After months of predictions, the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were released on January 22nd, 2026. Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announced all the nominations in a live presentation from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles.
Out of all the nominated films, “Sinners” directed by Ryan Coogler stood out, as it dominated with 16 nominations, breaking records. The former record was 14 nominations, and was held by “Titanic”, “La La Land”, and “All About Eve”. “Sinners” is a supernatural horror set in 1932. Ryan Coogler is known for directing “Fruitvale Station”, ”Creed”, “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. All of his movies feature actor Micheal B. Jordan. “Sinners” was nominated for casting, cinematography, costume design, directing, film editing, makeup and hair-styling, music (original score), music (original song), best picture, production, sound, visual effects, and writing (original screenplay).
“One Battle After Another” directed by Paul Anderson also received a notable amount of nominations, getting 13 nods. Paul Anderson has won 159 awards, and received 332 nominations. “One Battle After Another” is a comedy action-thriller and was nominated for casting, cinematography, directing, film editing, music (original score), best picture, production design, sound, and writing (adapted screenplay)
Out of all of the films nominated for best picture, the highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes was “The Secret Agent”, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, with a rating of 98%. “The Secret Agent” was nominated for best picture, casting, and international feature film. “Marty Supreme”, directed by Josh Safdie, was the highest rated best picture film on IMDb with a 8.2/10. “Marty Supreme” was nominated for casting, cinematography, costume design, directing, film editing, best picture, production design, and writing (original screenplay).
“Sentimental Value”, a Norwegian psychological drama directed by Joachim Trier, stood out for having 4 actors/actresses nominated – Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsbotter Lilleaas. This is the first time being nominated for all of the actors/actresses.
While “Wicked” won 2 Oscars last year, its sequel, “Wicked: For Good” didn’t get nominated for any Oscars, surprising many people, as the movie was one of the highest grossing of the year. It’s clear that Academy members were not happy with the decision to split the musical into two parts.
Kate Hudson getting nominated for her role of Claire “Thunder” Sardinia in “Song Sung Blue” was a surprise, but it was well deserved. This is her second nomination, the first being for her role in “Almost Famous” 25 years ago. “Song Sung Blue” is a biographical musical drama film directed by Craig Brewer.
Jacob Elordi received his first Oscar nomination for his role of The Creature in “Frankenstein” after months of campaigning. Director Guillermo del Toro did not have enough support to be nominated for best director, but his film did receive nominations for cinematography, costume design, makeup and hair-styling, music (original score), best picture, production design, sound, and writing (adapted screenplay).
It wasn’t a surprise that F1, a sports drama directed by Joseph Kosinski, was recognized in best sound and best visual effects, but its nomination for best picture was one of the biggest surprises. However, it is one of the least likely films to win, as it barely made it into the top 10 over other prominent movies.
Emma Stone at 37 broke an Oscar record, becoming the youngest woman, and second-youngest person to acquire seven nominations. Emma Stone was nominated for her role of Michelle in “Bugonia”, a dark comedy. Bugonia was nominated for best picture, music (original score), writing (adapted screenplay).
“Hamnet”, a historical drama and biographical fiction directed by Chloé Zhao, received 8 nominations. “Hamnet” is a movie adaptation of the book with the same title, written by Maggie O’Farrell, is a fictionized story about William Shakespeare and his family.
The last film nominated for best picture was “Train Dreams” directed by Clint Bentley. “Train Dreams” is period/psychological drama, and was nominated for cinematography, music (original song), best picture, and writing (adapted screenplay).
The 98th Oscars air live on Sunday, March 15th, at 7pm ET on ABC and Hulu.
