The Academy Awards ceremony, set to take place on 15 March, promises to be one of the most competitive and internationally diverse in Oscar history. Following an exceptional year for cinema, marked by acclaimed newcomers and established names returning in ambitious roles, the 98th Oscars highlight two recent trends: the dominance of a select group of Best Picture nominees across various categories and the increasing representation of international and foreign-language films in the nominations.
US comedian Conan O’Brien will be the ceremony’s emcee for the second time.
This year’s awards take place at a time when the film industry is facing significant challenges, including the impact of corporate consolidation. Historic studios are being reshaped by mergers, acquisitions, and ongoing restructuring talks. Additionally, the box office continues to underperform compared to its pre-pandemic levels, and the industry is grappling with the growing influence of new technologies, including AI.
Two films stand out as clear frontrunners. With 16 nominations, Sinners has broken the all-time record, surpassing the long-standing benchmark of 14 nominations jointly held by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016). Close behind is One Battle After Another, with 13 nominations.
A second tier of strong contenders follows. Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, and Sentimental Value each earned nine nominations each, while Hamnet received eight.
Sinners, a vampire saga filmed with IMAX film cameras, has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Its star, Michael B. Jordan, received a Best Actor nod, while supporting performances by Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo were also recognised.
Likewise, up for Best Picture and Best Director is One Battle After Another, a political drama centred on power, loyalty, and moral compromise. Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated for Best Actor, and Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Teyana Taylor have all received nominations for Best Supporting Actor/Actress. The film is also in contention for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Both Sinners and One Battle After Another were produced by Warner Bros, which amassed a total of 30 nominations. Netflix also confirmed its status as a major player in the awards arena, with Frankenstein and Train Dreams earning nine and four nominations, respectively. This brings the streaming service’s total to 18, which is the same number of nominations as indie distributor Neon, which backed several international titles, including Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent.
One of the most striking features of this year’s nominations is their international scope. A record number of foreign-language performances were recognised in the acting categories, and every major category includes at least one international title. French cinema performed particularly strongly, with three French films earning nominations across categories.
A new category has also been introduced this year: Best Casting (Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sonners, The Secret Agent), which expands recognition for work done behind the scenes.
There were, inevitably, surprises. Ariana Grande was left out of the acting nominations for Wicked: For Good, as was Paul Mescal, despite expectations surrounding his performance in Hamnet. Meanwhile, F1, starring Brad Pitt, raced its way into the Best Picture line-up.
The full list of nominations:
Best actress
• Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
• Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
• Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
• Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
• Emma Stone – Bugonia
Best supporting actress
• Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
• Amy Madigan – Weapons
• Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
• Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best supporting actor
• Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
• Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
• Delroy Lindo – Sinners
• Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
• Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Best director
• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
• Ryan Coogler – Sinners
• Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
• Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
• Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Best adapted screenplay
• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• One Battle After Another
• Train Dreams
Best original screenplay
• Blue Moon
• It Was Just an Accident
• Marty Supreme
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
