The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards are officially out and this year’s list feels like a cinematic playlist you actually want to dive into. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the full lineup of contenders across 24 categories, spotlighting a fresh mix of blockbuster energy, auteur filmmaking, and boundary-pushing global cinema. The Oscars ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with comedian Conan O’Brien returning as host for a second year.
Topping the pack this year is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a genre-blending epic that just smashed records. It scored 16 nominations, the most in Oscars history, eclipsing classics like Titanic and La La Land. The nominations include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and acting nods for Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo. This marks a major moment for the film and its cast, and it cements Sinners as the biggest story of Oscar nomination morning.
Right behind it is Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another‘ with 13 nominations, proving that auteur-driven cinema still commands respect from the Academy and from movie lovers alike.
Best Picture is a hot fire shortlist this year, featuring ten films that span genres and global stories: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams. Each title brings something different to the table, from historical drama to sci-fi spectacle and intimate character work.
In acting categories, heavy hitters like Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, and Wagner Moura are battling it out for Best Actor. The Best Actress lineup stars Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone, all delivering powerhouse performances that already have fans and critics buzzing.
This year also sees a fresh twist with the introduction of a new Best Casting category. It is the Oscars’ first new category in two decades, giving recognition to the art of assembling the cast, something fans have always debated on social media.
On the awards front, international cinema again made serious waves with non-English films like Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent earning Best Picture nominations and nods in performance and directing categories.
The race to March 15 is officially on, and it feels like cinema’s biggest night has never been more electric.
