Snubs of the 2016 Oscars: Sorkin, Scott and ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Some people are stunned that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences completely shunned African Americans from the Academy Awards movie nominations categories once again – including the critically-acclaimed and blockbuster film Straight Outta Compton. While both “Straight Outta Compton” and “Creed” – two movies helmed by black actors and directors – did earn nominations, those nods went to white screenwriters and a white actor (Sylvester Stallone), respectively.

The glaring absence of black actors or directors among this year’s Oscar nominees has triggered an outpouring of criticism, setting social media abuzz as the list was unveiled on Thursday. Last year’s popular hashtag, #Oscarssowhite, has been resurrected, along with the inevitable new tag, #Oscarsstillsowhite. Will Smith came up empty-handed for his highly publicized NFL Drama “Concussion“, and Idris Elba was denied a nod for “Beasts of No Nation“.

The nominees for best actress are Cate Blanchett (“Carol“), Brie Larson (“Room”), Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn“), Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy“) and Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years”).

The nominees for best actor are DiCaprio (“The Revenant“), Matt Damon (“The Martian“), Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs“), Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo“) and Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”).

“Carol” missed the mark for a Best Picture nomination, as did “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

It can be argued that of all the films served up in 2015 for consideration by the Academy, few focused on black stories.

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs will announce the nominations for the 88th Academy Awards this morning at 5:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET and there will be several live streams available for cable users as well as free live streams for those without cable. So when the Academy Awards air on February 28, get ready for some really uncomfortable truths in the monologue.

Funnyman Chris Rock will be hosting the glitzy star-studded affair.