Oscar Nominations: Delroy Lindo Snub for ‘Da 5 Bloods’ Decried by Fans

Promising Young Woman, Judas and the Black Messiah and Nomadland are all up for top awards for the 2021 Oscars but film fans are expressing outrage over the apparent snub of actor Delroy Lindo whose critically acclaimed performance in Da 5 Bloods was expected to net him a Best Actor nomination.

Lindo, who is known for starring in a number of Spike Lee films, played Paul in the film, one of the squad of Black U.S. Army soldiers in the Vietnam war, alongside Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr and the late Chadwick Boseman.

The London-born veteran actor, 67, won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor for the role of Paul and was expected to be up for an Oscar for his gripping and emotional performance.

His character Paul is a Vietnam vet with PTSD who travels back to Vietnam in search of the remains of his fallen squad leader.

The nominees in this year’s Academy Awards for best actor are: Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal, Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Anthony Hopkins for The Father, Gary Oldman for Mank and Steven Yeun for Minari.

In the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category meanwhile are: Sacha Baron Cohen for The Trial of the Chicago 7, Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah, Leslie Odom Jr. for One Night in Miami, Paul Raci for Sound of Metal and Lakeith Stanfield for Judas and the Black Messiah.

“Delroy Lindo has officially been robbed. It’s criminal. #OscarNoms,” tweeted film critic Dan Murrell.

While news anchor Richard Chambers posted: “Delroy Lindo absolutely robbed of a nomination btw.”

“So, the Oscar voters just didn’t see Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods?” added Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall.

In this screengrab, Delroy Lindo accepts the Career Achievement Award at the Critics Choice Association’s Third Annual Celebration of Black Cinema on February 02, 2021. Getty Images for the Critics Choice Association

Critic Chris Evangelista tweeted: “Delroy Lindo gave one of the best performances I have ever seen, ever, in DA 5 BLOODS, so of course, all awards bodies are…ignoring him.”

“DAMN!! After all that support, STILL NO NOMINATION for #DelroyLindo for BEST ACTOR!” said Scott Mantz.

While another critic Matt Singer added: “Imagine not picking Delroy Lindo in DA 5 BLOODS as one of the five best performances of the year.”

Da 5 Bloods appears to have been thoroughly snubbed by The Academy, receiving just one nomination for Best Original Score despite receiving rave reviews when it was released.

Spike Lee won his first ever Oscar for his previous movie, BlacKkKlansman, when the 63-year-old won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.