Challengers
Challengerswas snubbed by the 2025 Oscar nominations , and there are likely several rationality why this was the face . The 2024 pic was direct byCall Me By Your Name ’s Luca Guadagnino and star Zendaya , Mike Faist , and Josh O’Connor as a trio of tennis professionals caught in a ardent beloved triangle . There were additional major name behind the television camera of the film , including Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross ( The Social connection ) composing the grade , Sayombhu Mukdeeprom ( Uncle Boonmee Who Can echo His preceding Lives ) handling the filming , and Justin Kuritzkes ( Queer , Luca Guadagnino ’s other 2024 movie ) penning the screenplay .
The movie was a major winner , with a $ 96.1 million worldwide box office revenue seeing it outpace other major 2024 releases includingTerrifier 3($88.7 miilion),Trap($83.7 million),Conclave($77.9 million),Speak No Evil($76.7 million ) , andThe Substance($76.5 million ) . GlowingChallengersreviewsalso earn the sport dramaa certify tonic scotch of 88 % on Rotten Tomatoeswith a similarly Fresh 75 % hearing score . However , when the 2025 Oscar nomination were announced on January 23 , the motion-picture show was completely close out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in every possible category , earning zero nominations overall .
Challengers project the ups and downs of intense relationships within the lawn tennis world . We break down the pic ’s biggest end developments and more .
Which Oscars Challengers Realistically Could Have Been Nominated For
It Was A Frontrunner In Multiple Categories
There are some 2025 Oscar category where it makes gumption that the Guadagnino movie was rebuff . For example , none of the three stars at the shopping mall of theChallengerscastwere frontrunners in the performance categories . However , it seemed like a lock chamber for both major medicine categories . The pic ’s iconic musical sensibility saw it shortlist both for Best Original Song ( for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross ' " Compress / Repress " ) and Best Original Score ( a class in which Reznor and Ross have been nominated three time and which they gain twice ) . See the movies that were really nominated in both categories below :
Best Original musical score
Best Original birdsong
The Brutalist
“ El Mal ” -Emilia Pérez
Conclave
Challengers follows tennis player-turned-coach Tashi as she transforms her husband Art into a Grand Slam champion. To revitalize his career, she enters him in a lower-tier tournament where he confronts his past, facing both his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend.
“ The Journey ” -The Six Triple Eight
Emilia Pérez
“ Like a Bird ” -Sing Sing
Wicked
“ Mi Camino ” -Emilia Pérez
The Wild Robot
“ Never Too belated ” -Elton John : Never Too deep
Ahead of the 2025 Oscar nominations , it also seemed potential that Justin Kuritzkes would also gain a nod for Best Original Screenplay . However , the actual nominations in that class went to Sean Baker forAnora , Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold forThe Brutalist , Jesse Eisenberg forA Real Pain , Moritz Binder , Tim Fehlbaum , and Alex David forSeptember 5 , and Coralie Fargeat forThe Substance . It was a particularlyauteurdriven yr , as every constitute movie was either compose or co - publish by its director ( Corbet and Fehlbaum helm their various movies ) , which could explain the rebuff in that particular category .
Challengers Looked Like An Oscar Nominee Based On Its Awards Season Performance
It Was Honored At Other Major Ceremonies
This Oscars shutout forChallengersis a surprise considering how well it has performed at other major ceremonial occasion in the 2024 - 2025 awards season , let in the2025 Golden Globes . Two of its nominations , Best Picture and Best Actress , make out in categories with more potential nominations because the world split several categories between Drama and Musical or Comedy , permit for 10 overall nominees across genres rather than five . However , it was also nominated in the more limited Best Original Song and Best Score category , withTrent Reznor and Atticus Ross winning the latter award , label their third win out of six nominations .
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were antecedently nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Original Score forMank , Soul , Gone Girl , The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , andThe Social web , get ahead forThe Social NetworkandSoul .
The Golden Globes ceremony was not the only time whenChallengersperformed well . The movie also clear two Gotham Awards nomination ( win one , a Spotlight Tribute for Zendaya),four critic ' Choice Movie Awards nominations(which are pending ) , a Grammy Award nominating address ( pending ) , and a Writers Guild of America award ( pending ) . Overall , Reznor and Ross ' music has been name at least 21 times , winning seven award , while Kuritzkes ' screenplay has been nominated 10 times , winning once so far . Elsewhere , it has also been propose in a variety show of other class include Best Picture , Best redaction , Best Supporting Actor , and Best Director .
Luca Guadagnino’s Oscars History Also Pointed To Challengers Getting Nominations
Previous Movies Have Earned The Academy’s Attention
Quite a few previousLuca Guadagnino movieshave gain much more tending from the Academy . The first Oscar nomination for one of his movie come when 2010’sI Am Lovewas propose for Best Costume Design . This was followed byhis 2017 Timothée Chalamet - led romanceCall Me By Your Nameearning four nomination , advance the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for James Ivory ’s rendition of the André Aciman novel of the same name . That movie also earn Guadagnino himself his first and only nomination , as he earned a nod as the movie ’s manufacturer when it was nominated for Best Picture .
Call Me By Your Name ’s other Oscar nominations were for Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet and Best Original Song for Sufjan Stevens ' " Mystery of Love . "
However , the director ’s more recent output has had a habit of being snubbed , commence with 2018’sSuspiria . The remake of the 1977 Dario Argento horror motion-picture show of the same name was snubbed by the Academy entirely , as was his subsequent movie , the 2022 cannibal love storyBones and All , which see to it him reunite with lead doer Timothée Chalamet . Additionally , his other 2024 movie , the William S. Boroughs adaptationQueer , was likewise shut out by the 2025 Oscar nomination .
Challengers May Have Come Out Too Early To Be A Serious Oscar Contender
Awards Season Truly Begins In October
In spite of theChallengerslove trianglebecoming a major topic of societal medium conversation at the fourth dimension when the movie was released , along with its many other merits including its mark , it is alsopossible that the fact that the film was released on April 26 meant that it fall far too early for serious awarding consideration . Many motion picture that are awards hopefuls are issue between October and December , shortly before the Academy ’s voting process , in the hope of remaining fresh in elector ' thinker when it comes meter to make their decisions .
The majority of the year ’s major Oscars candidate were released after in 2024 .
An early 2024 release day of the month did not hamper the sci - fi sequelDune : Part Two , which debuted on March 1 and was nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture . However , the majority of the twelvemonth ’s major Oscars nominees were unfreeze later in 2024 . This includes all nine of the other Best Picture campaigner . The earliest of those titles wasThe Substance , which premiered on September 20 , butevery other nominee premiered between October 18 and December 25 , which emphasizes how damaging theChallengersrelease particular date may have been .
challenger follows tennis player - grow - coach Tashi as she transform her husband graphics into a Grand Slam virtuoso . To revitalize his career , she enters him in a lower - tier tournament where he confronts his past times , face both his former best protagonist and Tashi ’s ex - boyfriend .
