Who Got Left Out? Big Names Miss Actor Awards Nominations

The 2026 Actor Awards nominations are out, and some familiar faces are missing. Cynthia Erivo, known for her role in “Wicked: For Good, ” didn’t make the cut. This is surprising because she was nominated at the Golden Globes and had a strong performance last year. Her co-star, Ariana Grande, did get a nomination, though. Wagner Moura, who won at Cannes and is a favorite for the Oscars, was also snubbed. The Actor Awards voters seem to prefer local talent over international stars, which might explain why foreign films were completely left out this year. Dwayne Johnson and Adam Sandler are also notable absences. Johnson’s “The Smashing Machine” and Sandler’s “Jay Kelly” didn’t get any love from the Actor Awards, even though Sandler was nominated elsewhere. George Clooney, who starred in “Jay Kelly, ” was also overlooked. The entire cast of “Sentimental Value” missed out too, which is a bummer because they had a great year.On the TV side, “The Last of Us” got a nomination for its stunt ensemble, but the main cast wasn’t recognized. Sterling K. Brown got a nod for “Paradise, ” but the rest of the cast didn’t. “Nobody Wants This” star Adam Brody was nominated, but Kristen Bell and the rest of the cast were left out. “The Bear” got a comedy ensemble nomination, but Jeremy Allen White didn’t. The Actor Awards are voted on by a small group of 2, 000 members, with a total voting body of 22, 000. That’s way bigger than the Academy’s 11, 000 members who vote on the Oscars. It’s interesting to see how different groups value different performances.