The 2026 Academy Awards (Oscars) have now been handed out, celebrating standout work from actors, directors, studios, craftspeople and more. Yet even with all that recognition, there are still major stars and legends who’ve never stepped up to collect a competitive Oscar of their own.
This year, performers such as Sinners star Michael B Jordan and Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley finally earned their first Academy Awards, rewarding years of acclaimed big-screen work.
But Oscar history is full of surprising gaps—artists whose filmographies feel tailor-made for Academy recognition, yet the trophy has remained out of reach.
Here are 10 well-known names who, despite nominations and iconic roles, still haven’t won a competitive Oscar.
Tom Cruise
Whether it’s blockbuster stamina or star power, it’s hard to argue with Cruise’s influence on modern Hollywood—from the Mission: Impossible franchise to Top Gun and beyond.
And honestly, Interview With A Vampire alone feels like it should have come with some kind of statue.
To the Academy’s credit, Cruise has been recognized on nomination morning more than once: 1989 for Born on the Fourth of July, 1996 for Jerry Maguire, 1999 for Magnolia, and again last year for Top Gun: Maverick.
But an actual win? Not yet.
Amy Adams
Adams has spent nearly three decades building one of the most consistently acclaimed careers in mainstream film—moving effortlessly between drama, comedy, and prestige projects.
Across titles like American Hustle, Junebug, The Fighter, Vice, The Master, and 2010’s Doubt, she’s amassed six nominations without managing to convert one into a trophy.
Diane Warren
In the Best Original Song category, Diane Warren has become synonymous with perennially nominated excellence. Since 1988, she’s racked up 17 nominations—an Oscars record for the longest stretch without a win.
At a certain point, it becomes its own kind of statistic to admire.
She did, however, receive an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Award in 2022.
Speaking to The Times, she made it clear that awards aren’t what drive her.
She said: “It’s not validation. It would just be fun. And now I just keep beating my own record, I guess. Right now, I’m tied with my friend Greg Russell; we both have lost 16 times. But I’ve never taken awards as validation. The work is validation. When people love the songs, that’s validation. Who doesn’t want to win, right? But you can’t live and die by that because it’s out of your control. What’s in my control is to do the best work I can.”
Samuel L. Jackson
This one still catches people off guard: Samuel L. Jackson has never won an Oscar, and he’s only been nominated once—Best Supporting Actor for Pulp Fiction.
Given the sheer range of his career—from franchise work to auteur films, from the MCU to Star Wars, plus roles in Glass and Django Unchained—it’s surprising that none of those performances resulted in another trip to the podium.
Bradley Cooper
Cooper has been a familiar presence in the Oscars race for more than a decade, collecting 12 nominations since his first in 2013—yet the win still hasn’t arrived.
That doesn’t mean the work hasn’t mattered. Siver Linings Playbook, for instance, earned widespread praise for its portrayal of mental health and for the chemistry between Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as the characters try to rebuild their lives.
And while the Academy hasn’t awarded him a statuette, he’s hardly gone unnoticed elsewhere: four Critics’ Choice awards and a BAFTA underline just how respected he is in the industry.
Willem Dafoe
Dafoe has delivered unforgettable performances for decades—often excelling at characters that feel unpredictable, intense, or downright unhinged, from Wild at Heart to Spider Man and The Lighthouse.
But his range stretches well beyond that lane, with acclaimed work in films like The Florida Project, Poor Things, and Inside.
Even so, despite four nominations, he’s still waiting for his first win.
Angela Bassett
It’s remarkable that Bassett still doesn’t have a competitive Oscar, given the impact of her performances.
Many point to her portrayal of Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got To Do With It—a demanding role in a story that’s both brutal and inspiring. And while some of her film choices have been more polarising, she’s consistently brought presence and authority to her characters.
More recently, her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever put her back in the awards conversation in 2022, but she ultimately fell short of the win.
Afterwards, she explained her feelings to Oprah.
She went on to tell Oprah: “It was, of course, a supreme disappointment. And disappointment is human.”
Alfred Hitchcock
Few directors define the language of cinema the way Hitchcock does, yet the Best Director Oscar always eluded him—despite five nominations.
He did receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968, but that honour sits in a different category than a competitive Oscar win.
And, famously, Hitchcock didn’t linger for the moment—offering a brief “thank you” before leaving the stage.
Glenn Close
Close’s career is stacked with celebrated work, from Fatal Attraction (with a villainy that’s still debated decades later) to 101 Dalmatians, The Deliverance, Four Good Days, and more.
Her nominations stretch back to 1983, with recognition for films including The World According to Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural, Hillbilly Elegy, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Knobbs, and The Wife.
Even after multiple near-misses, Close has pushed back on the idea that not winning equates to failing.
She told the Associated Press in 2021: “First of all, I don’t think I’m a loser. Who in that category is a loser? You’re there, you’re five people honored for the work that you’ve done by your peers. What’s better than that?”
Saoirse Ronan
Ronan has been a recognised talent since she was young—eventually becoming a genuine household name and a dependable awards-season presence.
She’s been nominated for an Oscar four times: first in 2008 for Best Supporting Actress with Atonement, then for Best Actress for Brooklyn (2015), Lady Bird (2017), and Little Women (2019).
With Jessie Buckley now an Oscar winner, it wouldn’t be surprising if another Irish actress is next in line.