Oscars 2017 Nominations: 15 Shocks & Snubs
9. Shock: Kubo Is First Animated Visual Effects Nominee In 23 Years
You'd be forgiven for double-checking the nominations list when Kubo and the Two Strings secured a Best Visual Effects nomination despite being an animated film, making it the first since 1993's A Nightmare Before Christmas to do so.
With about 98% of animated films now being made on computers, they're basically auto-disqualified from this category because the entire film is basically a visual effect, but when it comes to stop-motion, there's a clearer delineation between tactile craft and the tremendous VFX used to enhance the animaton and bring the movie fully to life.
As such, against tremendous odds Kubo made a bold case for appreciating animated films that go the hard way, and it totally paid off.