98th Oscars March 15: Sinners Makes History With 16 Nominations
The 98th Academy Awards are set for Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Conan O’Brien returning as host. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and Hulu.
Sinners Sets a New Oscar Record
Ryan Coogler’s genre-defying film Sinners has made history by earning 16 Academy Award nominations, the most ever received by a single film. This surpasses the previous record of 14 nominations held by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016).
The nominations span major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan—his first Oscar nomination.
A Landmark for Representation and Craft
Sinners also broke ground by tying the record for the most Black individuals nominated for a single film, with ten nominations.
Notable individual milestones include:
– Ruth E. Carter, costume designer for Sinners, becoming the most-nominated Black woman in Oscar history with her fifth nomination.
– Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the film’s cinematographer, becoming only the fourth woman of color ever nominated in that category.
Other Major Contenders
Trailing Sinners is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which received 13 nominations, including in key categories like Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score.
Other films with significant nods include:
– Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value—each with nine nominations.
– Hamnet, with eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Jessie Buckley.
New Category: Best Casting
This year marks the introduction of the Best Casting category—the first new award added in over two decades. Sinners, One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and The Secret Agent are among the nominees.
International Cinema and Diversity Highlights
The nominations reflect the Academy’s growing international and diverse representation:
– Films like Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, Sirât, and The Voice of Hind Rajab are among the international feature nominees.
– Sentimental Value earned three acting nominations, including for Stellan Skarsgård and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas—marking a milestone for Norwegian-language performances.
Summary Table
| Film | Nominations | Notable Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Sinners | 16 | Record-breaking total; Best Picture, Director, Actor; historic representation |
| One Battle After Another | 13 | Strong contender across major categories |
| Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value | 9 each | Multiple major nominations |
| Hamnet | 8 | Best Picture, Best Actress (Jessie Buckley) |
Looking Ahead to March 15
With Sinners leading the nominations and making history, the upcoming Oscars promise to be one of the most anticipated ceremonies in recent memory. The film’s dominance across categories, combined with its cultural and representational significance, positions it as a frontrunner. However, One Battle After Another remains a formidable challenger, especially in major categories.
Expect a dynamic and potentially groundbreaking night on March 15, 2026, as the Academy Awards unfold.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
