Bradley Cooper and other iconic decades-long Oscar snubs

Many of the most-snubbed stars have been nominated over and over without ever taking home a trophy.

During Oscars season, certain names – hello again, Scorsese – are almost predictably in the mix year after year. But while it's an honour just to be nominated, some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, who have many notable projects under their belts, also have long histories of being relentlessly overlooked when it comes to actually taking home the trophy. And other artists have had notably long dry runs before their name is finally called on the big night.

Nominations are, of course, chosen by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and you must be nominated to this exclusive club. In 2019, there were around 9,000 , and today there are about 10,500. vote in the categories of their own profession – so actors vote for actors, editors vote for editors – and each voter makes 10 selections in the appropriate category. Once the shortlist of nominations is formed, Academy vote for the winner across all categories. For those outside of the Academy, it's impossible to know exactly how the decisions are made, especially the shocking snubs.

Last night, Bradley Cooper cemented his spot on the list. The triple-threat actor, writer and director who has been nominated 12 times – four for best actor – yet never snagged a trophy, couldn't break his snub-streak. While Cooper earned three nominations for his film Maestro – best picture, best actor, best original screenplay – he went home empty-handed. And he's far from the only artist who has been the victim of Academy Award snubs.

One star who has been snubbed over and over is Amy Adams. Having been nominated six times (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master, Vice and American Hustle) over the course of her career it's inarguable how massive a talent she is. But somehow, she's always been ed over on the big day. While Adams received rave reviews for her recent role in Arrival, it didn’t earn her a nomination from the Academy.

While Meryl Streep has a handful of golden statues, she's also had a long history of being relentlessly snubbed. With 21 Oscar nominations to her name, some believe she should have far more wins – such as for her raved about roles in The Manchurian Candidate, The Hours or Death Becomes Her. Still, Streep is in a small club of women who have been awarded the best actress statue three times, so while the odds don't seem in her favour, she's not likely to complain. It's been six years since Streep has received an Oscar nomination, for her role in The Post, marking the longest period she's gone without since 1978's The Deer Hunter.

Also on the snub list is 49-year-old actor Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor who has had an incredibly successful career. While high-earning films like Titanic catapulted him to mega stardom, his Academy Award nominations started much earlier. He was nominated for best ing actor for his role in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a nod that kicked off a lengthy snub streak. The actor was later nominated for The Aviator, Blood Diamond and The Wolf of Wall Street, but didn't take home a trophy until his role as Hugh Glass in 2016's The Revenant. DiCaprio was nominated again for 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but went home without an Oscar.

Somewhat astonishingly, Glenn Close has never won an Oscar, but has more nominations without a win than any actor in history. She's had eight nods for her roles in The World According to Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural and Hillbilly Elegy, as well as Fatal Attraction, among others. But while the star has never taken home an Oscar, she's said it doesn't bother her. "First of all, I don't think I'm a loser," she told the Associated Press of her snub streak in 2021. “Who in that category is a loser? You're there, you're five people honoured for the work that you've done by your peers. What's better than that">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });