15 Comedy Movies That Were Nominated For Best Picture Oscars But Didn’t Win

It’s extremely rare for a comedy to take home the elusive Best Picture prize at the Academy Awards, although over the years there have been plenty of great comedies among the nominations. While there have been some exceptions, like when Annie Hall won Best Picture over Star Wars in 1977, for the most part, great comedies were beaten out by movies that were considered more serious and deserving than their light-hearted laugh-filled counterparts. Despite truly exceptional comedies always having something insightful and interesting to say, this has not always resulted in awards and accolades.

Comedy movies have always had a tough time at the Academy Awards and before the number of potential Best Picture nominees was raised to ten in 2009, it was even more difficult to even secure a place on the voting ballot. While incredibly acclaimed directors like Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, and Wes Anderson have all had comedy movies nominated for Best Picture, none of them went on to take home the award on the fateful night. There have been plenty of great Best Picture-nominated comedies that did not win the award.

15
The Great Dictator (1940)

Lost to Rebecca

The comedic legend and major star of Hollywood’s silent film era proved he was as compelling as ever with his first sound movie, The Great Dictator, a satirical comedy that aimed at fascist dictator Adolf Hitler released in the midst of WWII. A daring and vital topic, Chaplin brought nuance to the serious subject of antisemitism and the danger of Nazis in a comedy that was important and funny. While The Great Dictator stood as one of the greatest comedies ever made, it lost out on the Best Picture award to Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Rebecca.

14
Roman Holiday (1953)

Lost to From Here to Eternity

Audrey Hepburn starred in one of the most perfect romantic comedies ever produced when she played Princess Ann opposite Gregory Peck in the charming and effective film Roman Holiday. With a fantastic screenplay by John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo, Trumbo’s name was famously removed from the credits due to being blacklisted by Hollywood for communist associations. While Roman Holiday ultimately lost the Best Picture award to From Here to Eternity, it’s remembered as one of Hepburn’s best performances and a true classic in the romantic comedy genre.

13
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Lost to My Fair Lady

Director Stanley Kubrick created one of the most enduring and hilarious satirizations of the Cold War and the public’s fear of an impending nuclear conflict between the United States and Russia. With the unmatchable talent of Peter Sellers performing multiple roles, Dr. Strangelove was a triumph for Kubrick, but unfortunately, it could not compete with the less divisive musical comedy My Fair Lady, which ended up winning Best Picture. Despite Kubrick’s impressive filmography and multiple nominations, he only ever took home one Oscar, and that was for 2001: A Space Odyssey for Best Visual Effects.

12
Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Lost to In the Heat of the Night

While modern audiences may think of Robert Downey Jr. or even Eddie Murphy when they hear Doctor Dolittle, it was Rex Harrison who first took up the part in the 1967 adaptation about the man who can speak with animals. An engaging story with plenty of laughs, Doctor Dolittle was a moving musical that despite bombing at the box office still received a nomination for Best Picture. However, in a stacked year that also included The Graduate, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and Bonnie and Clyde, not one of them could win out against In the Heat of the Night.

11
Tootsie (1982)

Lost to Gandhi

Dustin Hoffman pushed himself to the limit with a challenging lead role in Tootsie, a surprisingly moving comedy about an actor pretending to be a woman to gain a role in a daytime soap opera. While the 1980s was a much less progressive time than today when it came to representations of alternative gender expressions, Tootsie maintained a feminist message and was a tender portrayal of the discrimination women faced. However, Hoffman’s gender-swapping would not be enough to bring home the Best Picture award, as Ben Kingsley achieved this with a similarly transformative portrayal as the lead in Gandhi.

10
The Full Monty (1997)

Lost to Titanic

Despite being one of the most beloved British comedies ever made, The Full Monty was always fighting a losing battle regarding its Best Picture nomination opposite James Cameron’s Titanic. The story of six unemployed British men who formed a striptease act to make some money, this comedic premise allowed The Full Monty to address themes of father’s rights, mental health, body image, and working-class culture. Like the best comedies, The Full Monty appeared simple on the surface but in between all the laughs had a real message about men in the modern world and class consciousness.

