Welcome to Oscar Nominations Day! Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announced the nominees this morning at 7:30 a.m. CT (5:30 a.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. ET)…
Unlike last year, I actually am pretty happy with this year’s nominations. There isn’t anything glaring or head-scratching like Emilia Pérez getting 13 nominations. The biggest surprise of the year is Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS, earning a historical 16 nominations, breaking Titanic’s record of 14 by a single film back in 1998. James Cameron’s film ultimately won 11 Oscars out of those 14, so I’m curious how many trophies SINNERS would walk away with. It’s extra special for Coogler’s film as it’s a period horror film, and typically, the horror genre doesn’t fare well at the Oscars. But hey, if there is a filmmaker who could somehow break the Oscars’ “curse,” it’d be Coogler!!
I think Sinners is a unique and well-crafted movie, featuring a plethora of phenomenal performances led by Michael B. Jordan in a dual role. Even Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, and Jack O’Connell are terrific. I’m thrilled that Jordan is now an Academy Award nominee, ’bout darn time, I’d say!
Jordan is in good company, here are this year’s first-time nominees:
- Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
- Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
- Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)
- Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)
- Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
- Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
- Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
- Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
- Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
- Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)
It makes me happy to see the racial and ethnic diversity amongst the nominees… mostly driven by the acting nominees for Sinners: Jordan, Lindo, and Mosaku, woo wee!!
Nominations By Studio
(excluding short films)
Warner Bros – 30
Neon – 18
Netflix – 16
Focus Features – 13
A24 – 11
Apple – 6
Disney – 4
I have a lot of thoughts about this year’s nominations, so let’s get right down to it, shall we?
Egregious Snubs
There’s no Award season without some obvious snubs, even in a year where most of the Oscar nominations seem to be on point. These are the ones that I find a bit tough to swallow:
- Every year, five excellent movies seemingly direct themselves… most notably: Frankenstein and The Secret Agent; so Guillermo Del Toro and Kleber Mendonça Filho are criminally robbed this year! I’d easily swap out Josh Safdie with either one of those directors. I do not think Safdie deserves to be nominated as Marty Supreme is overly frenetic and exasperating to watch, definitely one I’d never watch again.
… - I feel like I’m the only one who loves Rental Family 😦 I knew it’d be a long shot, but I still think that movie and its director, Hikari, delivered an Oscar-worthy work.
- Similarly, another first-time female filmmaker, Eva Victor, is sadly overlooked for her writing and directing work for Sorry, Baby. I think that’s a much better film than Marty Supreme!!
… - Given that the Academy seems to no longer be averse to the horror genre, I wish 28 Years Later got some love. If I had my way, I would swap out Benicio Del Toro with Ralph Fiennes‘ transformative acting as Dr. Ian Kelson in the Best Supporting Actor category. I mean, no offense, Benicio, but you can’t even compare the degree of artistry of the two performances. Fiennes’ performance is a tour de force that stands out even amongst his award-winning roles in the past few decades.
…
- Sad that I didn’t see Hans Zimmer‘s name in the Best Music category. His score for F1 is sensational, definitely one of my top 3 of the year!
- Speaking of music… I’m flabbergasted that Wicked: For Good is completely shut out in that category. What is the Academy’s voters’ obsession with Dianne Warren??! [scratch head] I think Stephen Schwartz’s songs The Girl in the Bubble and No Place Like Home are both beautiful. I especially love the latter. I just love Cynthia Erivo’s voice, and she gives the song such emotional weight.
///
Exciting Surprises
- A Brazilian film is recognized two years in a row!! I’m thrilled that The Secret Agent is singled out for Best Picture and Wagner Moura gets in under Best Actor, yay!! Moura made history today by being the first Brazilian male actor to be nominated in the leading performance category!
… - Cheers for Delroy Lindo on his first Oscar nomination!! The 73-year old British-American thespian has been acting for nearly five decades, with a career spanning from the mid 70s. I thought he was fantastic in The Harder They Fall (2021), a good movie that was overlooked at the Oscars.
