“Sinners” rewrites Oscar history with 16 nominations, reshaping the 98th Academy Awards race as “One Battle After Another” and a wave of first-time nominees usher in the season’s most unpredictable phase.
When the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced, one film immediately pulled the awards season off its axis. “Sinners” led the field with 16 nominations, setting a new Academy record and surpassing the long‑standing benchmark of 14 nominations previously held by “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997), and “La La Land” (2016). No film has ever entered the final stretch of Oscar voting with broader institutional recognition.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” appeared across nearly every major category, including Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Production Design, Film Editing, Sound, Visual Effects, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, and Original Song (“I Lied To You”). Its dominance was both creative and technical, a rare alignment that positioned the film as the defining work of the year.
The acting nominations underscored that breadth. Michael B. Jordan received a Leading Actor nod, while Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku were recognized in supporting categories. Together, the performances reinforced the film’s standing not simply as an awards juggernaut, but as a work anchored by character and emotional weight.
The scale of “Sinners” also reshaped the studio leaderboard. Warner Bros. emerged as the most‑nominated distributor overall, driven largely by “Sinners” and another major contender, “One Battle After Another.”
Teyana Taylor and a breakthrough moment in “One Battle After Another”
While “Sinners” set records, another film quietly amassed its own formidable showing. “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, earned 13 nominations, making it the second‑most nominated film of the year.
Among those recognized was Teyana Taylor, who received a Supporting Actress nomination — her first acting nod from the Academy. The recognition placed Taylor alongside a cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn, all previous Oscar winners.
Taylor’s nomination stood out not just for its placement, but for what it signaled. Long known for her work in music, fashion, and performance, she entered this season without the institutional backing often afforded to prestige‑film mainstays. Her inclusion suggested a recalibration — one that recognizes range, risk, and presence over resume alone.
The film itself was cited across major categories, including Best Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound, Production Design, and Original Score, positioning it as a serious challenger in a year dominated by a single, record‑breaking title.
Beyond the two leading films, this year’s nominations reflected a broader shift. Eleven acting nominees were recognized for the first time, while Amy Madigan returned to the acting categories 40 years after her first nomination for “Twice in a Lifetime.”
International cinema maintained its momentum as well. For the eighth consecutive year, at least one non‑English‑language film was nominated for Best Picture, with “The Secret Agent” and “Sentimental Value” joining a select group of films recognized simultaneously in Best Picture and International Feature Film.
Women reached new highs across creative and technical categories, with 74 women nominated overall, the most in Academy history. The introduction of Achievement in Casting, the first new Oscar category since 2001, further underscored an industry reassessing how labor and authorship are valued.
With nominations now set, the contest enters its most volatile stage. Final voting for the 98th Academy Awards opens on Feb. 26, 2026, and closes on March 5, a compressed window in which late momentum, shifting narratives, and industry conversations can still reshape outcomes. All ballots are cast online, in secret, and tabulated by the independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers — a system built for discretion, even as public scrutiny intensifies.
The season will culminate on March 15, 2026, when the ceremony takes place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The awards will be broadcast live on ABC, streamed on Hulu, and aired in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Between now and then, films like “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” will be campaigned, contested, and reconsidered. The nominations have drawn the map. The voting will decide what endures.
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