burton (a whopping seven nods!) often go their whole lives without taking a gold statue home. And puzzling films can triumph in the best picture race over others that have remained culturally relevant for more than half a century. We're looking at you, "It's a Wonderful Life," which lost in 1947 to "The Best Years of Our Lives." (Which film do you remember?)

In honor of the deserving talent suffering from Oscar's cold shoulder, here are the 10 biggest snubs of all time when it comes to the Academy Awards (airing Sunday, March 15, 7 p.m. ET/4 PT on ABC and Hulu).

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Jack Nicholson couldn't contain his surprise at the 2006 Academy Awards as he announced that "Crash" had bested "Brokeback Mountain" for best picture (even mouthing "Whoa!" at the podium). "Brokeback," a gay love story between two cowboys (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger), had been the favorite to win, but "Crash," a drama centered around racial tensions in LA, ultimately took best picture. It's gone down as one of the biggest head-scratchers in Oscars history – with even "Crash" writer/director Paul Haggis questioning his win. “Was it the best film of the year? I don’t think so,” Haggis said in a 2015 interview with HitFix.