- Speaking of actors with an incredible track record, Swedish legend Stellan Skarsgård finally nab his first Oscar nomination, too! The 74-year-old Skarsgård has also been acting for five decades since the mid 60s. It’ll be hard to choose between these two, but if I must choose only one, I’d go with Skarsgård as he has more screen time in Sentimental Value.
Interesting that most of the Supporting Actor nominees are over the age of 55 (Benicio Del Toro is 58, and Sean Penn is 65), with Jacob Elordi being the youngest at 28!
- In the Best Supporting Actress category, I’m pleasantly surprised to see both Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas made the cut! I think each of them gave an Oscar-worthy performance, though if I had to choose, I’d go with Lilleaas as it’s the more understated, but crucial role.
…
- Last year, I said that the Academy seemed to be embracing the horror genre as three horror flicks got some love: Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and Alien: Romulus were recognized in technical categories, while The Girl With The Needle scored a Best International Feature nomination. Well, this year we see Sinners as the top nominee, while Amy Madigan‘s performance in the horror film Weapons is singled out in the Best Supporting Actress category.
- Last but definitely not least… Thrilled for Chloé Zhao as she made history this year by being just the second woman to receive multiple Best Director nominations, thanks to her work on Hamnet. The 2021 Nomadland winner now stands alongside Jane Campion in this remarkable feat, who was nominated for The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021).
///FULL LIST OF OSCAR 2026 NOMINEES
Best Picture
- Bugonia
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
Directing
- Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
- Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
- Ryan Coogler, Sinners
- Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
- Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Actor in a 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
Actress in a 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
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
- Delroy Lindo, Sinners
- Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
- Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
- Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
- Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
- Bugonia | Screenplay by Will Tracy
- Frankenstein | Written for the Screen by Guillermo del Toro
- Hamnet | Screenplay by Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
- One Battle After Another | Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
- Train Dreams | Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Writing (Original Screenplay)
- Blue Moon | Written by Robert Kaplow
- It Was Just an Accident | Written by Jafar Panahi
- Marty Supreme | Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
- Sentimental Value | Written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- Sinners | Written by Ryan Coogler
International Feature Film
- The Secret Agent, Brazil
- It Was Just an Accident, France
- Sentimental Value, Norway
- Sirât, Spain
- The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia
Costume Design
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- Sinners
Make-up & Hairstyling
- Frankenstein
- Kokuho
- Sinners
- The Smashing Machine
- The Ugly Stepsister
Visual Effects
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- F1
- Jurassic World: Rebirth
- The Lost Bus
- Sinners
Music (Original Score)
- Bugonia | Jerskin Fendrix
- Frankenstein | Alexandre Desplat
- Hamnet | Max Richter
- One Battle after Another | Jonny Greenwood
- Sinners | Ludwig Göransson
Music (Original Song)
- Dear Me | Diane Warren: Relentless
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren - Golden | KPop Demon Hunters
Music and Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon and Teddy Park - I Lied To You | Sinners
Music and Lyric by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson - Sweet Dreams Of Joy | Viva Verdi! (Viva Verdi!)
Music and Lyric by Nicholas Pike - Train Dreams | Train Dreams (Netflix)
Music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner
Lyric by Nick Cave
Animated Feature Film
- Arco
- Elio
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
- Zootopia 2
Animated Short Film
- Butterfly
- Forevergreen
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- Retirement Plan
- The Three Sisters
Documentary Feature Film
- The Alabama Solution
- Come See Me in the Good Light
- Cutting Through Rocks
- Mr. Nobody against Putin
- The Perfect Neighbor
Documentary Short Film
- All the Empty Rooms
- Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
- Children No More: Were and Are Gone
- The Devil Is Busy
- Perfectly a Strangeness
Live-Action Short Film
- Butcher’s Stain
- A Friend of Dorothy
- Jane Austen’s Period Drama
- The Singers
- Two People Exchanging Saliva
Cinematography
- Frankenstein
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
Film Editing
- F1
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
Production Design
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
Sound
- F1
- Frankenstein
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Sirât
Conan O’Brien will once again host the 98th Academy Awards. The ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, March 15, 2026, starting at 7 pm EST (4 pm PST, 6pm CST).
