joan rivers and her daughter Melissa
Joan Rivers (L) and her daughter Melissa, fashion commentators for E! Entertainment television, at an awards show in Los Angeles in September of 2003. Reuters/Mike Blake/FILE RG

Fans are outraged that Joan Rivers was left off the Oscars tribute list to stars who died in 2014.

Rivers died unexpectedly on 4 September, 2014, after she went into cardiac arrest during throat surgery.

The comedian, actress and beloved TV presenter never won an Academy award but her presence on the red carpet was always felt as she would critique celebrities' fashion choices, which in itself was "its own brand of entertainment", according to Vanity Fair.

She did appear in films despite being more well known as a comedian and fronting shows such as Fashion Police. Her film credits include Look Who's Talking, Shrek 2, and Iron Man 3, and she even turned her hand to writing and directing with film Rabbit Test, which starred her friend Billy Crystal.

So it is baffling that the academy opted to omit her from the "In Memoriam" section of the show, and fans took to Twitter to express their outrage.

The tribute, introduced by Meryl Streep, and accompanied with a song by Jennifer Hudson, included late stars such as comedian Robin Williams, British legend Richard Attenborough, and actor Mickey Rooney.