It’s Oscar season! On Jan. 22, the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were unveiled. “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler, dominated the field with a record-breaking 16 nominations. The film made Oscar history by surpassing the long-standing 14-nomination benchmark set by films such as “All About Eve,” “Titanic,” and “La La Land.” Mixing drama, social commentary, and bold visual style, the film centers around a pair of characters who confront both supernatural threats and systemic racism in their hometown. The record-shattering Oscar success of “Sinners” shows that the Academy is becoming more receptive to horror.
“One Battle After Another” followed closely behind with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. Notably, this ties DiCaprio for the most Oscar nominations for acting in history. It’s no surprise that Paul Thomas Anderson, who has developed a reputation for being one of the gifted filmmakers of the modern day, experienced such success. His epic period drama, “There Will Be Blood,” is often regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. In an industry often accused of shortening attention spans, “One Battle After Another” shows that patience and complexity are still rewarded in the modern day.
Together, these two films account for a significant portion of this year’s field, but what makes the 2026 Oscars especially interesting is that they are not dominated by just one type of movie. From literary adaptations like “Frankenstein” to loud sports films like “F1,” the nominations reflect a diverse cinematic landscape. Other Best Picture nominees included “Bugonia,” “Hamnet,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Marty Supreme,” and “Train Dreams.“
The acting categories further reinforce this idea. Nearly all nominees are well-known stars, but many are being recognized for roles that pushed them into unfamiliar territory. Performers like Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet were nominated not for predictable roles, but for demanding performances that required significant effort, such as the latter in “Marty Supreme.” Best Actor nominees not previously mentioned include Wagner Moura and Ethan Hawke. For Best Actress, Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone were nominated. Notably, Emma Stone’s nomination for “Bugonia” marks her seventh, making her the youngest woman in history to reach that milestone.
The winners will be announced on March 15 in a ceremony hosted by Conan O’Brien. Regardless of which films ultimately prevail, the nominations suggest that the future of filmmaking is bolder than ever.
