Oscar Nominations 2026

(Source: Variety) 

Yesterday morning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did something they reportedly hadn't done in 25 years. They've added a new category in their roster of recognizing cinema throughout 2025: Best Casting. (It was announced last year that the Oscars would include another new category, in recognition of stunt work in film, but it won't be until the 2028 ceremony—the 100th—when such an award is first given.) 

The five films of 2025 nominated for their respective casting—all of which are also up for Best Picture—make up a majority of the most-recognized films this season. With a record-breaking sixteen nominations (more than the previous 14 shared by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land each), Ryan Coogler's vampire-music genre-bender Sinners was honored for Michael B. Jordan's dual leading roles (a first since Nicolas Cage’s work in Adaptation. 23 years ago), as well as supporting roles from Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku. The film is also nominated for Coogler's directing, original screenplay, and co-producing credit, as well as Ludwig Goranssôn's score and original song (shared with Raphael Saadiq), its 70mm Panavision cinematography, makeup & hairstyling, sound, visual effects, production design, costume design, and film editing. This officially makes Sinners the most-nominated horror film in the Academy's history. (Could it become the second to win, after The Silence of the Lambs 34 years ago?) 

Paul Thomas Anderson shares with Coogler multiple nominations, as writer, director, and co-producer on One Battle After Another. The dark political comedy’s 13 nominations include performances by previous winners Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and (as a first-time nominee) Teyana Taylor. Ditto its Vistavision cinematography, sound, production design, film editing, and Jonny Greenwood's subversive score. 

Chloé Zhao is close behind Anderson, for her directing and adapted screenplay (shared with author Maggie O’Farrell) for the Shakespearean drama Hamnet . One of its 8 nominations marks a first for co-producer Steven Spielberg since 2018 (when The Post was recognized). Hamnet is also being commended for its production design, costume design, and Max Richter’s amazing score. Although, I'm rooting for Jessie Buckley's lead performance (one of my favorites of 2025). 

Tying with Hamnet is Josh Safdie’s loosely-based, anxiety-inducing table tennis drama Marty Supreme . Along with Safdie being nominated as Best Director, the filmmaker shares a few other the film’s 8 nominations with Ronald Bronstein, including original screenplay, film editing and co-producing. The latter is also shared with lead actor Timothee Chalamet (a high contender, thanks to his high-wire performance). The actor could also make history as one of the youngest Best Actor recipients. The film is also nominated for its cinematography, costume design, and production design. The latter marks Jack Fisk's fourth nomination, having previously worked with Paul Thomas Anderson, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and Martin Scorsese, as well as a frequent collaborator of Terrence Malick and the late David Lynch. 

With four categories, the Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent is one of two international films nominated for Best Picture (alongside Sentimental Value). Wagner Mauro's (from the Netflix series Narcos) is the first Brazilian actor in the show's history to be nominated, and the third Brazilian recognized overall, after Fernanda Montenegro and Fernanda Torres. 

Two other Best Picture honorees have 9 nominations each: Joachim Trier's aforementioned Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value was honored for its performances by Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard, Elle Fanning, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (all first-time nominees). Ditto its film editing, as well as Trier's directing and original screenplay (shared with Eskil Vogt). Then there’s Guillermo del Toro's take on Mary Shelley's Gothic horror Frankenstein, being recognized for the visionary director’s adapted screenplay, as well as makeup and hairstyling, cinematography, sound, production design, costume design, Alexandre Desplat's score, and Jacob Elordi's supporting role as the Monster. 

The remaining three Best Picture contenders have 4 nominations each. Joseph Kosinski's racing drama F1 is being recognized for its sound, film editing, and visual effects. Producing credits are shared among Kosinski, star Brad Pitt, and Jerry Bruckheimer (a first since Top Gun: Maverick three years ago). Yorgos Lanthimos' dark comedy Bugonia (including Emma Stone's leading role, its adapted screenplay, and Jerskin Fendrix's score; Lanthimos and Stone share producing credits as well), and Clint Bentley's Train Dreams (including its stunning cinematography, original title song by Nick Cave and composer Bryce Dessner, and Bentley and Greg Kwedar's adapted screenplay). 

While entries like Netflix & Sony Animation's music sensation KPop Demon Hunters and the mind-boggling visual effects of Avatar: Fire and Ash were no-brainers, it's a pity that films like Noah Baumbach's worthy dramedy Jay Kelly (nothing for Adam Sandler or George Clooney?!?), Wes Anderson's artistic and character-driven piece The Phoenician Scheme (which featured another superb Benicio del Toro performance), and Benny Safdie's UFC biopic The Smashing Machine (Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt) were completely shut out of competition—save for a makeup and hairstyling nod for the latter. Some people may also be upset that Wicked: For Good was snubbed as well. A few surprise nominations, on the other hand, include Kate Hudson's leading role as Claire Sardinia a.k.a. “Thunder” in Craig Brewer's Song Sung Blue (her first since Almost Famous 25 years ago), Ethan Hawke's leading role as lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater's Blue Moon (his first since Boyhood 11 years ago), and Amy Madigan's chilling, skin-crawling supporting role as Gladys in Zach Cregger's Weapons (her first since Twice in a Lifetime 40 years ago). 

With Conan O'Brien returning as this year's host, the ceremony has some pretty heavy competition amongst, primarily, Warner Bros (which distributed Sinners and One Battle), Shakespeare, a ping pong hustler, a classic movie monster, and a Cannes-winning favorite. It's anyone's guess who will come out on top or evenly. Ditto if Sandler will make another surprise appearance. Chalamet!