Oscars 2021: Movie Fans Upset After Chadwick Boseman Snubbed for Best Actor at Academy Awards

Film fans expecting Chadwick Boseman to posthumously win Best Actor at the 2021 Oscars say the [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo - April 25, 2021 11:55 pm EDT

Film fans expecting Chadwick Boseman to posthumously win Best Actor at the 2021 Oscars say the late actor was "snubbed" after the Oscar was awarded to Anthony Hopkins for The Father. Many expected Sunday's presentation of the 93rd Academy Awards, which went against traditional order when it announced Nomadland as its Best Picture winner before the reveals of Best Actress and Best Actor, to end with last year's Joker Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix presenting the award to first-time nominee Boseman. But in a move many are calling an upset, an absent Hopkins was awarded his second Oscar over nominees Gary Oldman (Mank), Steven Yeun (Minari), Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), and Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom).

"The #Oscars shifting Best Picture ahead of Best Actor just to snub Chadwick Boseman is why I'm losing faith in award shows," reads a tweet from @JulianDelGaudio.

Reads a tweet from @RiseFallNickBck: "Are you seriously telling me the #Oscars rearranged traditional award presenting order just on the prospect Chadwick would posthumously win Best Actor and have a big celebration for him, only for Hopkins to win and not even be there for a speech so it just... ends??"

Twitter user @ungodlywests tweeted it "feels cruel" to "switch up the order of the awards to make your audience think you're gonna give Chadwick some sort of tribute" only for the show to end with little fanfare. Boseman was the last actor highlighted in the ceremony's annual In Memoriam segment.

Other users agreed. "They really used Chadwick as bait all to not even give him the Oscar," tweeted @cinephilejen. "I'm so heated." A tweet from user @fllenangels reads, "Them pushing best actor till the end just for Chadwick not to win was very f—ed up and it feels like they exploited his death for views."

@kylebuchanan struck a nerve with a viral tweet that has already amassed more than 10,000 likes, tweeting, "They build the entire show around a Chadwick Boseman ending and then Anthony Hopkins won and didn't show up." Here's what other Oscars viewers are saying about the snub:

And the Oscar Goes to...

They build the entire show around a Chadwick Boseman ending and then Anthony Hopkins won and didn't show up
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) April 26, 2021

either way, re-organizing the show to make it end that was instead of best picture was not cool
— gen🪴 (@genevievecheng) April 26, 2021

Yeah, this just feels so wrong. How do you save the Best Actor category for last & then snub Chadwick Boseman... posthumously?!

He had a truly phenomenal year. He will never win an Oscar now. #Oscars
— 𝕁 (@JesTheMermaid) April 26, 2021

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"Exploited"

so from what i can gather the oscars producers pushed best actor to the end of the show assuming chadwick would win and it would be a nice moment, but then anthony hopkins won and he wasn't even there so they just read the card and ended the show?
— Law Boy, Esq. (@The_Law_Boy) April 26, 2021

(and, yes, i know the producers couldn't have predicted who won, and, yes, hopkins was great too, but regardless they pushed best actor to the back because they knew people would wait for chadwick. they used his death for views either way)
— holli (@fllenangeIs) April 26, 2021

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"A Huge Upset"

That was a huge upset
— Lissa Carlino (@EWallerCarlino) April 26, 2021

The #Oscars shifting Best Picture ahead of Best Actor just to snub Chadwick Boseman is why I’m losing faith in award shows
— Julian Del Gaudio (@JulianDelGaudio) April 26, 2021

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"Bait"

I don't even care about Chadwick losing, but the fact that the Academy used him a bait makes me mad. #Oscars
— T'Challa Stan (@KhameekJ03) April 26, 2021

They really used Chadwick as bait all to not even give him the Oscar. I'm so heated..
— jen🎬 (@cinephilejen) April 26, 2021

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Snubbed

Now why would they make best actor last just to snub Chadwick and the winner isn't even there I'm spinning
— Free Britney Activist (@flawedcrystals) April 26, 2021

i mean if we’re being honest, awards literally don’t mean anything and art is dead. HOWEVER it’s obvious that the academy capitalized on Chadwick’s death and used it for views. so to then snub him of the oscar win when it’s literally the LEAST you could do to honor him? shameful
— sav 💫 (@jedileiasolo) April 26, 2021

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"Worth More Than Any Award"

NO ACADEMY AWARD FOR CHADWICK BOSEMAN? I'M PISSED.

REST IN PEACE, KING. YOUR MOVIES WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/tsv1h0tTF9
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) April 26, 2021

Chadwick Boseman may not have won a oscar this evening but he won our hearts and that’s what really matters. hope you’re doing good up there Chad.#Oscars pic.twitter.com/bwkEa9UMs8
— mårti ⎊ ceo of paul rudd 🚩 (@IR0NLANG) April 26, 2021

Awards or no awards, we continue to remember and celebrate all of Chadwick’s amazing performances. 💜

#Oscars pic.twitter.com/2A5goL184j
— Black Panther 2 Updates (@WakandaUpdates) April 26, 2021

Chadwick Boseman’s performance in BLACK PANTHER will forever be etched into movie history. It captivated and inspired so many people and that’s worth more than any award.

FOREVER OUR KING. ❤️ #Oscars #Oscars2021 pic.twitter.com/lajEo5WcCa
— Bam Smack Pow (@BamSmackPow) April 26, 2021

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