Comedy Is Often Overlooked At The Oscars – Here Are 17 Comedies That Got Oscars Noms Because They Were ~That~ Good

From Bridesmaids to When Harry Met Sally...

Some might say that comedy and the Academy Awards don't mix, but they'd be wrong... Kind of! Historically, comedy is an under-celebrated genre at the Oscars, but these 17 movies managed to get noticed with one or more of the "Big Six" awards.

Universal Pictures

The Big Six constitutes the Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay awards.

Here are 17 Oscar-nominated comedies that might just surprise you...

1. The Devil Wears Prada

Barry Wetcher/20th Century Fox

This movie about an ambitious young journalist who is chewed up and spat out by her ferocious boss is without a doubt iconic, but did you know Meryl Streep earned a nomination in 2007 for Best Actress as Miranda Priestly?

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

2. As Good As It Gets

Sony Pictures Releasing

The Academy ate up this film about a cantankerous author who befriends a single mother and a gay artist. So much so that it was nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Greg Kinnear, and Best Actor and Actress for Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, respectively. Jack and Helen both won in their categories at the 1998 Academy Awards.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

3. Annie Hall

United Artists

The biggest crossover between comedy and The Oscars is really the work of Woody Allen, but the less said about him the better. Annie Hall is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever, with nominations for Best Actor and Director (Allen), Best Screenplay, and Best Actress for Diane Keaton. It won in every category except for Best Actor.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

4. Some Like It Hot

United Artists

One of the most iconic comedies in film history, Some Like It Hot has had a pioneering influence on the genre. It was well-liked at the time of release too, earning nominations for Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Best Director (Billy Wilder), and Best Screenplay at the 33rd Academy Awards.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

5. The Favourite

Atsushi Nishijima Fox/Fox Searchlight Pictures

Black comedy The Favourite is probably Yorgos Lanthimos' best-known movie. The outlandish satire on the royal court of British monarch Queen Anne garnered an Oscar win for Olivia Colman for Best Actress. It was also nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress awards for Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

6. Bridesmaids

Universal Pictures

Many people cite this 2011 film as being their favourite movie ever, and despite its mass-market appeal, it also resonated with The Academy! At the 84th Academy Awards it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Melissa McCarthy was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role!

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

7. Bridget Jones's Diary

Miramax Films

Everyone loves a bit of Bridget, but did you know that the first movie was Oscar-nominated? For her stunning work in the movie, Renée Zellweger was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 74th Academy Awards.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

8. Little Miss Sunshine

Fox Searchlight Pictures

I guess this film is much more than a comedy, but it still fits the bill! This brilliant 2006 movie has been heaped with praised, receiving Oscar noms for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin, and Best Supporting Actress for Abigail Breslin (at just 10 years old). It ended up winning for Screenplay and Supporting Actor.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

9. Juno

Fox Searchlight Pictures

This film feels like SUCH a moment in time. For playing a teen faced with an unplanned pregnancy, Elliot Page was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. The film also won for Best Screenplay at the 80th Academy Awards.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

10. Tropic Thunder

Paramount Pictures

Perhaps one of the most controversial nominations in all of the Oscars history (and there are many) is Robert Downey Jr.'s nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Tropic Thunder. Many criticised the concept of a white man portraying a white man portraying an African-American man, but for some reason the Academy thought it deserved recognition.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

11. A Fish Called Wanda

MGM/UA Communications Co.

This 1988 classic is farcical comedy at its best, which shows in its Oscar nominations! The film received a Best Screenplay (co-written by star John Cleese) and Best Director nod, and Kevin Kline won for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

12. The Producers

Embassy Pictures

Another notable intersection of comedy and The Oscars is the work of Mel Brooks. For his work on the movie's script, Brooks won a Best Screenplay Oscar, and star Gene Wilder was also nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

13. When Harry Met Sally...

Columbia Pictures

Probably one of the most iconic rom-coms ever, this 1989 friends-to-enemies-to-lovers movie was nominated for a Best Screenplay award, thanks to a sharp and witty script from the one and only Nora Ephron.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

14. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Many know Wes Anderson for his meticulous and aesthetically-pleasing style, but his films are also deeply humorous and full of jokes. For his eighth feature film, Anderson was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay (with Hugo Guinness).

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

15. The Full Monty

Fox Searchlight Pictures

This British classic about six men on the dole who become Chippendale dancers really struck a chord with The Academy. It was nominated for a total of four Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay!

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

16. The Big Sick

Amazon Studios/Lionsgate

Judd Apatow-style comedies like this rarely make a splash at The Oscars, but this story of a Pakistan-born comedian who falls for a girl who then slips into a coma somehow landed with critics. It earned a Best Original Screenplay nom for husband and wife team Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

17. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Amazon Studios

Almost unbelievably, this sequel to Sacha Baron Cohen's outrageous 2006 mockumentary was actually nominated for two of the big six categories at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film earned nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Maria Bakalova!

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

Did any of these surprise you? Did we miss any out? Let us know in the comments below!