2026 Oscar Nominations: “Sinners” Breaks Records With 16 Nods as Surprises and Snubs Shake Up the Race
The 2026 Academy Award nominations, announced January 22 in Los Angeles, delivered one of the most surprising lineups in recent Oscar history. Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror film “Sinners” led the field with a record-breaking 16 nominations, surpassing the long-standing benchmark of 14 set by Titanic and All About Eve.
Fueled by strength across acting, technical categories, and the newly introduced Achievement in Casting category, Sinners now sits firmly at the center of this year’s awards conversation. Michael B. Jordan earned a Best Actor nomination, Wunmi Mosaku landed in Supporting Actress, and Coogler himself received his first Best Director nod.
Close behind is Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” with 13 nominations, including Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor and supporting nods for Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro. Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” and Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” each secured nine nominations, dominating craft categories.
Meanwhile, one of the biggest talking points is what didn’t happen: “Wicked: For Good” was completely shut out despite heavy expectations and shortlist momentum.
Best Picture Lineup Shows the Academy’s Genre Shift
This year’s Best Picture nominees reflect a major shift in what the Academy is willing to celebrate. Horror, sports drama, literary adaptations, international cinema, and experimental storytelling all sit side by side.
The nominees include:
Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams.
The Best Director race is equally stacked, featuring Ryan Coogler, Paul Thomas Anderson, Josh Safdie, Joachim Trier, and Chloe Zhao — a mix of blockbuster vision, indie storytelling, and global cinema influence.
From what we’re seeing, this is one of the most genre-diverse directing lineups in years.
Acting Categories Packed With Star Power and Surprise Picks
The acting races are drawing just as much attention as Best Picture.
Best Actor includes:
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Best Actress features:
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
Emma Stone (Bugonia)
Supporting categories brought notable surprises. Delroy Lindo’s nomination for Sinners edged out expected names, while Wunmi Mosaku’s recognition further strengthens the film’s awards momentum.
One of the most discussed snubs remains Wicked: For Good, along with several performances many expected to see here.
“Sinners” Dominates the Technical Categories
Beyond acting and directing, Sinners showed enormous strength in technical fields including:
Cinematography
Film Editing
Sound
Visual Effects
Production Design
Costume Design
Makeup & Hairstyling
Original Score
Casting
This kind of across-the-board presence is often what signals a potential Best Picture winner.
We’ve seen in past years that films performing this strongly in crafts usually convert big on Oscar night.
