- Primary Subject: 98th Academy Awards (2026 Oscars)
- Key Update: Ryan Coogler’s Sinners made history with 16 nominations, while Wicked: For Good was surprisingly shut out of all categories.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 23, 2026
- Quick Answer: The 2026 Oscar nominations were announced January 22, led by Sinners (16 nods). Major snubs include Ariana Grande, Paul Mescal, and director Guillermo del Toro.
The 2026 Oscar nominations are here, and, just like in previous years, they’re stirring controversy.
Sure, there are a handful of contenders everyone expected to see, but there are also some choices that have raised eyebrows among fans and industry pundits alike.
From jaw-dropping snubs to surprising nominations, here’s a breakdown of who got snubbed and who shocked everyone by making the cut in the 2026 Oscars.
Wicked: For Good
After the first Wicked movie performed strongly at the 2025 Oscars, receiving 10 nominations and winning two, it’s a huge surprise that its sequel, Wicked: For Good, was completely shut out this year.
Many expected the film to be a major contender at the 2026 Oscars, but it didn’t receive a single nomination – not even for Ariana Grande, who many felt was deserving of a Best Supporting Actress nod.
The sequel was also overlooked for Best Original Song, despite featuring multiple standout tracks, as well as for Production Design and Costume Design.
No Other Choice
Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice wasn’t expected to be a major contender at the 2026 Oscars, but it was at least anticipated to earn nominations for Best International Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
However, it was completely overlooked, receiving neither nod and no recognition at all.
This continues a troubling pattern of the Oscars snubbing Chan-wook’s work. Hopefully, that will change in the future.
Guillermo Del Toro
While Netflix’s Frankenstein received an impressive nine Oscar nominations, it was a shock that its director, the acclaimed Guillermo del Toro, was snubbed in the Best Director category.
As one of today’s most prolific filmmakers, many expected him to be a frontrunner, given his past Oscar wins, the film’s critical acclaim, and recognition from the Directors Guild of America.
Unfortunately, after winning this category at the 2018 Oscars for The Shape of Water, he lost the nomination this year to Josh Safdie and Joachim Trier, directors of Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value.
Paul Mescal
After being a big winner at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, Hamnet once again received several nominations at the 2026 Oscars.
However, one major recognition it missed out on was Best Supporting Actor for Paul Mescal.
Mescal was widely expected to receive the nod for his incredible performance as William Shakespeare, which brought out the romantic aspect of the film.
While he earned nominations at the Golden Globes, the Actor Awards, the CCA, and BAFTA, this snub was widely discussed across awards coverage.
Chase Infiniti
Chase Infiniti may still be a rising star, but there’s no denying she gave it her all in her breakout performance in One Battle After Another.
While earning an Oscar at a young age is always a challenge, the 25-year-old was widely expected to be among the Best Actress nominees, especially after receiving nods from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, Actor Awards, and BAFTA.
Surprisingly, she was ultimately left off the Oscars list, with many observers calling it one of the year’s most disappointing oversights.
F1
If there’s one nomination that no one saw coming, it was F1’s nod for Best Picture.
The film had been steadily gaining support throughout awards season, even earning a Producers Guild of America nomination. However, its inclusion among the 10 Best Picture nominees came as a genuine surprise.
It’s already a huge win for Brad Pitt’s film, especially since it beat out Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wicked: For Good, both of which were widely predicted to receive nominations but were ultimately snubbed.
Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku
Sinners made history at the 2026 Oscars with its whopping 16 nominations.
While some of the nods were expected, others came as a huge surprise, including Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku’s respective Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress nominations.
These unexpected nods just show the tremendous support Ryan Coogler’s blues‑infused vampire epic Sinners is receiving.
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson might receive nominations from the Golden Globes, Actor Awards, and BAFTA for her role as Claire Sardina in the biopic musical Song Sung Blue, but her Best Actress nod at the 2026 Oscars comes as a huge surprise.
While this marks her second Oscar nomination following her Best Supporting Actress win in 2001 for Almost Famous, the film’s lack of recognition in other categories makes her inclusion in the Best Actress race all the more unexpected.
Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
Despite missing out on BAFTA’s Actor Awards, it was a real shock that Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas earned Best Supporting Actress nominations at the 2026 Oscars.
No one expected them to make the cut, making this recognition a testament to how popular their film Sentimental Value was within the Academy – especially in light of the snubs of Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good) and Odessa A’zion (Marty Supreme).
Jurassic World Rebirth
For the first time, Jurassic World received an Oscar nomination, with Jurassic World: Rebirth earning a nod for Best Visual Effects.
While the original Jurassic Park and The Lost World previously received this recognition, Rebirth’s nomination was a small but notable surprise.
It may not end up winning, though, but its nomination alone has already surprised fans and critics alike.
The 2026 Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood, hosted by Conan O’Brien.
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