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
I am glad that I am not alone in hating another Diane Warren nomination. I was just watching the Awards Contender’s live reaction and the look in his face when Diane Warren was announced said it all. HE HATES Diane Warren. I don’t blame him.
Her being nominated, again, is BULLSHIT. Kate Hudson nominated over Jennifer Lawrence for Die My Love, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another, and Amanda Seyfried for The Testament of Ann Lee is BULLSHIT. Gal Gadot not getting nominated for a Razzie is FACKING BULLSHIT!!!!!
I am happy for Sinners and One Battle After Another though I might watch some of the nominees next month but at home as I don’t have the desire to go to the movie theaters these days as I am not excited for what is coming. I need a mental break and re-watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been helpful. I apologize for some of my behavior in the past weeks which is why I had been silent for a while.
I hope you are safe as I hate what is happening in Minnesota. Fuck ICE and yes, ICE needs to GET THE FUCK OF MINNESOTA!
Hey Steven, I was thinking of you when I saw Dianne Warren got nominated [again!] I haven’t heard the song yet but still I rolled my eyes when I saw her name, LOL.
Yeah, I can’t believe Hudson gets a nom over Lawrence. I haven’t seen Song Sung Blue yet but I really can’t imagine her performance is bolder than Lawrence’s in Die My Love. Ahah, forgot all about The Razzie, but Rachel Zegler should’ve been nominated along w/ Gadot, both are atrocious!
Hey, rewatching LOTR sounds like a great way to get your mind off things. I have been watching lots of feel-good movies, basically kids movies that are not political or dark, given what’s been going on in my state.
I really appreciate your concern… yeah my hubby and I have been staying home a lot lately, too nervous to go out and we’re avoiding crowds and downtown areas for obvious reasons. We even bring our passport cards with us now just in case… can’t believe we’d ever live in fear like we do now… we both escaped dictatorship, so we never thought we’d ever have to face similar situations in a country that proclaims to be ‘land of the free.’
In any case, take care of yourself and stay safe as well where you are, you never know what state ICE will target next 😱
Wonderful posts as always. The Oscar nominations are always interesting to discuss. I would say that for the most part I am quite happy with this year’s selection of nominees. Many of my favourite movies of the year such as “Sentimental Value” have gotten recognition they deserve. I did love Sinners but I feel that its 16 nominations is a little over-the-top. I feel the Academy could have rewarded other films more fairly such as the overlooked “Sorry, Baby”. Still, overall it’s a solid list of nominees and I admit I am curious to see which film will win Best Picture. I am rooting for Hamnet but feel it’s a battle between Sinners and One Battle After Another. I am definitely excited to see which of these movies will emerge victorious.
Here’s my personal thoughts on Sinners:
The Oscars always court controversies, but this year actually feels less problematic and at least it’s not #OscarsSoWhite anymore with lots of people of color nominated, yay!
I think the backlash over Sinners’ record-breaking noms likely has started… as much as I like that film, it does feel over-the-top. At the same time, Coogler is a talented director and he’s got the backing of Christopher Nolan, amongst others, so he’s got the support of respected filmmakers. Yeah, I wish ‘Sorry Baby’ got some love, even Rental Family, which I think is Oscar-worthy. I am still rooting for HAMNET and Chloe Zhao… I sure hope that Marty Supreme would walk away empty handed. I do not think Josh Safdie deserves that director nod, that one should’ve gone to Guillermo Del Toro or Kleber Mendonça Filho!
