The highly anticipated 2022 Oscar nominees were revealed yesterday afternoon and were met with mixed reactions of shock and delight as, despite the many LGBTQ+ nominations, some felt like other worthy contenders were snubbed.

LGBTQ+ Oscar nominees came through with some of the most beloved performances from 2021, including actors Ariana DeBose and Kristen Stewart, and the animated feature Flee was also amongst the stacked nominations list.

Ariana DeBose rose to fame in Ryan Murphy’s musical adaptation of the hit Broadway musical The Prom before landing her biggest role yet as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s retelling of Sondheim’s West Side Story.

Her role most recently won her the Golden Globe award for best supporting actress. Coincidentally, Rita Moreno, who originated the role as Anita in the original West Side Story won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1962. 

https://twitter.com/ThreeColumnsArt/status/1491098990418722816

Kristen Stewart’s critically acclaimed performance as Diana in Pablo Larraín’s historical drama Spencer was recognised amongst the best actress nominations. Stewart’s nomination was met with relief as she was snubbed in the same category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Kristen Stewart (‘Spencer’) becomes the first openly gay performer to be nominated for an Oscar for acting in 20 years. The last time it happened was Ian McKellen for ‘Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ in 2002. pic.twitter.com/vYokr1soGS

— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) February 8, 2022

Neon’s animated documentary feature Flee was nominated for a total of three Oscars including Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature Film. The movie follows the harrowing true story of gay Afghan refugee, Amin, who is confronted with his past right as he is about to marry his husband.

The biggest surprise was probably the lack of nominations for Lady Gaga’s role in House of Gucci, Robín De Jésus’ role in Tick, Tick, Boom and Tessa Thompson for her recent triumph in Passing.

gaga in the audience at this year’s oscars: pic.twitter.com/eIcuRr66VJ

— nico ? (@fkanico) February 8, 2022

Lady Gaga’s overlooked performance is nothing short of a shock to her loyal fans. The film itself did not receive the best reviews but Gaga’s performance garnered acclaim. However, despite the missed nomination this year, Gaga took the time to congratulate the nominees with pride.

Similarly, Robin De Jesús’ portrayal of Michael in Lin Manuel Miranda’s adaptation of Tick… Tick, Boom, unfortunately, did not earn him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. His co-star Andrew Garfield bagged a nomination for best actor for his performance as beloved musical theatre composer Jonathan Larson.

Tessa Thompson and her equally talented co-star Ruth Negga were also overlooked in this year’s nominations for their movie Passing. Rebecca Hall wrote and directed this stunning piece that explores identity, race and sexuality. Placing a lack of nominations aside, this film is a beautiful one and a worthy addition to your watchlist.

All snubs aside, our congratulations to the wonderful LGBTQ+ talent who received nominations at the 2022 Oscar Awards and we look forward to watching the ceremony on March 27.