Beverly Hills: The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were officially announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026, setting the stage for one of the most competitive Oscar races in recent memory. Actors Lewis Pullman and Danielle Brooks revealed the nominees early morning in Beverly Hills, California.

The Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026, and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien, airing live on ABC and streaming on Hulu.

‘Sinners’ Dominates the 2026 Oscar Race

Ryan Coogler’s ambitious horror drama Sinners emerged as the biggest standout, securing a record-breaking 16 nominations, the highest ever for a single film. Set in 1930s Mississippi, the film stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twins Smoke and Stack, earning him his first-ever Oscar nomination.

The film received nominations across major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and multiple acting and technical categories, cementing its place as the frontrunner this year. Close behind is One Battle After Another, which picked up 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio.

First-Time Nominees Shine

The 2026 nominations also spotlight a strong wave of first-time acting nominees. Among them are Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another), and several cast members from the Norwegian drama Sentimental Value, including Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Key Oscar Nominations 2026

Best Picture

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

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
  
  

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
  
  

Best Director

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

Best Animated Feature

• 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)
• Sirāt (Spain)
• The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
  
  

Technical Excellence and Global Storytelling

Films like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Frankenstein, and F1 dominated technical categories such as visual effects, sound, costume design, and production design. 

Meanwhile, documentaries tackling global politics, war, and social change found strong representation in both feature and short documentary categories.

Looking Ahead to Oscar Night

With blockbuster franchises, intimate international dramas, and politically charged narratives competing side by side, the 2026 Oscars promise a ceremony that reflects both cinematic ambition and cultural relevance.

As the countdown to March 15 begins, all eyes will be on whether Sinners can convert its historic nominations into equally historic wins, or if a dark horse emerges on Hollywood’s biggest night.