Thanks for the feedback. I definitely agree that this year the Oscars are less problematic. I like the fact that the nominees are diverse and full of different racial ethnicities. There is always backlash against films that get a ton of nominations. Sinners is one of my favourite films of the year, and I don’t take issue against its nominations. I just feel there were other films that deserved more recognition than they got. Interesting points on Marty Supreme. I am very excited to see it based on the hype. I’m hoping it doesn’t disappoint. Overall, it’s a pretty solid list of nominees.
Yeah, happy about the racial diversity, though female filmmakers are still largely overlooked. I was hoping to see a couple of female filmmakers singled out in the directing or even screenwriting category; oh well.
Yeah, I think theyy could spread the love more with the nominations. I mentioned 28 Years Later being completely shut out. Even as a non-horror fan, I feel that it’s an incredible film that deserves more love.
Am I the only one who feels that Sinners is way overrated?
I know it’s a long shot, all the same I’m disappointed that Joel Edgerton missed out.
F1 for Best Picture? But not It was Just an Accident?
Hi Patrick! I don’t think Sinners is as overrated as Marty Supreme; I’m totally baffled by the love for that movie and Chalamet’s performance. I mean he’s been nominated before, but it’s a travesty that Michael B. Jordan has not been nominated until now. I mentioned to Hassan above that Coogler’s Sinners the backing of Christopher Nolan, amongst others, so he’s got the support of respected filmmakers.
As for F1, yeah surprised that one got in. You and I are in agreement that It was Just an Accident is a much stronger film. Heck, I think 28 Years Later is a better film than F1 and that is coming from a non-horror fan. Hey at least neither Pitt nor Clooney is nominated; that would be ludicrous!!
With all the madness going on in our city, I had no clue about the Oscar noms. But glad to see Sinners getting all the love. I had no idea that Delroy Lindo is British! I’ve seen him in so many movies and he always played an American or African characters, he has never played a British. But I’m glad to see him finally get an Oscar nomination. He should’ve gotten nomination for Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods. While I thought he’s good in Sinner, he’s hardly on screen that often.
I’m trying not to read/watch the news about ICE too much, or my blood pressure is gonna be through the roof! So this Oscar noms is the distraction I need. Yeah I didn’t know Lindo is British either until yesterday when I looked it up. I suppose lots of British talents can switch up their accents so much more seamlessly than American actors. I feel like with him and Stellan, they’ve done SO MANY great work in the past that are often overlooked. Glad they finally get their dues!!
Right there with you on all the snubs. 28 Years Later in cinematography felt the most egregious to me. Boyle and Dod Mantle won for Slumdog. Frankly flabbergasting they didn’t make the shortlist! Biggest axe to grind tho is No Other Choice being shutout completely, no actor, director, not even international feature…
Lots to be furious about, as is always the case with the Academy, but the swell for Sinners is so incredible that I’m more hopeful than usual this Oscars. Praying for a Sinners sweep! 🤞
I agree that 28 Years Later deserves more love… I mentioned Fiennes’ performance being Oscar-worthy (way better than many of the nominees’ performances IMHO). I think the cinematography is outstanding as well. I still haven’t seen No Other Choice yet but I really should get on that! Glad to see Lee Byung-hun in a leading role and sounds like he nailed it, too! His other film he’s involved in, KPop Demon Hunters, likely walks away with the Best Animation Oscar and Best Song though.
I’m hoping Sinners would beat Marty Supreme in everything they’re nominated for… but I’m still rooting for Hamnet! Happy for Chloe Zhao for her second nomination; she joined Jane Campion as the only two women to ever be nominated twice in the directing category, woot!!
Not that I’ve seen many of these movies, but it sounds like an interesting line-up.
10 Best Film noms??? IMO – too many. Seems like industry pandering.
OH NO! I wish Delroy Lindo & Stellan Skarsgård weren’t in competition.
I adore them both. Delroy has an extra special memory in my heart.
Thanks for the Oscar post, Ruth!
You are one hard working film critic/reviewer. How do you find time to work at a job?
You need your own TV show. 1/2 hour a week. So there!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo