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After months of screenings, campaigning and interviews, the 98th Academy Award nominations were finally announced.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners broke the record for the most-nominated film in history, with nods across 16 categories. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was hot on its heels, earning 13 nominations overall.
While we expected those two films to appear in multiple categories, there were plenty more surprises to be had. Let’s break down the winners, the losers, the surprises, and the snubs.
ALSO READ: Nerdspin’s 15 Best Films Of 2025 by Amelia Harvey
A Win For Horror Films
It’s hard to argue that Sinners isn’t the clear winner of the day. Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror scored a record-breaking 16 nominations, flying way past the previous joint record holders La La Land, Titanic, and All About Eve, which earned 14 noms each.
Sinners isn’t the kind of film that normally resonates with voters, despite being a real feat of artistic achievement. It’s a horror film about blues music, set against the backdrop of the Mississippi Delta, released last spring. It was a real passion project for Coogler and lead actor Michael B. Jordan, and as far from Oscar bait as possible.
Traditionally, horror and horror performances don’t get the attention they deserve at the Oscars. The Silence of the Lambs was the only horror film to win Best Picture, although you could argue that it was closer to a thriller. The Sinners sweep, which includes Lead Actor for Jordan and supporting noms for Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo, feels like the genre is finally getting the credit it deserves.
While Weapons missed out on Best Picture and Original Screenplay, Amy Madigan did land a Supporting Actress nomination for the iconic Aunt Gladys. So many memorable characters on the big screen come from the horror genre, yet so few actually land a nomination. We’ll glad they loved Madigan’s haunting yet camp performance as Gladys as much as we did.
Toni Collette (Hereditary), Lupita Nyong’o (Us), and Mia Goth (Pearl) were all criminally overlooked, which many discarding their chances because their performances were in horror films. The joke was, unless your name was Jordan Peele, the Academy Awards had no interest in your modern horror.
The Ugly Stepsisters’ nomination for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Award feels like a long time coming. The category has always been too focused on period styling and biopic transformations, that it has missed out on awarding horror makeup and hairstyling. Although the inaugural winner was An American Werewolf in London, the category slightly lost its way. Let’s hope the inclusion of The Ugly Stepsisters and Sinners reminds voters not to forget the beauty of horror makeup.
Frankenstein rounded up the group of horror films nominated this year at the Academy Awards. Del Toro is no stranger to the academy, but we’re still happy they appreciated his gory, weird take on Shelley’s literary classic. It feels especially monumental that Jacob Elordi landed a nom for playing the creature, when this type of role is usually overlooked and underplayed by voters.
So, is this just the start of Hollywood taking horror seriously?
The Bubble Burst For Wicked And Other Films Totally Snubbed
There are always going to be snubs. Not everyone can be nominated, not even the best performances of the year can be nominated. Of course, there are still names who have appeared at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards who failed to appear in this morning’s announcement.
We knew Wicked: Too Good couldn’t match the 10 nominations of its predecessors, but few expected the musical sequel to walk away with nothing. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo had an outside chance for acting nods, but there was still hope that Jon M. Chu’s sequel would fare better in the technical departments. At last year’s ceremony, Wicked won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, yet the poor reviews and a less-than-magical box office left Academy voters far from bewitched. Not even Paul Tazewell’s costumes could impress voters, and the less said about the lacklustre two new songs, the better.
Another franchise which lost steam was Avatar. The first film received nine Oscar nominations; the second, four but this morning, the third, Avatar: Fire and Ash, received only two, for costume design and visual effects. The lacklustre reception to the film likely hurt Miley Cyrus’ chance of landing her first Oscar nod for her song “Dream as One”, which featured on the soundtrack.
Park Chan-wook-directed dark comedy No Other Choice felt like the kind of film that could appeal to the Oscars. Sadly, the film failed to resonate with voters and didn’t receive a single nomination. We know Best Picture was a crowded field, but for it not even get a Best International Feature nomination is a shock. It seems the voters aren’t a fan of the South Korean filmmaker, as his previous film, Decision To Leave, failed to make an impact.
Two Big Name Actresses Missing From Award Season
While Jessie Buckley feels a sure-fire win for Lead Actress, winning nearly every award she can this season for Hamnet, the category wasn’t as nailed down as expected. Kate Hudson shockingly landed a nod for her role in the Neil Diamond tribute act biopic Song Sung Blue. This meant Chase Infiniti sadly lost out on her first nomination for One Battle After Another. Still, at only 25, there are plenty of other opportunities for the talented actor.
But two big names were missing not just from the Academy Awards but from the entire conversation. Jennifer Lawrence, an actress who earned five nominations in six years, was snubbed on her return to the big screen. Despite giving one of the year’s rawest and most powerful performances in Die My Love, it failed to connect with voters. Despite Lawrence being much-loved, the experimental film about postpartum depression was maybe a little too difficult a watch for the academy.
Amanda Seyfried’s The Testament of Ann Lee had mixed reviews, but there is no doubting Seyfried’s work as the leader of the Shakers. Her performance in the epic musical drama was bold, unexpected, and earnest. While it did gather some traction, earning her a Critics Choice Award, her name was nowhere to be seen on Academy Award nomination day.
Both Lawrence and Seyfried gave career-best performances as mothers trying to cope with their failing mental health (albeit one started a religion and the other barked like a dog on the porch). Perhaps Buckley’s powerhouse portrayal of grieving mother Agnes in Hamnet overshadowed them both, or maybe the poor distribution tactics led to the lack of nominations for both actresses and films.
