I just finished watching "Malcolm X". Why didnt he win?

This was his competition:

Al Pacino - Scent of a woman (the winner)
Robert Downey Jr - Chaplin (If this won, it would not have been so bad. Robert Downey is a great actor)
Clint Eastwood - Unforgiven
Stephen Rea - The Crying Game

That was such a good movie. SUCH a good movie.