9
Lost In Translation (2003)

Lost to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Bill Murray’s role as Bob Harris in Lost in Translation signaled the dawning of a new era in his career where, although most of his roles were comedic, they also contained an emotional resonance and tackled deep themes. With strong performances from Murray and Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation was an overwhelming success that dealt with alienation, cultural displacement, and fleeting connections. In a different year, Lost in Translation may have taken home the Best Picture award, but it was defeated by the runaway success of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

8
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Lost to The Departed

The tragic road comedy Little Miss Sunshine was a heartfelt ensemble story about a dysfunctional family traveling with the youngest kid to a child beauty pageant in an uplifting and powerful story. With a hilarious script, Little Miss Sunshine boasted an incredible cast of comedy and drama stars including Steve Carell, Toni Colette, Paul Dano, and a standout performance from Abigail Breslin. Little Miss Sunshine was an enjoyable independent underdog that was understandably defeated by Martin Scorsese’s well-overdue win for The Departed.

7
Juno (2007)

Lost to No Country for Old Men

The coming-of-age comedy Juno was the film that put Elliott Page on the map and was propped up with a great supporting cast including Michael Cera coming right after the success of Superbad. The story of a 16-year-old high schooler named Juno MacGuff who, after becoming pregnant, decided to give the child up for adoption to a couple whose prospective father appeared increasingly questionable. A powerful portrayal of feminism, women’s agency, and a teenager’s understanding of maturity, Juno lost out on the Best Picture award to the Coen brothers’ neo-Western thriller No Country for Old Men.

6
The Kids Are Alright (2010)

Lost to The King’s Speech

A warm and funny comedy about alternative family dynamics, The Kids Are Alright explored the story of a lesbian couple, their two children, and the unknowing father who helped conceive them through artificial insemination. Bringing together themes of marriage, identity, sexuality, and the restrictions of societal and relationship expectations, The Kids Are Alright was a progressive look at modern topics that, while remaining light, did not shy away from deeper questions. In an impressive year for nominees, The Kids Are Alright lost out on Best Picture to The King’s Speech.

5
Midnight in Paris (2011)

Lost to The Artist

The fantasy comedy Midnight in Paris was a late-career success for controversial director Woody Allen, which stood as his most commercially success movie, taking in $151.7 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo.) An intriguing mix of time travel science fiction, fantasy wish fulfillment, and tribute to the artists of the past, Midnight in Paris was a sentimental sensation led to by Owen Wilson doing his best Allen impression. However, Midnight in Paris would lose out on Best Picture to another call back to an earlier time, the heartfelt homage to the silent film era The Artist.

4
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Lost to Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

The incredible ensemble comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel ranked among Wes Anderson’s best movies as his signature aesthetic reached a stylistic watershed moment and all the disparate aspects of his appeal came together in one charming movie. A thoughtful and funny nostalgic call back to classic movies of the past, The Grand Budapest Hotel utilized extraordinary acting talent to explore themes of fascism, friendship, loyalty, and the past. The Grand Budapest Hotel lost Best Picture to the similarly thematically rich comedy Birdman and stood as Anderson’s best chance in his career so far at taking home the award.

3
Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Lost to Parasite

Director Taika Waititi had a major challenge on his hands when he set out to make a comedy out of the indoctrinated beliefs of a ten-year-old Hitler Youth member where he played an imaginary friend version of Adolf Hitler. However, despite this controversial subject matter Waititi managed to pull off deeply effective satire that managed to balance its lighthearted concept with the true horrors of war. However, Jojo Rabbit was beaten by the historical win of Parasite, the South Korean black comedy that became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

2
Don’t Look Up (2021)

Lost to CODA

Despite a star-studded cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam McKay’s apocalyptic political comedy Don’t Look Up lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to the coming-of-age drama CODA. While Don’t Look Up won over many viewers through its effective examination of U.S. politics, the media’s portrayal of scientific issues, and the public’s close-mindedness to environmental disaster, others found its messaging heavy-handed and arrogant. A divisive comedy, Don’t Look Up had plenty of laughs, but they weren’t enough to take home any of its four Oscar nominations.

1
The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)

Lost to Everything Everywhere All at Once

The black comedy The Banshees of Inisherin received nine nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. While ultimately the prize would go to Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Banshees of Inisherin was a strong contender due to the incredible performances of Irish actors Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, a nuanced and funny script by director Martin McDonagh, and its heartbreaking humor that found meaning in the sudden crumbling of a longstanding friendship. While it may not have won any Oscars on the night in question, The Banshees of Inisherin will be a comedy remembered for generations to come.