The nominees for the 2019 Academy Awards, scheduled to be held on Sunday, February 24, on ABC, have been announced and for the most part, we are happy. From 'A Star is Born' to 'Roma', most of our favorite films of 2018 have found their way to the nominee list, but there are a few films and performers that the Academy failed to recognize.

John David Washington — 'BlacKkKlansman'

Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman' was one of the best movies of the year, and managed to bag four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Lee, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing and Actor in a Supporting Role for Adam Driver. However, the heart of the movie, John David Washington did not earn a nomination.

In the film, Washington plays Ron Stallworth, the first black officer in the Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department, who proactively seeks to go undercover in the KKK. Despite the heavy subject matter, the element of humor that Washington brings to this role cannot be undermined by any measure. From refusing to be a victim of everyday racism to finding joy in infiltrating one of the most racist organizations in American history, he allows the audience to laugh at this poignant story.

Washington and Topher Grace — who portrays David Duke, one of the most infamously racist, white supremacist, white nationalist, white separatist, and anti-Semitic men – become two ends of the spectrum in this tale. While we are at this topic, it needs to be mentioned that as great as an actor Driver is, if anyone were to be nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role from 'BlacKkKlansman', it had to be Grace.

Timothée Chalamet — 'Beautiful Boy'

After receiving a Best Actor nomination last year for 'Call Me By Your Name', one would assume Timothée Chalamet proved that he is a spectacular actor, but if the 2019 nominations have suggested anything, it is that 'Oscar favorite' may be a term a tad bit overused.

Chalamet was the recipient of the notorious Oscars snub this year, despite his portrayal of a drug-addicted teenager in the Steve Carrell starrer 'Beautiful Boy'. The 23-year-old played the role with a maturity and understanding that could only be described as shambolic perfection.

Striking an easy balance between desperation and warmth, he delivered one of the best performances of the year.

The fact of the matter is 'Beautiful Boy' refused to follow the typical Hollywood route of 'young man starts off with a huge problem and confronts and gets over it in two hours'. This movie constantly keeps you uncomfortable, and not many are comfortable with discomfort, with lack of a closure, or the (naive) knowledge that everything is okay. Oscar nod or not, by tackling this role, Chalamet actually proved yet again that he is one of the — if not the — best young actors working today. Carrell, who played his father in the film, also deserved a nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role.

Chadwick Boseman - Black Panther

One of the most financially successful and critically acclaimed movies of the year, 'Black Panther' made history by becoming the first black superhero flick from Marvel. The movie saw some of the best performances from actors such as Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nuong'o, Danai Gurira, and Boseman. However, as usual, the commercially successful movie is not deemed award-worthy by the Academy. 

Boseman's T'Challa aka Black Panther had the humility of Captain America, wits of Iron Man, the agility of Black Widow and the confidence of Thor. He was well-received and became a phenomenon all over the world. He became the face of hope, aspiration and the diversity that was promised in Hollywood, and yet, what the Academy had reserved for Boseman is a cold-shouldered snub.