The 98th Academy Awards nominations, announced on January 22, 2026, delivered a headline-making moment as Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners emerged as the most-nominated film of the year with a record 16 nominations. Close behind, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another secured 13 nominations, setting up a two-film race narrative heading into the final stretch of awards season.
The milestone
Multiple outlets described Sinners’ 16-nomination tally as an all-time high for a single film at the Oscars, pushing it into rarefied awards-season history.
Sinners’ historic haul: where the film landed
Anchored by Michael B. Jordan (nominated for Actor in a Leading Role) and filmmaker Ryan Coogler (nominated for Directing), Sinners showed up across major categories and a broad spread of crafts—an indicator of wide Academy support.
Key nominations for Sinners include
- Best Picture
- Directing – Ryan Coogler
- Actor in a Leading Role – Michael B. Jordan
- Actor in a Supporting Role – Delroy Lindo
- Actress in a Supporting Role – Wunmi Mosaku
- Writing (Original Screenplay) – Written by Ryan Coogler
- Cinematography – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
- Music (Original Score) – Ludwig Göransson
- Music (Original Song) – “I Lied To You” (from Sinners)
- Plus multiple craft categories including Costume Design, Production Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound, Visual Effects, Film Editing, and the new Casting category.
Box-office context
Beyond awards momentum, Sinners has also been a commercial performer, with reports putting it at roughly $368M worldwide.
One Battle After Another close behind with 13 nominations
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another remains the other major pillar of this year’s nominations story, landing in top categories including Best Picture and Directing, with key acting recognition as well.
Standout nominations for One Battle After Another include
- Best Picture
- Directing – Paul Thomas Anderson
- Actor in a Leading Role – Leonardo DiCaprio
- Supporting nominations include Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn (Supporting Actor) and Teyana Taylor (Supporting Actress).
The new category in play: Casting
This year’s nominations also spotlight the Academy’s newer competitive addition: Casting. Both Sinners and One Battle After Another are nominated in the category, underlining how strongly each film landed with the industry’s behind-the-camera branches.
India watch: International Feature nominees (not India this year)
While several Indian film conversations ran alongside nomination day, India does not feature among the five nominees for International Feature Film. The nominated countries/films are:
Brazil – The Secret Agent; France – It Was Just an Accident; Norway – Sentimental Value; Spain – Sirât; Tunisia – The Voice of Hind Rajab.
What happens next
The 98th Oscars ceremony takes place on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
With Sinners leading the nomination count and One Battle After Another close behind, the next phase is about conversion—whether the nomination sweep translates into major wins when final voting closes.
—By Manoj H