Will 2026 Be Jennifer Lopez's Year For The Oscars? Doubts Remain

For as long as the Academy Awards have existed, there have been shocking snubs of movies that deserved nominations but were denied participation in the industry's biggest competition. A few of them can simply be chalked up to the sheer number of great films that are released every year, but some snubs feel egregious, especially if a pattern is established.

The political patterns have been topics of conversation for years, as there are only three female directors who have ever won the Best Director award, and there is a clear pattern of racially-charged decision-making on the part of the Academy over the years. However, some snubs feel personal, as a few actors keep getting denied nominations and wins despite merit.

The likes of Amy Adams, Viola Davis, and Tilda Swinton deserve to be on the list of most Oscar-nominated actresses, for instance, but there are many who haven't been nominated even once. Among them is Jennifer Lopez, who is being included in the predictions for the 2026 Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards nominees, but might still be denied Oscars glory.

Jennifer Lopez Stars As La Luna In Kiss of the Spider Woman

Kiss of the Spider Woman tells the story of Molina (Tonatiuh), who is imprisoned for public indecency and ends up sharing a cell with Valentin (Diego Luna), a political prisoner. Valentin is a jaded communist with ties to the uprising, while Molina is full of life and belief, enamored with a major actress he wants to emulate through lifestyle choices.

The film unfolds through two simultaneous narratives, one where Molina and Valentin encounter the horrors of prison life in 1983 Argentina, and the other where the titular Kiss of the Spider Woman unfolds through Molina's words, who recounts the movie's story and the experience of watching it to Valentin, whose investment in it and in Molina gradually grows with time.

The actress Molina wants to emulate is La Luna (Jennifer Lopez), a diva with a talent unlike anyone else's, who seamlessly balances the dual roles she has in the movie. La Luna plays a glamorous magazine publisher and a dark spirit who lives in the forests and is prophesied to claim the life of the magazine publisher's first real love.

The new Kiss of the Spider Woman movie is based on the 1993 stage musical, and differs from the 1985 movie, which is an adaptation of the novel that the musical is based on. Lopez's turn as La Luna is characterized by the popstar's trademark charismatic stage presence, which makes it seem like she was born to play the role.

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Lopez's performance is emotionally sincere and compelling. Her body language and facial expressions perfectly convey the emotional thread of the narrative that waltzes through gorgeous and vibrant set pieces populated by energetically choreographed musical numbers. Jennifer Lopez embodies La Luna's flair for the dramatic and glamorous, while also conveying her knack for subtly turning heads with her understated acting chops.

Kiss Of The Spider Woman's Critical And Commercial Performances Are Concerning

Despite the promise and the potential of the movie and of one of Jennifer Lopez's best performances, Kiss of the Spider Woman has failed to impress critics. It sits at a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which may not seem like unanimous disavowal, but does suggest that it doesn't have enough backing to expect major victories at the Oscars.

Kiss of the Spider Woman's low opening weekend at the box office may seem like less of a concern for the movie's performance at the Academy Awards. However, compared with the shaky critical response, this severely hurt its chances of awards glory. Being released at a busy time in theaters populated by other major releases weakened its box office pull.

The Academy Has A History of Snubbing Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez has addressed the Oscar buzz surrounding her latest movie, and she sounds both excited and pragmatic. She says she's not creating expectations despite her prominent presence in the conversation, because last time was a lesson learned. The last time she refers to is obviously the snub 5 years ago for her performance in Hustlers, which wasn't even nominated.

Lopez looked like a lock among the nominees in the buildup to the Oscars, but she wasn't included, and that wasn't even the first time that a great performance from her was overlooked by the Academy. Her performance as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in the 1997 biopic, Selena, was also unfairly overlooked. Only time can tell if the Academy's done snubbing her.

The Best Supporting Actress Category Often Features Unlikely Nominees

The critical response, the poor box office, and Jennifer Lopez's Oscars history may seem to suggest that she's unlikely to even be nominated, let alone win for her performance as La Luna in Kiss of the Spider Woman. However, one major Oscars trend does improve her chances of victory at the elusive awards show, and that involves the nomination category.

In the past five years, two of the winners in the Best Supporting Actress category have been veterans whose triumph seems more motivated by the Academy's interest in course-correcting after snubs than the actual quality of performance. Both Laura Dern and Jamie Lee Curtis deserve their Academy Awards, but they didn't have the best-nominated performance in the years they won.

Amal Clooney Wore Optical Illusion Jeans Cosigned by Jennifer Lopez—Fall-Ready Styles Start at $44

My list of must-try jean trends for 2026 is growing; it currently includes all the silhouettes one denim expert revealed to me as the must-watch of the year (save for baggy jeans, because I’ve been wearing those for years). That said, one style that didn’t land on said aforementioned list, but is clearly due for big, big things this year, is flare jeans. With a growing list of celebrity fans that includes Meghan Markle, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Cindy Crawford, Kendrick Lamar (you know that moment), and, of course, Amal Clooney, there’s no denying the retro denim style that was popular in the early aughts is back—and bigger than ever.

The fact that Clooney wore flared jeans is noteworthy in and of itself. The human rights lawyer is known for her refined dressing approach, regularly opting for billowy trousers, trendy boho blouses, and comfy sweater dresses—all staples that read elegant and timeless. So, when I spotted her earlier this year in the laid-back blues while out to dinner with hubby George Clooney, I knew I had to write about it. Of course, the fact that she wore flare jeans, the style countless celebs have worn the last few weeks, is noteworthy, too, as it further cements the style’s ‘It’ status for 2026. 

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Clooney opted for a pair of medium-wash jeans with subtle fading (another Y2K reference, IMO). Her blues had an ultra-high waist—so high, in fact, that they appeared to hit at the ribcage. It’s the complete opposite of the controversial low-rise denim, so it’s a possible sign that the high-high waist is coming back, too. Not to mention, Clooney’s jeans had a slightly oversized fit from the thighs to the ankles, but it’s that flared hem that has all my attention; it’s taking me back to my middle school days when I’d wear my True Religion flares every single day. (No joke.)

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It’s undeniable that Clooney’s jeans have that nostalgic flair (ahem, flare, wink, wink), but it’s also undeniable that celebs are clamoring to the style because it’s incredibly flattering. The blues basically act like an optical illusion, making legs look super long, especially when paired with a style that has an extra-long hemline and sky-high platforms á la Lopez; the singer is 5-feet-5-inches, but don’t you agree with me that she looks way taller in these jeans? Yeah, that’s thanks to the flares. The flare hem and longer inseams help create the look of legs for days, but add in a high-waisted cut, platform heels, and a crop top, and you’ll fool people into thinking you’re inches taller. 

Leg-elongating factor aside, there’s no denying that flares are fun and nostalgia-inducing—and that’s exactly what I need right now. So, shop some more fun, funky flares from Frame, NYDJ, and Mavi below.

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