Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera (Photo: Greg Doherty/Getty Images)

Of the many snubs during the 93rd Academy Awards, the absence of the late Naya Rivera in the Oscars ‘In Memoriam’ Sunday evening was unacceptable according to many of the actress’ fans. Rivera, who was best known for her antagonizing role as Santana Lopez on Glee, was excluded from the Academy’s tribute, alongside others like Adam Schlesinger and Jessica Walter. Rivera died July 8, 2020, at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California. She was 33. Still at a loss from Rivera’s untimely death, fans stormed Twitter creating their own form of memorial for the late singer and actress. Twitter user @margotsnaya tweeted: “Since the academy, along with the Grammys, decided yet again not to include Naya Rivera in the tribute section of their 3 hour long show, we again have to do it for them. You’re with us forever and your talent / legacy will span beyond generations. I love you.”

Rivera was also excluded from the 2021 Grammys memoriam in March which began the social media call outs of excluding the Glee star. Rivera’s career spans over a decade, beginning at the age of four when she landed the role of Hillary Winston on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Royal Family, earning a nomination for a Young Artist Award at the age of five. After a series of recurring television roles and then guest spots as a teenager, Rivera worked on Glee for over six years. For the role, she received critical acclaim and various awards, including a SAG Award and ALMA Award, as well as earning two Grammy Award and one Brit Award nominations. With what feels like a longer than usual Oscar season, there unfortunately will be a wider margin of deaths to include. Viewers alone felt the “In Memoriam” section this year felt rushed and out of place as they quickly slid from name to name.