Jennifer Lopezhas a chance to finally get an Oscar nomination after being snubbed more than half a decade ago. The multi-hyphenate superstar got her start as a dancer, appearing in episodes ofIn Living ColorandYo! MTV Rapsin addition to being a backup dancer for New Kids on the Block and performing in stage productions likeJesus Christ Superstar. However, she became a notable screen actress after her debut in the 1994 music biopicSelena, which she parlayed into success as a recording artist with No. 1 singles including “If You Had My Love” and “I’m Real.”
Since then, she has starred in blockbusters such asAnaconda,Maid in Manhattan, andMonster-in-Lawas well as critical successes includingOut of Sight,Hustlers, and the upcoming 2025 adaptationKiss of the Spider Woman. Directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), the newJennifer Lopez movieadapts the 1992 stage musical inspired by the 1976 novel, which was previously adapted into a 1985 movie. It stars Diego Luna and Tonatiuh as inmates of an Argentinian prison who forge a bond while Tonatiuh’s characterLuis frequently escapes into a musical fantasy world occupied by an imaginary classic film actress, Ingrid Luna (Lopez).
Kiss Of The Spider-Woman Could Bring Jennifer Lopez Into The 2026 Best Actress Oscar Conversation
Early Reviews Praise Her Performance
AlthoughKiss of the Spider Womandoes debut in theaters until October 10, it has already received multiple glowing reviews out of its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. 39 early reviews have so far been aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes,giving the movie a solid score of 82% at the time of writing. The roster of positive reactions includes the movie earning a score of 7 out of 10 fromScreenRant’s own Mae Abdulbaki. Read an excerpt from herKiss of the Spider Womanreviewbelow:
While Luna is dependably good and Tonatiuh is a revelation, it’s Lopez who steals the show. She plays Luna playing Aurora and the Spider Woman, whose flashy final musical number is so good it got cheers at my Sundance screening. Lopez is everything Molina describes Ingrid to be: stunning, beguiling, confident, and thrilling. She exudes charisma and embraces the campy dialogue like a pro. This is Lopez’s moment and she gets just enough of the spotlight to shine without overshadowing Luna and Tonatiuh’s characters.
The majority of the reviews that came out of Sundance have specifically pointed to Lopez’s performance as a highlight of the movie. This, along with the fact thatKiss of the Spider Woman’s fall 2025 release date positions it well to be a strong contender in the upcoming awards season(it comes out almost exactly a year afterAnora, which won Best Picture), could lead to Jennifer Lopez potentially earning her first Oscar nomination, six years later than she should have.
Jennifer Lopez Should Have Received Her First Oscar Nomination For Hustlers
It Would’ve Been Her First Nomination
This Oscar nomination could redeem her snub for2019’sHustlers, in which she portrayed an experienced stripper who takes a younger performer under her wing.It very much seemed that she was on a trajectory toward an Oscar nominationfor Best Supporting Actress. In fact, over the course of the 2019-2020 awards season,Hustlerswon 13 awards, 11 of which went to Lopez, including a National Film & TV Award, a Satellite Award, and a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe and a Razzie Redeemer Award.
The non-Lopez-related awards won byHustlerswere a spot on the New York Film Critics Online Top 10 Films list and a Creative Coalition’s Spotlight Initiative Award for Keke Palmer at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Lopez had previously starred in the Oscar-nominated moviesOut of Sightin 1998 andThe Cellin 2000, meaning that she had already come close to a nod multiple times, butshe was ultimately not nominated in her category, losing out to Margot Robbie forBombshell, Kathy Bates forRichard Jewell, Scarlett Johansson forJojo Rabbit, Florence Pugh forLittle Women, and Laura Dern forMarriage Story(who won the category in addition to beating Lopez for the Golden Globe). Thus, Lopez was snubbed for what would have been her first Oscar nomination.Hustlerswas also snubbed in its entirety.
Will Jennifer Lopez Get An Oscar Nomination For Kiss Of The Spider-Woman?
An Early Look At The Best Actress Race
Although it is possible that the importance of the role could lead Lopez to be eligible for Best Actress, her screen time suggested that she will most likely be considered for Best Supporting Actress forKiss of the Spider Woman. However,that category is already crowded with 2026 frontrunners.Varietysuggests that some actors to watch in the coming awards season are Emily Blunt forThe Smashing Machine, Ariana Grande forWicked: For Good(she was previously nominated forWicked), Kate Hudson forSong Song Blue, Greta Lee inLate Fame, and Samantha Morton inAnemone.
Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in 1991’sThe Silence of the Lambs, even though he only had less than 25 minutes of screen time.
However,the frontrunners from the beginning of the year tend to change drasticallyamid the glut of awards contenders that are released between October and December. This could giveJennifer Lopezan edge, especially if the Academy decides not to nominate Ariana Grande for a second time for the same role, in order to avoid repeating themselves.
