The nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards nominations are in, and as with every year's crop of honorees there are surprises and some disappointments.

The previous two Oscars cycles made some particularly glaring oversights in their exclusion of acclaimed nonwhite actors and filmmakers, resulting in the #OscarsSoWhite campaign and a subsequent — and necessary — dialogue on how to make the Academy less homogenous (according to the LA Times, Oscar voters were still 91% white and 76% male as of 2016, and membership is for life). But the 89th Academy Awards bucked this trend, with major category nominations for excellent and critically-revered films about black American stories including Moonlight and Hidden Figures.

Did the changes, led by Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, open the door for this year's nods to projects including Denzel Washington's Fences and Barry Jenkins' Moonlight? Perhaps, though those excellent films were already awards show darlings. Will La La Land sweep the categories because we're living in tumultuous times and a rattled population longs to be soothed by two stunning, capable actors singing and dancing together? "Perhaps" to that too. Ultimately, Oscar nominations are the result of politics, merit and the spirit of the times.

Either way, we'll find out on February 26! For now, click the gallery above to see the 2017 Oscars' biggest snubs and surprises.

From ScreenCrush: Why's It Called an "Oscar," and More Academy Awards Facts

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