History Made: 'Sinners' Shatters Records at 98th Oscar Nominations

Hollywood woke up to a seismic shift this morning as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominations for the 98th annual Academy Awards, and the results prove that representation and bold storytelling are reshaping what Oscar gold looks like.

Record-Breaking Representation

Ryan Coogler's vampire horror epic "Sinners" made history with an unprecedented 16 nominations, shattering the previous record of 14 held by "All About Eve," "Titanic," and "La La Land." For Black creatives, this moment represents more than numbers—it's validation that our stories, told our way, resonate at the highest levels.

Michael B. Jordan earned his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor, playing dual roles as twin gangsters Smoke and Stack in the 1930s Mississippi-set film. Coogler's nominations span Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, cementing his status as one of cinema's most important voices.

But "Sinners" isn't the only film showcasing Black excellence. The film also earned nominations for Delroy Lindo in Best Supporting Actor and Wunmi Mosaku in Best Supporting Actress—recognition that speaks to the depth of talent Coogler assembled for this project.

More Groundbreaking Moments

The morning's announcements revealed other significant representation wins:

Teyana Taylor received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for "One Battle After Another," further proving her range extends far beyond music into serious dramatic territory. Paul Thomas Anderson's film, which follows closely behind "Sinners" with 13 nominations, also features Leonardo DiCaprio in the Best Actor race.

The Academy also introduced a groundbreaking new category this year: Best Casting. This inaugural category will be voted on by the Casting Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, finally recognizing the crucial work of finding the right talent for roles—work that directly impacts representation on screen.

The Contenders

Beyond "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another," "Marty Supreme" and "Frankenstein" each earned nine nominations, while "Bugonia" and "Hamnet" scored eight nods.

In the Best Picture race, ten films are competing: "Bugonia," "F1," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "One Battle After Another," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," "Sinners," and "Train Dreams."

Timothée Chalamet earned his second consecutive Best Actor nomination, this time for "Marty Supreme," after last year's nod for "A Complete Unknown." Other Best Actor nominees include Ethan Hawke for "Blue Moon" and Wagner Moura for "The Secret Agent."

The Best Actress category features Jessie Buckley ("Hamnet"), Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"), Kate Hudson ("Song Sung Blue"), Renate Reinsve ("Sentimental Value"), and Emma Stone ("Bugonia").

International Cinema Steps Forward

Foreign films commanded significant attention in this year's nominations. Cannes titles "Sentimental Value," "The Secret Agent," "Sirat," and "It Was Just an Accident" all garnered multiple nominations, demonstrating the Academy's increasingly global perspective.

The Best International Feature category includes "The Secret Agent" (Brazil), "It Was Just an Accident" (France), "Sentimental Value" (Norway), "Sirāt" (Spain), and "The Voice of Hind Rajab" (Tunisia).

What This Means

The dominance of "Sinners" in these nominations signals something critics have been saying for years: genre films—particularly horror—deserve recognition alongside prestige dramas. Horror films have traditionally been left out of the Oscars, making Ryan Coogler's achievement even more remarkable.

For Black filmmakers and actors, this morning's announcements represent progress, though questions about sustained representation remain. Will this be a turning point or an anomaly? The answer lies in whether Hollywood continues supporting diverse voices with resources, distribution, and yes—awards consideration.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET, airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu, with Conan O'Brien returning as host.

As we count down to March 15, one thing is certain: "Sinners" has already won by changing the conversation about what stories deserve Oscar's attention. The rest is just hardware.

What are your thoughts on this year's nominations? Share your reactions on social media using #Oscars2026, and stay tuned to Cup of Soul Show for more awards season coverage.