In 2013, many films saw great success by means of viewers and movie critics. Arguably, there weren’t even enough spots for all the fantastic films from last year! That being said, the 2014 Oscar nominations have been released, honoring the year’s best films.

In the category of Best Picture, 9 movies have been recognized for their greatness and achievement in film. August: Osage County, a movie involving a partnership of  Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, was sure to be nominated, but was snubbed from earning a spot. Philomena, the quiet contender, was surprisingly nominated for Best Picture this year. Another movie snubbed of a nomination was Inside Llewyn Davis, a Coen brothers drama, that was recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at the 2014 Golden Globes. In the end, the nominees for Best Picture are American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

The nominations for Actor in a Leading Role also came with some surprises as well. Joaquin Phoenix, the star of the highly acclaimed drama Her, was not recognized for his performance. Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated this year for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, playing Jordan Belfort. The Academy seems to overlook his performances when it comes to being nominated (and winning), but after his Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) win at the Golden Globes, it doesn’t come as a surprise. Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), both first time Oscar nominees, have also been recognized for their performances in dramatic movies as well. When the 5 nominees are totalled up, the Best Actor contenders are Christian Bale, (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club).

The Actress in a Leading Role nominations did not come as much of a shock to most. The award-show popular Meryl Streep was recognized by the Academy for the 18th time. The nominees this year are Amy Adams (American Hustle), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), and Meryl Streep (August: Osage County).

Tune in for the 86th Annual Academy Awards on March 2, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. to see who wins!