Summary
Killers of the Flower Moon received 10 Oscar nominations but failed to secure a win, continuing a trend for director Scorsese.
Scorsese is the only director with multiple films to get 10 or more Oscar nominations without winning any awards.
The lack of wins for Scorsese’s films at the Academy Awards suggests a disconnect between his work and the voters’ choices.
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Killers of the Flower Moon was a major awards contender for Martin Scorsese, but it extended an unfathomable Oscars record that the director holds. Even before Killers of the Flower Moon was released, it was expected to land plenty of awards recognition. This became a reality when the movie received 10 Oscar nominations, including Martin Scorsese earning another Best Director nomination, Lily Gladstone contending in Best Actress, and securing one of the Best Picture nominee slots. It gave Killers of the Flower Moon the third most nominations for the 2024 Oscars, only behind Poor Things and Oppenheimer.
By the time the 96th Academy Awards came, it had become clear that Killers of the Flower Moon was not likely to win many of the categories it was nominated for. However, it was the predicted frontrunner for Best Actress thanks to Lily Gladstone. The 2024 Oscars delivered a surprise with Emma Stone beating Gladstone for the Best Actress Oscar. This meant that Killers of the Flower Moon did not win a single Oscar. In the process, the movie became responsible for extending a shocking record Martin Scorsese already set.
Related Killers Of The Flower Moon’s 2024 Oscars Losses Make Martin Scorsese’s 4-Year-Old Insult Even Worse Killers of the Flower Moon came up empty at the Academy Awards despite receiving 10 nominations, starting an unfortunate trend for Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese Is The Only Director With Multiple Movies To Get 10 Oscar Nominations & No Wins
It is not common for movies to receive 10 or more Oscar nominations and not win a single category. This has only happened seven times in the 96-year history of the Academy Awards now that Killers of the Flower Moon has joined the list. The outcome is undoubtedly disappointing for Martin Scorsese, but it is not a position that he is unfamiliar with. He is the only director with multiple movies to have 10 Oscar nominations and receive no wins. This record was set four years ago when The Irishman received 10 Oscar nominations but did not win any.
Movies With The Most Oscar Nominations & No Wins
Movie (Year)
# Of Nominations
Director
The Turning Point (1977)
11
Herbert Ross
The Color Purple (1985)
11
Steven Spielberg
Gangs of New York (2002)
10
Martin Scorsese
True Grit (2010)
10
Ethan Cohen, Joel Cohen
American Hustle (2013)
10
David O. Russell
The Irishman (2019)
10
Martin Scorsese
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
10
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’s first experience with receiving double-digit Oscar nominations and not winning any was with Gangs of New York in 2002. It was only the third time in Oscars history that this had happened, so it was not expected that this would become a recurring trend for one of the greatest directors in history. Scorsese surprisingly found himself in the same situation with The Irishman in 2019, as the Netflix release did not get enough support. Now Killers of the Flower Moon means he’s the only director with three films that won zero of 10 or more Oscar nominations.
Killers Of The Flower Moon Not Winning Any Oscars Continues The Academy’s Scorsese Shade
The fact that Martin Scorsese has this Oscar record is the latest example of how the awards show has never properly recognized his work. On one hand, the fact that his movies continue to receive so many Oscar nominations is impressive. But the lack of wins that come from these nominations makes it feel as though voters are giving Martin Scorsese’s movies Oscar nominations purely for respect rather than so they can win. Killers of the Flower Moon joining Gangs of New York and The Irishman perpetuates the notion that there is some disconnect between the Academy and Scorsese’s films.
Scorsese has always had a difficult time winning Oscars, especially in the biggest categories. The fact that The Departed is his only Best Picture-winning movie speaks for itself, especially when it is largely seen as a “makeup win” for not giving any of his previous films that recognition. The Academy has not awarded him another Best Picture win since The Departed, even though he’s had four Best Picture nominees since then. It seems that voters see Scorsese’s movies as good enough to get many Oscars nominations but strangely not strong enough to win.