Tragedy For Paul Mescal’s Shakespeare
One of the big acting snubs was Paul Mescal, who was praised for his role as William Shakespeare in Hamnet. The actor, who earned a surprise nomination in 2022 for Aftersun, shockingly did not appear on the Supporting Actors list.
While he has been absent from many of the FYC events due to his commitments to the upcoming The Beatles biopic, many expected him to be swept along with Jessie Buckley’s mighty season. Despite the 8 nominations, including Best Director, Best Actress for Buckley, and Best Picture, Paul couldn’t make the cut. However, we can’t complain that the fifth spot in Supporting Actor went to the underrated Delroy Lindo.
So, what went wrong for the Irishman? Many suspect category fraud, and that he may have fared better in the leading category. It’s a shameful omission as much of the emotional payoff from Hamnet’s finale comes from Paul’s sensitivity in the role of the bard. Sure, Buckley outacts him, but few people could compare to that powerhouse performance. He should be credited more for holding his own in a role that requires a strong silence over showy acting.
Other actors who had some momentum this awards season but ended up missing included Jesse Plemons for Bugonia and Joel Edgerton for Train Dreams. While both of those movies made it into Best Picture, their lead performances didn’t quite make the final cut.
Will Timothée Chalamet Beat Leonardo DiCaprio?
Timothée Chalamet has often been called the young Leonardo DiCaprio, and now the two will battle against each other for Leading Actor.
Currently, the Marty Supreme star is leading the pack, but Leo could sweep in at the last minute and win things. Afterall, Timmy was the frontrunner last year for his performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown but ultimately lost the gong to Adrian Brody in The Brutalist.
Aged just 30, he is also the youngest actor since Marlon Brando to receive three nominations for best leading actor. Remarkably, he has also starred in eight Best Picture-nominated films. Chalamet is also nominated as a producer for Marty Supreme as part of the movie’s Best Picture nod.
The nomination comes after Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award wins. Chalamet has certainly made headlines with his promotional antics for the Josh Safdie film. Some even wondered if his relentless behaviour to get the film’s name out there would hinder his Oscar chances. Looks like voters didn’t mind the actor standing on the Las Vegas sphere, dressing reality stars in his jacket, and sending ping-pong balls to critics.
The Rise Of Non-English Language Cinema
When Parasite won Best Picture in 2020, we all hoped it would open the floodgates to more non-English language cinema earning nominations. 10 such best picture nominations happened between 1938, and 2017. 12 have now happened between 2018 and 2026. This year saw a real boost in non-English films, especially in the acting and directing categories.
It was another great year for Brazilian cinema. The Secret Agent was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best International Film, and Achievement in Casting. It shares Brazil’s record for nominations, alongside 2002’s City of God. The film follows a widowed father, played by Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura, who becomes a target of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s.
Moura is the first Brazilian actor to receive a nomination in this category. He is only the third Brazilian actor to be nominated for an Oscar, following Fernanda Montenegro for Central Station and Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here.
The Secret Agent’s nomination for Best Picture is particularly significant as it marks Brazil’s second consecutive nomination, following last year’s I’m Still Here. These nods are a boost for Brazilian cinema and have opened up conversations about the country’s dark history.
Norwegian drama Sentimental Value earned nine nominations, trailing only Sinners, One Battle after Another, Frankenstein, and Marty Supreme. Director Trier even edged out three-time Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro to land a Best Director nomination. The biggest win for the film and international cinema was the surprising Best Supporting Actor nomination for Stellan Skarsgård. The nomination marks Skarsgård’s first Oscar nom and is the first time an actor in a film not in the English language has been nominated in the category.
Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas also received acting nominations for their role in the family drama, which follows a famous father trying to reconnect with his adult daughters. In 2022, Trier’s last film, The Worst Person In The World, landed only two Oscar nominations for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. At the time, the two nominations were impressive for an indie director who had made their name on the European film festival circuit.
One loser was It Was Just an Accident. The Iranian film had all the ingredients for a Best Picture nomination, yet it eluded Jafar Panahi. Previous Palme d’Or winners all landed a spot on the list, plus Panahi had been sentenced to a year in prison in Iran, but neither helped its prospects. Still, Panahi earned another nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The drama remarkably found humanity in the Iranian regime and added lightness to a pitch-black era in history.
The Worst Best Picture Nomination Ever? Probably Not, But It’s A Surprise One
Is F1 the worst Best Picture nomination in the history of the Oscars? If you asked film fans todays probably. One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet, Frankenstein felt lock-ins, but Best Picture was always going to cause some surprises.
The Apple Original Films blockbuster that bordered on a two hour long commercial for Formula One isn’t the traditional type of film to land in the category, but it does fit a recent trend. Ford v Ferrari and Top Gun: Maverick both earned Best Picture noms, and F1 fits that mould. It’s a well-crafted blockbuster with a huge box office and a big-name lead star in Brad Pitt. Afterall, the category moved from five to ten nominations in 2009 because people felt crowd-pleasers were being consistently overlooked in favour of more prestigious projects.
Should Best Picture ever reflect popularity and box office as much as technical and writing achievement? That is an argument that will come to a different result depending on your personal beliefs. I feel like it’s a missed opportunity for smaller films to find bigger audiences. Sirat, Hedda, or The Testament of Ann Lee would have been more deserving and would have benefited more from inclusion.
All eyes are now on whether Sinners can convert its record-breaking nominations into major wins on Oscar night. Conan O’Brien is returning to host the Oscars live on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
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