Let’s get real: awards season can be both exhilarating and infuriating, particularly if you consider how many times the Academy has snubbed Black performers. Yearly, jaw-dropping performances go unrewarded, leaving audiences seething (and eager to vent online). So let’s shine a light on 10 strong performances by Black actors that should have won gold or at least deserved to be acknowledged.
10. Will Smith in Ali
Long before his infamous Oscar-night controversy, Will Smith took on the massive challenge of playing Muhammad Ali. This wasn’t just mimicry; he captured Ali’s swagger, humor, and struggles with precision and heart. The performance earned Smith a nomination, but the win went to Denzel Washington for Training Day. A tough loss, but Smith’s Ali remains one of his defining roles.
9. Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls
Eddie Murphy stunned viewers with his charismatic performance as James “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls. He added humor, vitality, and poignant vulnerability to the role, holding his own alongside powerhouse co-star Jennifer Hudson. Murphy was the favorite for Supporting Actor but was edged out by Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), leaving fans aghast.
8. Jurnee Smollett in Eve’s Bayou
At precocious young Eve Batiste, Jurnee Smollett gave a hauntingly nuanced performance well beyond her years. Working alongside experienced actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and Diahann Carroll, she stood her ground and imbued the film with its emotional gravitas. While critics were heaping praise upon her, the Academy utterly ignored her efforts.
7. Jeffrey Wright in Basquiat
Jeffrey Wright’s riveting performance as artist Jean-Michel Basquiat demonstrated his scope and depth well before recognition by mainstream culture. He totally became the brilliant yet tortured painter, but award-giving bodies didn’t take much notice then. It wasn’t until decades thereafter with American Fiction that Wright finally received Oscar notice—long in coming.
6. Alfre Woodard in Passion Fish
Alfre Woodard is one of those actresses who makes everything she’s in better, and Passion Fish was no exception. As Chantelle, a woman recovering from a tragic accident while nursing a paralyzed soap star, Woodard gave a nuanced, memorable performance. But whereas her co-star Mary McDonnell received an Oscar nomination, Woodard was overlooked.
5. Tessa Thompson in Sorry to Bother You
In the quirky satire of Boots Riley, LaKeith Stanfield made lots of waves, but it was Tessa Thompson who ignited the film. As Detroit, she meshed tough wit with righteous fury, and the film’s moral compass. Critics adored her, but the Academy was mum—testament they sometimes don’t know how to honor fearless, unconventional performances.
4. Forest Whitaker in The Butler
Forest Whitaker held The Butler together with understated strength as Cecil Gaines, a White House butler who saw history unfold in the decades around him. The performance was powerful and respectful, but in the midst of awards-season hype, the Oscars preferred elsewhere. He did take home the NAACP Image Award, but what he did here needed to be included in the larger discussion.
3. Lupita Nyong’o in Us
Lupita Nyong’o amazed viewers by giving not one but two performances for the ages in Jordan Peele’s Us. As Adelaide, she was gentle and strong; as her nightmarish doppelganger, Red, she was heart-stopping and iconic. Critics rewarded her with a nod, but the Academy didn’t nominate her as one of the most shocking snubs in recent years.
2. Angela Bassett in What’s Love Got to Do with It
Angela Bassett’s turn as Tina Turner was so powerful that it practically redefined what a musical biopic could be. She captured Turner’s strength and pain with raw intensity, earning a Best Actress nomination. But the statue went to Holly Hunter (The Piano). Decades later, Bassett’s performance is still hailed as one of the greats, and one of the Oscars’ biggest missed opportunities.
1. Denzel Washington in Malcolm X
Denzel Washington’s Malcolm X performance in Spike Lee’s grand epic was revolutionary. From the activist’s troubled start to becoming a revolutionary leader, Washington reflected each stage with accuracy and fervor. Despite his nomination, he was beaten out by Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman). Many would still contend that this was one of the worst Oscar blunders ever.
Hollywood has gone some way towards acknowledging Black talent, but the statistics are more brutal: just around 6% of Oscar nominees have been non-white, and less than 2% have been women of color. Not being recognized isn’t merely about losing awards; it affects which stories get told, who gets cast, and how audiences recognize themselves on screen. Still, the trend is turning. As more Black actors write their own scripts and carve their own niche in the business, representation is gradually increasing. The future of film will be richer, more innovative, and more diverse thanks to the very actors who had earlier been snubbed. These snubs hurt, but they also remind us of a larger truth: awards do not make an actor great. These performances have already secured a place in the annals of cinema history.