Sinners smashes records as Oscar nominations are announced
The Oscar race is officially on, and this year’s nominations delivered a mix of celebration, disbelief and more than a few hard-luck stories.
Sinners makes history with 16 nominations
Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners led the way with a record-breaking 16 nominations, making it the most-nominated film in Academy Awards history. The film, which stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers running a blues club in 1930s Mississippi while facing racism and vampires, is up for best picture, director, acting prizes and the newly introduced casting award.
The nominations were revealed by Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman in Los Angeles, and the reaction across Hollywood was swift. Big smiles greeted nods for stars including Teyana Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessie Buckley, Wunmi Mosaku, Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet, while others were left wondering how their names didn’t make the cut.
Paul Mescal misses out on nomination
Close behind Sinners was Paul Thomas Anderson’s countercultural comedy One Battle After Another with 13 nominations. Anderson, who has previously been known as an Oscars nearly-man, is again seen as a major contender for best picture and director. Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet also had a strong showing with eight nominations, though fans were surprised to see Paul Mescal miss out on a nomination despite the film’s overall success.
Buckley said she was disappointed for her co-star, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I think he’s extraordinary in this film. I know I’ve met a partner for life in doing this with him … There’s no part of what I created or what we created in this story which exists without Paul and what he poured into this story.”
Who’s up for Best Picture?
Other big players this year include Marty Supreme, Frankenstein and Sentimental Value, each landing nine nominations. All three are in the best picture race, alongside Bugonia, F1, Hamnet, The Secret Agent and Train Dreams. Brad Pitt’s racing film F1 was one of the more unexpected inclusions in the top category.
The new Casting Award
The new casting Oscar also made its debut, with nominations going to Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent and Sinners. Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor welcomed the addition, taking a swipe at artificial intelligence along the way by saying “the heartbeat of film is and will always remain unmistakably human”.
The nominations that are making history
There were also historic moments. Sinners’ costume design nomination made Ruth E. Carter the most-nominated Black woman in Oscars history, while cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became only the fourth woman ever nominated in that category. Sentimental Value stood out for its international success, including a supporting actor nomination for Stellan Skarsgård, while The Secret Agent star Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian nominated for best actor.
Who didn’t get nominated?
Not everyone was celebrating. Wicked: For Good walked away empty-handed, despite expectations that Ariana Grande would feature in the supporting actress race. Other notable snubs included Dwayne Johnson for The Smashing Machine, Paul Mescal, Tessa Thompson and Guillermo del Toro’s absence from the directing lineup for Frankenstein. On the flip side, Delroy Lindo and Kate Hudson were among the surprise acting nominees.
Warner Bros takes most studio nominations
Behind the scenes, Warner Bros emerged as the biggest studio winner with 30 nominations overall, ahead of Netflix and Neon. The Academy has also tightened voting rules this year, requiring members to confirm they have watched all nominees in a category before casting final ballots.
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15th at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Conan O’Brien, and broadcast live on ABC and Hulu.
