Oscars 2026 Delivers Historic Tie and Record-Breaking Nominations
The 98th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, celebrated the best films of 2025 with a ceremony full of surprises and milestones. Hosted for the second consecutive year by Conan O'Brien, the event was marked by a rare tie in one category and a film setting a new nominations record.
Shocking Tie in Best Live Action Short Film
During the announcement for Best Live Action Short Film, presenter Kumail Nanjiani expressed visible shock as he revealed a tie between two films. 'And the Oscar goes to — it's a tie! I'm not joking, it's actually a tie,' the comedian declared. The award was split between Two People Exchanging Saliva and The Singers, creating an unexpected moment in Oscars history.
Sinners Dominates with Record Nominations
Ryan Coogler's horror film Sinners led the pack with a groundbreaking 16 nominations, the most ever for any film in Academy Awards history. The movie, set in 1930s Mississippi and starring Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers facing supernatural evil, is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor, among others.
Following closely, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another secured 13 nominations, including Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and Supporting Actor nods for Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn. Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme earned nine nominations, with Timothee Chalamet up for Best Actor.
Competitive Acting Categories
The Best Actor race is intensely competitive. While Chalamet won early awards like the Golden Globes, momentum shifted after Jordan's victory at the Actor Awards. Chalamet's recent controversial comments about ballet and opera have added tension to the category.
In Best Actress, Irish star Jessie Buckley is the frontrunner for her role in Chloe Zhao's Hamnet, a reimagined story of William Shakespeare's home life. She faces strong competition from Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone.
Notable Snubs and New Award
Several expected nominees were overlooked, including Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good, which was completely shut out of nominations despite critical acclaim. Gwyneth Paltrow also missed a Supporting Actress nod for Marty Supreme.
This year introduced a new award for Best Casting, with nominees including Nina Gold for Hamnet and Francine Maisler for Sinners.
Full List of Key Winners and Nominees
- Best Picture: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams
- Best Actor: Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
- 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 Actor: Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) - WINNER, Delroy Lindo (Sinners), Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value)
- Best Supporting Actress: Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Amy Madigan (Weapons) - WINNER, Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
- Best Live-Action Short Film: The Singers - TIE - WINNER, Two People Exchanging Saliva - TIE - WINNER
The ceremony aired live on ABC and streamed on platforms like Hulu, captivating audiences with its mix of historic moments and fierce competition.
