A changing Academy as this year’s Oscar nominations are revealed

This last week we learned the films that will be battling it out at the Oscars in March, with the reveal of the Oscar nominations 2026 for the prestigious awards. The last couple of years have seen a diverse range of films reach the major categories. Gone are the days of prestige dramas being the Academy’s default favourites. Instead, we are seeing the continued rise of independent cinema and genre films gaining a stronger presence.

Best Picture

The Academy’s grandest award, Best Picture, sees ten films nominated. Some years it is an open race, other years there is a clear frontrunner, but this year there appear to be several films in genuine contention.

Perhaps the favourite is Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically satirising oddball action comedy One Battle After Another, though potential upsets could come from the growing momentum behind Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror Sinners and Chloé Zhao’s quietly devastating depiction of grief in Hamnet.

Overall, the Best Picture nominees reflect what a year 2025 was for cinema. The list spans a quirky sci-fi thriller in Bugonia, a restrained portrait of life in Train Dreams, a grand literary adaptation in Frankenstein, an adrenaline-fuelled blockbuster in F1, a globetrotting character study in Marty Supreme, and the inclusion of two international features in Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent.

Acting categories

The acting categories once again showcase many of the finest performers working today. Best Actor appears to be shaping up as a two-way contest between Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob Ferguson in One Battle After Another and Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Mauser in Marty Supreme.

Previous awards bodies, including the Golden Globes, have nudged the race in Chalamet’s favour, but the category also features three standout performances: Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon, Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent, and Michael B Jordan in dual roles in Sinners.

Best Actress is no less competitive. At present, Jessie Buckley’s devastating performance as the grieving mother Agnes in Hamnet appears likely to take the prize. She faces strong competition from Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Value, Emma Stone in Bugonia, and Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue.

Snubs and surprises

The Oscars are never without their share of snubs and surprises, and this year’s nominations are no exception. In the Best Picture category, many were surprised by the inclusion of F1, while films such as Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, and Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident were notably absent, although the latter did receive a deserved International Feature nomination.

One of the most striking omissions was Wicked For Good, which received no nominations at all, a sharp contrast to the ten nominations secured by the first Wicked film.

The acting categories also delivered unexpected turns. Best Supporting Actor included a welcome surprise with a nomination for Lewisham’s own Delroy Lindo, recognised for his role as Delta Slim in Sinners. That inclusion, however, created a notable absence, with Paul Mescal missing out for his performance as William Shakespeare in Hamnet.

One Battle After Another led the field with thirteen nominations, yet one category it failed to crack was Best Actress, where breakout star Chase Infiniti was overlooked.

Sinners and the place of genre cinema

A special mention must go to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which has now become the most nominated film in the Academy’s 97-year history, with sixteen nominations. These include Best Picture and acting categories, alongside recognition for cinematography, original screenplay, score, and a Best Director nomination for Coogler himself.

The Academy’s embrace of Sinners may also signal a shift in its relationship with genre cinema. Horror nominations have historically been rare, but recent years have seen a gradual change. Films such as Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance paved the way with substantial nominations and wins.

Now, in 2026, the cinematic landscape looks markedly different. The most nominated film in Oscar history is a horror film. Sinners is not alone either. Other genre-leaning nominations include Amy Madigan for her supporting role in Weapons and recognition for the hair and make-up work on The Ugly Stepsister. With each passing year, the films the Academy chooses to recognise appear increasingly drawn from genres once kept at arm’s length, creating a broader and more balanced awards landscape.

For the full official list of nominees, readers can view the Academy’s announcement on the official Oscars website.

For more coverage of film, theatre, and the wider arts world, follow EyeOnLondon for intelligent reviews, analysis, and cultural insight.

[Image Credit | PBS]

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