The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards are here, and this year, it offered a number of surprises and snubs, the most obvious of which is a complete shutout for Wicked: For Good. The first nomination itself – Elle Fanning in the Best Supporting Actress category – was a surprise to many who thought she would be overlooked. This paved the way for many unexpected names to appear in the list. Here are the biggest takeaways from the nominations. (Also Read: Complete list of Oscar 2026 nominations: Sinners creates history, becomes most nominated film ever with 16 awards)
The evil is despised for the good
Last year, Wicked earned 10 Oscar nominations and won two awards. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande both earned accolades in the acting categories. Wicked: For Good was also one of the highest-grossing films of the year, but the Academy has now shut out the Jon M Chu film entirely, with even Ariana (who was once a frontrunner in the category) missing out on the spot.
More love for international films and shows
The Academy has shown greater affinity towards international films over the years, and this time too, it was no different. Brazil’s The Secret Agent and Norway’s Sentimental Value won best picture. The Secret Agent also entered a brand new category for casting, a much-deserved category for a group of character actors in a political thriller. Elsewhere, Spain’s Seurat was awarded best sound.
But the major revelation was the inclusion of international performances in all four acting categories. Secret Agent’s Wagner Moura and Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsway scored in the lead-up to the Best Actor and Best Actress categories respectively. Inga Ibsdotter Lilias and Stellan Skarsgård were recognized in the supporting categories.
Stellan Skarsgård’s nomination is particularly significant, as it is the first time he has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for an international film. In the 97 years of the Academy Awards, that particular category has been sealed, despite other actors being recognized in the other three acting categories.
Sinners creates history with highest number of nominations
Sinners was expected to perform well on the day of Oscar nominations, but Ryan Coogler’s film has defied expectations and set a new record. With a staggering 16 nominations, Sinners has scored a record-breaking total, surpassing previous joint record holders La La Land, Titanic and All About Eve. All these films got 14 points. Some surprise nominations for The Sinners included Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku in the supporting actor categories.
Snubs for hot favorites
Paul Mescal was considered a lock for Hamnet in the Best Supporting Actor category, given how well placed the film was in the Best Picture race. Although Chloé Zhao’s adaptation performed very well as expected, earning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress awards – it was Paul who was overlooked.
The other early favorite to receive a nomination was Chase Infiniti for a back-to-back battle. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film was the second most nominated film, earning awards in all three remaining acting categories. Chase, who began her acting career in the film, was the only actress who missed out on recognition.
Australian actor Joel Edgerton gave his best performance in Train Dreams, but missed out on the Best Actor race. However, the film was well received by the Academy, earning Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Original Song, and Best Adapted Screenplay nominations.