Kristen Stewart received her first Academy Award nomination this year for her role as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s, Spencer. Not only was this Stewart’s first Oscars nomination but she also became one of the first queer actors to be nominated for a major category since Ian McKellen’s nomination for Lord of The Rings in 2002. Receiving a first ever Academy Award nomination is a huge accomplishment so you may be wondering what Stewart did to celebrate. She told Variety “I went with my girls at Neon and played nine holes in Los Feliz… We all became really good friends, so we were just like, ‘Let’s go hit some balls into small holes.” Not to mention Stewart was on the campaign trail after this nomination. She was seen at awards circuits, festivals, screenings and luncheons really getting her name out there and shaking hands with the right people.
Stewart was not nominated for an award at this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards and while many thought this would be detrimental to an Oscar nomination, her nomination came out on Feb. 8. The so-called critically acclaimed Spencer saw only one nomination, that being Stewart’s. At the 75th Annual British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), Stewart had no nomination for the Best Actress title. Furthermore Spencer was just recently snubbed by the British Academy film Awards which is the British equivalent of the Oscars and are headed by Prince William.
Alongside Stewart in the category for best actress was Penelope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Nicole Kidman, and Oliva Colman. The award ultimately went to Jessica Chastain for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and although there was no clear frontrunner, many fans were upset about Stewart not receiving the award. Movie blogger Alex Billington wrote “Best Actress goes to Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Which is… not my choice. I think it’s the epitome of a great performance in a mostly forgettable film. Kristen Stewart should’ve won. #Oscars.” Film critic Zach Pope tweeted “Kristen Stewart should have won.”
Although Spencer and Kristen Stewart did not make a at the Oscars by winning any awards, Stewart did catch people’s attention with her outfit choice. Stewart completely ignored the traditional dress code of a floor length gown worn by most women in attendance, and instead wore satin shorts along with its matching blazer, custom made by the team at Chanel. This outfit choice had people debating on social media platforms and although some who preferred a more traditional route, were not happy with the choice, many fashion critics and editors loved and welcomed the bold choice. Vanessa Friedman, the fashion director at the New York Times tweeted “Kristen Stewart, also breaking some #Oscar Red carpet rules. No mermaid dresses! No princess frocks! It’s about time.”