Despite being considered a major player in this year's award's race, Kristen Stewart's performance as Princess Diana in Spencer has been snubbed by the BAFTAs. Since ending her time as Bella Swan in the Twilight movies, Stewart has accumulated some interesting credits for her filmography, primarily through independent films. With Spencer, the actress has received the best reviews of her career and quickly became one of the strongest contenders for best actress upon the film's premiere. Directed by Pablo Larraín, Spencer follows the tragic public figure as she tries to keep her head above water during a particularly contentious holiday weekend with the royal family.
Stewart was a prominent fixture in the early stages of this current awards season, racking up several accolades and nominations from various critics bodies. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe, though she lost out to Being the Ricardos' Nicole Kidman. Nevertheless, Stewart's Spencer performance seemed destined for other awards, which is why many were surprised when she missed out on a Screen Actors' Guild nomination. As that awards body is specifically for acting, her lack of a nomination was a serious snub, especially to those who support her.
Now Stewart has unfortunately missed out on another key award. On Thursday morning, the BAFTAs announced their nominations for the 2022 awards ceremony, and Stewart wasn't listed among those up for Leading Actress, making it one of the biggest snubs of the group (via Deadline). Instead, the nominees are Lady Gaga (House of Gucci), Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza), Emilia Jones (CODA), Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), Joanna Scanlan (After Love), and Tessa Thompson (Passing).
Overall, the BAFTA nominations are surprising to many. Stewart wasn't the only Leading Actress contender to miss out, as Kidman and Olivia Colman, a favorite for The Lost Daughter, were left in the cold as well. For Spencer in general, it was shut out entirely; not even its much-praised costumes were honored with a nomination. For some, this looks like a bad sign for Spencer's chance at the Oscars.
And yet, it's important to remember that the BAFTAs are not the same as the Oscars. Stewart and Spencer's lack of nominations with the BAFTAs is especially shocking because of its subject matter, but both have received plenty of love within Hollywood. Stewart had a lot of momentum early on, and that could still push her to her first Oscar nomination. For her part, Stewart has said she doesn't care about awards buzz, so this hopefully doesn't get to her too much. Regardless of what the awards bodies say, she put on a brilliant performance as Diana, and it's already been recognized by numerous people. We'll just have to wait and see what the Oscars say next Tuesday.
Source: Deadline