Adam Sandler Takes Aim at Oscars and Fellow Actors Over Nomination Snub
In a rare and candid moment, comedian and actor Adam Sandler openly ridiculed the Oscars and his fellow actors during a speech at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Thursday. The 59-year-old star, who was overlooked for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in the drama Jay Kelly, suggested that the nominees in that category likely made the list because they were superior "ass kissers" compared to him.
Jabs and Jokes Amidst Awards Buzz
Sandler, while accepting the Maltin Modern Master Award, delivered a series of humorous yet pointed remarks. "For real, thank you to everyone that got an Oscar nomination this year. Congrats. You earned it. I truly do think you're better at acting than me," he said. "I also truly think you are better at ass-kissing in the Academy." The comment, intended as a joke, highlighted his frustration over the snub, despite early awards buzz from the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards for his performance in Jay Kelly, which co-starred George Clooney and Laura Dern.
He further quipped, "Thank you to the fortune teller I met in 1982 who told me I would win an Oscar for a movie called Jay Kelly. Is it possible you didn't say the full title and actually meant Jay Kelly 2?" Sandler also issued a playful warning to other actors, stating, "I have to say to my fellow thespians, I think next year I'm going to whoop your ass. I show the deepest, darkest Sandman you have seen in Grown Ups 3."
Reflecting on the Oscar Omission
During onstage conversations at the festival, Sandler addressed his lack of an Oscar nomination more directly. "I didn't get an Oscar nomination. That's all good, man. I don't sit and think about that too much," he remarked. "I woke up that morning and heard I didn't get it. ... Everyone who did get the nomination, I'm like, well, they were f***ing great. So it made sense. It doesn't bug me that much."
Despite the disappointment, Sandler expressed pride in his work on Jay Kelly, saying, "I do feel nothing but pride for that movie and I loved running around with Noah [Baumbach] and Clooney and Laura and with the whole team. You never forget those times. It was amazing."
Full List of Oscar 2026 Nominations
The nominees for Best Supporting Actor, whom Sandler referenced, include:
- Benicio del Toro for One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein
- Delroy Lindo for Sinners
- Sean Penn for One Battle After Another
- Stellan Skarsgard for Sentimental Value
Other key categories in the Oscar 2026 nominations feature:
- Best Picture: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams
- Best Actor: Timothee Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, Emma Stone for Bugonia
- Best Director: Chloe Zhao for Hamnet, Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme, Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value, Ryan Coogler for Sinners
Notably, Sinners leads with 16 nominations, including Best Picture, showcasing its dominance in this year's awards season. Sandler's comments, while lighthearted, underscore the competitive and often subjective nature of Oscar nominations, as he continues to celebrate his achievements outside the traditional awards circuit.
