People Are Sharing The Most Shocking Oscar Wins (And Snubs) Of All Time - BuzzFeed

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- Shocking Actor Wins & Snubs

- Shocking Movie Wins & Snubs

- Honorable Mentions

The 98th annual Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 15, and so far, the 2026 awards season has shown how competitive the film nominees in the major categories are. As movies like Sinners and One Battle After Another go head-to-head for Best Picture, we wanted to revisit some of the most unforgettable Oscar wins of all time, from iconic upsets (aka Shakespeare in Love vs. Saving Private Ryan ) to truly shocking snubs (check out #18).

To do this, we asked the BuzzFeed Community, "What were the most shocking Oscar wins of all time?" Here are the responses, plus some background info on what makes these victories, losses, and total snubs so astonishing:

Shocking Actor Wins & Snubs

" Gwyneth Paltrow. Shakespeare in Love was a fictionalized rom-com, while Cate Blanchett crushed it in the historical drama Elizabeth (more historically accurate, but still not). Please go back and watch Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth. Oh…and why did she win? Nepo baby Gwynnie benefited from rapist Harvey Weinstein ’s aggressive campaigning." —48, male

In 1999, Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar for Best Actress over Cate Blanchett, who was up for her role in Elizabeth. This win has been largely attributed to disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein's aggressive marketing tactics aimed at swaying voters. In 2023, Paltrow opened up about experiencing an " identity crisis " due to media scrutiny and public criticism following her win.

"I was shocked when Jamie Lee Curtis won over not only Angela Bassett but also Stephanie Hsu. I'm sorry, no one can convince me Jamie was better than either of them in their respective roles and movies. Hell, Stephanie Hsu was in THE SAME MOVIE!!! But when Michael B. [Jordan] and Jonathan [Majors] got up there and told Angela, 'Hey, Auntie. We love you.' Oh, baby, every person of color knew the meaning behind that because that was bullshit all the way around. THE QUEEN MOTHER? GTFO. But Angela and Stephanie will get their flowers." —Female, 30, Houston, TX

In 2023, Jamie Lee Curtis won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, beating Stephanie Hsu's performance in the same film and Angela Bassett 's nomination for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That night, her stunned reaction to losing went viral. Years later, she publicly shared that, "It was, of course, a supreme disappointment. And disappointment is human. So I thought, yes, I was disappointed, and I handled it like a human being."

" Mikey Madison winning over Demi Moore. However, I think there are more votes for the scandal with Karla Sofía Gascón. Since that wasn’t layered with rapey nepotism, it gets second place on my ranking." —Male, 48

In 2025, Mikey Madison won Best Actress for her role in Anora, beating Demi Moore's performance in The Substance. The win was a surprise since Demi was seen as the favorite after a strong awards-season run at the SAG, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Awards. Despite rumors that Demi had a tense reaction to losing, she later said, "I leaned over and whispered to my manager, ‘I think it’s going to Mikey.' I don’t know why I knew, but I did. I was so centered and calm. I didn’t feel gutted. I didn't feel any of those kinds of things. I just trusted, and am in trust of, whatever is going to unfold."

"The biggest snub for me (that I still talk about to this day) is Joaquin Phoenix losing Best Actor for his portrayal of Johnny Cash. He actually sang the songs himself in the movie, and he did an amazing job! I have the Walk the Line soundtrack on my Spotify playlist because I thoroughly enjoy his renditions of Johnny Cash’s songs along with the originals." —Female, 50, NV

In 2006, Joaquin Phoenix lost Best Actor for his role in Walk the Line to Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was nominated for Capote. Joaquin later publicly expressed his discomfort with the awards circuit, saying, "I’m just saying that I think it’s bullshit. I think it’s total, utter bullshit, and I don’t want to be a part of it." He added, "It was one of the most uncomfortable periods of my life when Walk the Line was going through all the awards stuff and all that. I never want to have that experience again."

" Al Pacino winning over Denzel Washington at the 1992 Oscars. Hands down, not even close, the biggest snub ever!! Pacino's performance in Scent of a Woman was peak cringe and just laughable. Denzel Washington BECAME Malcolm X. Seriously, it remains one of the most important movies ever made. Who the fuck remembers Scent of a Woman??" —Julie, Female, 53, Kentucky

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