The 2026 Oscar Nominations Are Here

It truly is the most beautiful time of the year. And no, I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm talking about awards season.

Awards season is the most exciting time of the year in my opinion and the Oscars, as we all know it, are the pinaccle of it. We all discuss and criticise certain aspects of the Oscars, we get upset when our favourites don't get nominated, but when it comes to the night itself, we know we will always sit down and watch it all unfold. The nominations for this year’s 98th Academy Awards were revealed yesterday and there is a lot to discuss.

So let’s go over the surprises, the snubs and the record-breakers.

Sinners Makes History

Ryan Coogler’s critically acclaimed and universally loved movie Sinners made history, becoming the most Oscar-nominated movie in the 98 years since its inception. Sinners snatched an incredible sixteen nominations, managing to get in for pretty much every single category they could have.

The movie scored nominations in all the categories it was expected to: Best Picture, Best Director for Coogler, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Original Screenplay and Best Casting. Michael B. Jordan also got nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and deservedly so.

The most pleasant surprises came from the two nominations the movie received for its supporting cast: Wunmi Mosaku for Best Supporting Actress and Delroy Lindo for Best Supporting Actor. All of us who have loved Sinners the most have been praying and hoping these nominations would happen, and it feels so rewarding to see both of them receiving their well-deserved flowers.

Sinners was a phenomenon. The kind of movie that, when I watched it in cinema for the first time, really felt like I was witnessing a special moment in cinema history. I believe it’s deserving of every accolade it’s receiving, and it deserves to break the record for most nominations. Come the big night itself, I hope it goes home with several statues.

Best Supporting Actress Lineup

Speaking of Wunmi Mosaku being nominated, here's what the rest of the best Supporting Actress category looks like:

• Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another
• Amy Madigan - Weapons
• Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value

Talk about an all-timer lineup. This year has been incredibly stacked and competitive across most acting categories, but especially in Supporting Actress, and personally, I think they nailed the final five. Teyana was captivating in her role and made an immediate impact at the beginning of One Battle After Another. Amy Madigan was the best and most fun surprise of the year, and she’d probably be my personal choice to take the win. As for Elle and Inga in Sentimental Value, their nominations feel entirely earned; the film is carried by its beautiful performances, so it’s only right they were recognized.

Wagner Moura

The Best Lead Actor nominations also delivered an incredible shortlist, but Wagner Moura getting in is probably my favorite acting choice of the season. If you’ve seen The Secret Agent, then you know this nomination is a complete no-brainer and fully earned. Still, with foreign-language films, there’s always a bit of uncertainty about how they’ll perform at the Oscars, so while I was definitely crossing my fingers, I wasn’t holding my breath. It’s a beautiful recognition of a beautiful performance, and even though I think the win will ultimately go to Timothée, I wouldn’t be mad at all if Wagner took it instead.

Chase Infiniti Misses Out

When I think about the movie stars that really shined in 2025, Chase Infiniti is the first name and face that comes to mind. Believe it or not, her role as Willa in One Battle After Another was her feature film debut, yet she managed to hold her own and often steal the show when sharing the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Regina Hall. Talk about real talent.

Chase campaigned and was submitted for the Best Lead Actress category and she unfortunately did not get in. For a lot of people, this is the biggest snub of the year and it's safe to say that if she had been nominated, we all would've thought it was well-deserved. Nevertheless, this being her very first movie already makes just being part of the conversation a huge deal. She won us all of us over, and I have absolutely no doubt that this is only the beginning of a successful, richly decorated career.

Paul Mescal Also Misses Out

Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet did very well on nominations morning, picking up eight nods. Paul Mescal, however, was not among them. His snub feels simultaneously completely predictable and completely shocking. During the early predictions, he was considered a guaranteed nominee. His exclusion, however, can easily be explained by just how strong the competition has been this year. Looking at the actors nominated in the Best Supporting category (the category Mescal campaigned in) there isn’t anyone I’d call undeserving, nor anyone I would necessarily swap out for him. He was incredible in Hamnet, and we all know the potential he has. It just wasn’t his year.

Wicked: For Good…Also Misses Out

I can't say I'm incredibly shocked about this, but I was still a bit surprised to see that Wicked: For Good missed out even in the technical categories. The second part of the beloved musical received zero nominations, a stark contrast to last year when the first installment received ten (and won two). Categories such as Production Design, Hair and Make-Up, or Costume Design seemed quite safe nomination bets for the movie, but the Academy didn't seem to agree.

So there you have it, folks. A reason to discuss, debate, and speculate about who will take home the prizes; something to keep us all buzzing until March 15th. I, for one, cannot wait for it.