The 2026 Oscar nominations are officially out, and this year’s list feels like a turning point for Hollywood. Bold stories, genre-defying films, international cinema, and powerhouse performances all came together to create one of the most exciting Oscar races in recent memory.

From historic nomination records to acting categories stacked with talent, the Academy made it clear: safe choices are no longer the only choices.

Sinners Makes Oscar History

Leading the pack is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which stormed the nominations with an unprecedented 16 nods, making it the most nominated film in Oscar history.

Set in 1930s Mississippi, Sinners blends horror, music, spirituality, and social commentary in a way that felt risky, but the Academy rewarded that risk. The film earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Supporting Actor (Delroy Lindo), Best Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson), and several technical categories.

It’s not just a strong Oscar showing, it’s a statement.

Best Picture Category

The Best Picture category is packed with ten films that represent very different creative directions:

Bugonia

F1

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Train Dreams

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” emerged as another heavyweight, earning 13 nominations, while Hamnet and Sentimental Value quietly proved that emotional, character-driven storytelling still holds serious power.

This year, predicting a winner feels genuinely difficult and that’s a good thing.

Best Actor Category

The Best Actor race features a mix of Hollywood royalty and globally respected talent. The actors who made it to this category are as follows:

Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Michael B. Jordan’s nomination adds emotional weight to Sinners’ success, while Chalamet continues his impressive run as one of his generation’s most respected actors. Wagner Moura’s nomination also signals the Academy’s growing openness to international performances.

Best Actress Category

The Best Actress category is just as compelling. The nominated actresses are as follows:

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 made headlines by becoming the youngest woman to receive seven Oscar nominations, while Jessie Buckley’s deeply emotional performance in Hamnet positioned her as a strong contender. Renate Reinsve’s inclusion further highlights the Academy’s appreciation for understated, nuanced acting.

Supporting Roles Category: In Best Supporting Actor, the nominees are:

Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein

Delroy Lindo – Sinners

Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Meanwhile, Best Supporting Actress nominees include:

Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan – Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

These categories reflect some of the year’s most scene-stealing performances, proving once again that supporting roles often carry the emotional heart of a film.

Screenplay, Music, and a New Oscar Category

The writing categories honoured originality and adaptation alike. Best Original Screenplay nominees include Sinners, Marty Supreme, Blue Moon, and Sentimental Value, while Best Adapted Screenplay recognized films like Frankenstein, Hamnet, and Train Dreams.

Music lovers also had reasons to celebrate, with Best Original Score nominations going to composers such as Ludwig Göransson, Jonny Greenwood, Max Richter, and Alexandre Desplat.This year also introduced Best Casting, a long-awaited category that finally recognizes the creative minds behind perfectly assembled ensembles.

The 2026 Oscar nominations reflect an industry in transition. One that’s slowly embracing bold ideas, diverse voices, and unconventional storytelling. Genre films are no longer ignored, international cinema is no longer sidelined, and creative risks are finally being rewarded.

This Oscars season won’t just be about who wins it will be about how far cinema has come.

Many fans and the film industry at large are counting down to March 15, 2026 where the winners will be announced. This year’s nominations has indeed been one of the toughest and most creative.

And honestly, that’s worth celebrating!