Oscars 2026: ‘Sinners’ Shatters Nomination Record in a Historic Year for Horror

Hollywood awoke to a historic announcement this morning as the 98th Academy Award nominations were revealed, dominated by the critically acclaimed horror sensation Sinners. In a year marked by the introduction of a landmark new category, this genre-defining film has rewritten Oscar history.

Record-Breaking Dominance

Sinners, the 2025 psychological horror film directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Hailee Steinfeld and Michael B. Jordan, earned a staggering 16 nominations. This officially makes it the most-nominated film in the 98-year history of the Academy Awards. It surpasses the previous record of 14 nominations, held jointly by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016).

Its nominations span the spectrum, including the prestigious Best Picture, as well as Best Director for Coogler, Best Actor for Jordan, Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo. It also secured a nod in the inaugural Best Casting category, a testament to its celebrated ensemble.

A Landmark Year for Inclusion and Genre

The introduction of the Best Casting award, long advocated for within the industry, marks the first new permanent category since Best Animated Feature in 2001. It recognizes the critical, artistic contribution of casting directors.

Sinners’ unprecedented success signals a potential sea change for the horror genre at the Oscars. Historically underrepresented in major categories, the film’s sweeping recognition suggests a shift toward honoring artistic excellence irrespective of genre conventions.

The Contenders: A Diverse Field

While Sinners leads the charge, the field is rich with standout films. The melancholic Scandinavian drama Sentimental Value (Norway) follows with an impressive 9 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Joachim Trier, and two nods in Best Supporting Actress for Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.

Other major contenders include:

• One Battle After Another: The epic war drama garnered 8 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, and three acting nods across supporting categories.

• Marty Supreme: The vibrant musical biopic earned 7 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet.

• Hamnet: The literary adaptation secured 6 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Jessie Buckley.

• Frankenstein: The visually stunning reimagining also earned 6 nominations, heavily featured in the craft categories.

Notable Snubs and Surprises

The morning was not without its shocks. Despite critical acclaim, Greta Gerwig was notably absent from the Best Director category for Bugonia, though the film did secure a Best Picture nomination and a Best Actress nod for Emma Stone. The international sensation It Was Just an Accident (France) missed a Best International Feature nod but landed in the competitive Best Original Screenplay category.

In a pleasant surprise, veteran actor Ethan Hawke received his first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Blue Moon. Jacob Elordi also broke into the awards circuit with a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Frankenstein.

When and Where to Watch

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The show will be hosted for the first time by the acclaimed writer and comedian Conan O’Brien. It will be broadcast live on ABC at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT and will be available to stream live and on-demand via Hulu.

---

Complete List of 2026 Oscar Nominations

Best Picture
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

Best Director
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best Actor
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
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

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

Best Animated Feature Film
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best International Feature Film
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
It Was Just an Accident (France)
Sentimental Value (Norway)
Sirât (Spain)
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)

Best Casting
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners

Best Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Best Production Design
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Film Editing
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

Best Original Score
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Original Song
“Dear Me” – Diane Warren: Relentless
“Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters
“I Lied to You” – Sinners
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Viva Verdi!
“Train Dreams” – Train Dreams

Best Sound
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirât

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister

Best Costume Design
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners

Best Animated Short Film
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters

Best Live-Action Short Film
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best Documentary Feature Film
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor

Best Documentary Short Film
All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness

 

 

 

Our Pashto-Dari Website

  Donate Here