HOLLYWOOD—Well, there were a few people in Hollywood who received a congratulatory call early on Tuesday, February 8. Why? The nominees for the 94th annual Academy Awards (better known as the Oscars) were announced. Yes, it’s the pinnacle of awards when it comes to awards season people. So who would lead the pack of contenders? Would it be the musical “West Side Story?” How about “The Power of the Dog,” “King Richard” or “Belfast?”

The nominees were announced by actor Leslie Jordan and actress Tracee Ellis Ross. Well after all the categories were announced it was “The Power of the Dog” who earned the most nominations, a total of 12 people. Followed closely behind were the films “Dune” with 10 nominations and “West Side Story” with 7 nominations. There is plenty of love for “West Side Story,” but I can really only see the musical coming out on top in the Best Supporting Actress category, but this is Oscar so there is always a surprise or two people.

Snubs. Well this is the Academy Awards people, if there weren’t snubs we wouldn’t be talking. So who was left out in the cold this time around? No Jennifer Hudson or Lady Gaga in the Best Actress race. Lady Gaga I was expecting not to get a nom, but I expected Jennifer Hudson to get the award for her portrayal of music icon Aretha Franklin. No love for Marlee Matlin for “CODA.”

No block blusters in the Best Picture race, what’s up with all the love for “Don’t Look Up” which seemed to come and go people. “West Side Story,” while a box-office flop seemed to be a hit with Academy lovers’ people. I mean all of the Best Picture nominees are indie flicks beyond “King Richard” in my opinion people. Will it when? No.

There were surprises as Kristen Stewart managed to snag that Oscar nomination for Best Actress, while Cate Blanchett and Ruth Negga were missing from the Supporting Actress race after earning SAG nominations. I was happy to see Ryusuke Hamaguchi earn a Best Director nomination likely taking a slot away from a veteran who many expected to earn the nod like Denis Villeneuve for “Dune.” Plenty of surprises, so that always makes awards season exciting people.

A full list of this year’s nominees can be viewed below:

Best Picture

-“Belfast”

-“CODA”

-“Don’t Look Up”

-“Drive My Car”

-“Dune”

-“King Richard”

-“Licorice Pizza”

-“Nightmare Alley”

-“The Power of the Dog”

-“West Side Story”

Best Director

-Kenneth Branagh “Belfast”

– Ryusuke Hamaguchi  “Drive My Car”

-Paul Thomas Anderson “Licorice Pizza”

-Jane Campion “The Power of the Dog”

-Steven Spielberg “West Side Story”

Best Actor

-Javier Bardem “Being the Ricardos”

-Benedict Cumberbatch “The Power of the Dog”

-Andrew Garfield “Tick, Tick…Boom”

-Will Smith “King Richard”

-Denzel Washington “The Tragedy of MacBeth”

Best Actress

-Jessica Chastain “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

-Olivia Colman “The Lost Daughter”

-Penelope Cruz “Parallel Mothers”

-Nicole Kidman “Being the Ricardos”

-Kristen Stewart “Spencer”

Best Supporting Actor

-Ciaran Hinds “Belfast”

-Troy Kotsur “CODA”

-Jesse Plemons “The Power of the Dog”

-J.K. Simmons “Being the Ricardos”

-Kodi Smit-McPhee “The Power of the Dog”

Best Supporting Actress

-Jessie Buckley “The Lost Daughter”

-Ariana DeBose “West Side Story”

-Judi Dench “Belfast”

-Kristen Dunst “The Power of the Dog”

-Aunjanue Ellis “King Richard”

Best Original Screenplay

-Kenneth Branagh “Belfast”

-Adam McKay and David Sirota “Don’t Look Up”

-Zach Baylin “King Richard”

-Paul Thomas Anderson “Licorice Pizza”

-Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt “The Worst Person in the World”

Best Adapted Screenplay

-Sian Heder “CODA”

-Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe “Drive My Car”

-Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts “Dune”

-Maggie Gyllenhaal “The Lost Daughter”

-Jane Campion “The Power of the Dog”

Best Animated Film Short

-“Affairs of the Art”

-“Bestia”

-“Boxballet”

-“Robin Robin”

-“The Windshield Wiper”

Best Live Action Short Film

-“Ala Kachuu, Take and Run”

-“The Dress”

-“The Long Goodbye”

-“On My Mind”

-“Please Hold”

Best Animated Feature Film

-“Encanto”

-“Flee”

-“Luca”

-“Raya and the Lost Dragon”

-“The Mitchells vs. The Machines”

Best Original Song

-“Be Alive”

-“Dos Orguitas”

-“Down to Joy”

-“No Time to Die”

-“Somehow You Do”

Best Original Score

-“Don’t Look Up”

-“Dune”

-“Encanto”

-“Parallel Mothers”

-“The Power of the Dog”

Best Sound

-“Belfast”

-“Dune”

-“No Time to Die”

-“The Power of the Dog”

-“West Side Story”

Best Costume Design

-“Cruella”

-“Cyrano”

-“Dune”

-“Nightmare Alley”

-“West Side Story”

Best Documentary Short

-“Audible”

-“Lead Me Home”

-“The Queen of Basketball”

-“Three Songs of Benazir”

-“When We Were Bullies”

Best Documentary Feature

-“Ascension”

-“Attica”

-“Flee”

-“Summer of Soul”

-“Writing With Fire”

Best International Film

-“Drive My Car” (Japan)

-“Flee” (Denmark)

-“The Hand of God” (Italy)

-“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)

-“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)

Best Film Editing

-“Don’ Look Up”

-“Dune”

-“King Richard”

-“The Power of the Dog”

-“Tick, Tick…Boom”

Best Cinematography

-“Dune”

-“Nightmare Alley”

-“The Power of the Dog”

-“The Tragedy of MacBeth”

-“West Side Story”

Best Production Design

-“Dune”

-“Nightmare Alley”

-“The Power of the Dog”

-“The Tragedy of MacBeth

-“West Side Story”

Best Visual Effects

-“Dune”

-“Free Guy”

-“No Time to Die”

-“Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings”

-“Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

-“Cruella”

-“Dune”

-“Coming 2 America”

-“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

-“House of Gucci”

The 2022 Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 27. A host for the event has not yet been announced. The ceremony will air live on ABC at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.