Odds Say Neither Robert De Niro (The Irishman) or Matt Damon (Ford v Ferrari) Will Receive Oscar Nominations

• Anticipation surrounds the upcoming announcement of the 92nd annual Academy Awards
• The Best Actor category is filled with curiousity: Do Matt Damon or Robert De Niro stand a chance at being nominated?
• Nominations are announced January 13, 2020 with awards handed out February 9, 2020

Hollywood is a tough community to be in these days. In particular, awards season seems to be a challenging beast altogether.

There is hardly any continuity or loyalty to particular stars, especially in recent years. It’s anyone’s game in terms of who gets nominated. Career actors and actresses have been snubbed for newcomers.

No matter what, you can’t please everyone when it comes to nominees and winners. But you’d think long-term stars with tenure will have a chance right?

Let’s see if Matt Damon or Robert De Niro stand a chance at being nominated for Best Actor.

Will Matt Damon or Robert De Niro Recieve Best Actor Nominations?

All Odds taken December 16

Neither Matt Damon or Robert De Niro saw nominations at the upcoming Golden Globes. Damon’s role in Ford v Ferrari went unnoticed while his co-star Christian Bale was nominated.

And the #GoldenGlobes Nominees for Best Actor TV Drama, Best Actor TV Musical or Comedy, Best Actor Limited Series or Television Movie, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television are… pic.twitter.com/IhQcaqP0vq

— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) December 9, 2019

De Niro’s role in The Irishman went similarly unnoticed. The film saw five Globe nominations including two Best Supporting Actor noms for his colleagues but De Niro was shut out. Surely, that isn’t a good sign leading up to the Oscar nominations.

Despite their lack of Globe attention, it’s still certainly possible either or both actors can see an Oscar nomination. But given both Damon and De Niro’s poor reception in reviews and box office performance, it’s unlikely.

Competition is Fierce

Film this year was a competitive game. If it was a weaker year overall, it would be easier to imagine these stars being nominated based on their long respective histories. We’ve seen stars like Meryl Streep get nominated for performances that weren’t her best due to being a legend.

But this year, Hollywood delivered in a major way and it would almost seem unfair to allow Damon or De Niro to be put up for an award they’re both not really deserving of this year. The Academy limits acting categories to five nominees and there are more than five impressive performances who run circles around these two.

Bale is predicted to be nominated this year, and other favorites in the category see projected noms for Joaquin Phoenix (The Joker), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

Even aside from that shortlist, there are a handful of other performances that could be a surprise entry in the list, like Taron Egerton in Rocketman or Eddie Murphy for Dolemite Is My Name.

Upping the Game

Both Matt Damon and Robert De Niro are beloved Hollywood elite that have colorful awards streaks in their wake. But as more and more films are made each year, it becomes increasingly harder to snag a nomination, let alone a win.

You also can’t fault either of these actors for not getting a nomination this year. Their performances were both completely fine, but the films they’re in are not their best work by any means. We’ve seen and expect better from them both.

With a small list of five nominees, the choice for Best Actor will pick the best of the best. Frankly, this year Matt Damon and Robert De Niro just do not make the cut. They don’t deserve it this year. It’s someone else’s turn.

Pick: Matt Damon: No (-550), Robert De Niro: No (-160)