Featuring highlights on the most nominated films, key actors and performances, plus notable records and moments from this year’s announcement.
🏆 2026 OSCAR NOMINATIONS — THE BIG PICTURE
The 98th Academy Awards nominations were revealed on January 22, 2026 from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills by Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman. Twenty-four award categories were announced ahead of the ceremony, which will take place on March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles and broadcast globally.
📈 Record-Setting Leader: Sinners
- Sinners (directed by Ryan Coogler) made Oscar history with a staggering 16 nominations — more than any film in Academy Awards history, beating the long-standing 14-nomination records held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land.
- Its nods span Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and key supporting roles — marking a broad recognition across top categories.
🥈 Close Second: One Battle After Another
- Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another earned 13 nominations, including multiple acting nods (for Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn) and major craft categories, making it a major contender alongside Sinners.
⭐ Other Most-Nominated Films
- Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value each received nine nominations apiece.
- Hamnet earned eight, with substantial recognition in acting and directing races.
- Films like Bugonia, F1, The Secret Agent, and Train Dreams also scored multiple nominations across key categories.
🎭 ACTING NOMINATIONS HIGHLIGHTS
🎬 Best Actor (Leading Role)
- Timothée Chalamet — Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio — One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke — Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan — Sinners
- Wagner Moura — The Secret Agent
Notable:
- Chalamet became one of the youngest actors in Oscar history to rack up multiple lead nominations and continues his award-season dominance.
- Moura’s nod marked a milestone as the first Brazilian nominated for Best Actor.
👩🎤 Best Actress (Leading Role)
- 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
Emma Stone also became one of the youngest performers ever to reach seven career Oscar nominations across categories — a rare and historic achievement.
📌 Supporting Categories
- Supporting acting nods went to standouts like Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Teyana Taylor in the actress field; Delroy Lindo, Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Sean Penn, and Stellan Skarsgård for supporting actor
🎨 BEYOND ACTING
This year also featured the first-ever Oscar nominations in Casting — a new Academy category — showcasing the evolving recognition of behind-the-scenes craft.
Animated features, international films, shorts, screenplay, costume design, cinematography and technical awards all reflect a diverse slate of films from around the world, from animated hits like Zootopia 2 to global storytellers such as Sentimental Value.
🎉 SNUBS & SURPRISES
Even with major attention on leading contenders:
- Several notable stars including George Clooney, Paul Mescal, Ariana Grande, and others saw surprise omissions in acting categories.
- Some acclaimed films were left out of Best Picture entirely despite awards buzz late last year.
📅 WHAT’S NEXT
The nominations have set the stage for one of the most competitive Oscar races in recent memory, with Sinners’ record sweep and strong showings from a range of films across genres. Final voting by Academy members runs into early March, leading to the live Oscar ceremony on March 15, 2026.
