2026 Oscar Nominations Reaction
Another year, another round of mixed-bag Oscar nominations. After watching the many movies I do and seeing the Academy's inner workings, I’ve come to accept a certain level of disappointment in the Oscars.
Both in nominations and wins. For now, we will react to this year’s Oscar nominations and celebrate the films of 2025. I will hold my fourth annual Awards in February. There, I will show what I think should’ve actually been nominated. The Academy left a lot of cool movies on the floor.
Some overall thoughts:
Sinners leads all films with a record-setting 16 nominations! Definitely did not see that coming. Even if they removed the new Oscar category, it’d still have 15. Ridiculous.
One Battle After Another came in second with 13. Still a lot of support, but you now wonder if it has the strength to carry it over the finish line for Best Picture.
Sentimental Value has a lot of support, more than expected.
The Hamnet support is waning; we’ll see if that loss in support means Jesse Buckley is in trouble. Right now, I think she is still winning.
The Academy left Wicked: For Good for dead. Not even Ariana could get in. She seemed like a lock to win back in November.
F1 is the blockbuster with support, usurping Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. Personally, I’d rather have Fire and Ash receive all the nominations F1 did get.
Lastly, half the films with a lot of support this year are films I just don’t care about. Sinners and One Battle After Another are the obvious exceptions. And Marty Supreme, which did pretty well this year.
I hate how the Academy has gotten very automatic. They extend the field of Best Picture to 10, and it’s as if they feel that they can only nominate from those 10 films in every category.
Now! Without further ado, let’s look at each category:
Casting
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
The new category at this year’s Oscars is just a showing of four films with the most support. The cool one is The Secret Agent, taking Sentimental Value’s place. I would’ve liked Sirat to be in here, probably over Hamnet.
I hope Marty Supreme wins. The Safdies, or at least Josh, have a knack for hiring/finding non-actors and getting them to give lasting performances.
Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
The only surprise here is The Lost Bus. Not sure anyone had that one on their radar. Sinners being here shows a major level of support, getting in over any other Sci/Fi, Action/Adventure, Blockbuster film that usually gets in here. Predator Badlands, anyone?
One of the few Avatar nominations, I’m just a bit surprised this didn’t do better in below-the-line categories. I guess even the industry is like “Alright, Cameron, we get it.”
Sound
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat
The One Battle After Another and Sinners’ support is shining through here. Both do have a lot going on within their films, especially Sinners, with that incredible music break. I don’t get the Frankenstein nom here, but again, clearly the Academy just loves the movie.
F1 and Sirat belong here. Glad Sirat got in here, the booming sound and mixture of diegetic sound is tremendous. Warfare missing here is embarrassing. I hate when the Academy gets on autopilot with their nominations.
Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Gotta admit, I had not heard of Kokuho until this morning. Finally, a worthy nomination for Frankenstein. I like the nomination for realistic makeup in The Smashing Machine. I’m very happy with The Ugly Sister getting in here. Just caught up with it. It’s Cinderella by way of David Cronenberg.
Music (Original Song)
“Dear Me” – Diane Warren: Relentless
“Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters
“I Lied to You” – Sinners
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Viva Verdi
“Train Dreams” – Train Dreams
Diane Warren gets nominated again. This time for a movie about herself. The vanity is so powerful that the Academy might as well give it to her. Get this nonsense over with of her getting nominated every year.
Except like many years for Diane, she’s up against a powerhouse in “Golden” which is going to deservedly win. The major shocker here is no Wicked: For Good. When Ariana’s name wasn’t announced in the first category this morning, I knew it was not getting anything. A win for the Academy, in my opinion.
Music (Original Score)
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
Hamnet – Max Richter
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Sinners – Ludwig Goransson
Aside from One Battle After Another and Sinners, this is pretty pitiful by the Academy. With the Support for Marty Supreme, how do you not nominate Daniel Lopatin? His score is the best of the year, bar none.
Honestly, the use of Max’s existing music in Hamnet should disqualify it, at least I believe it should.
Costume Design
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Odd the Avatar gets in here but misses in many other below-the-line categories, especially since their costumes are CGI…I guess someone had to design them in fairness. One Battle After Another would’ve been a worthy contemporary nomination.
They never nominate contemporary films, but how many people went as Bob Ferguson for Halloween? Should tell you the iconic level of the costumes in that film. The other four make total sense. Period pieces always do well here, and these four films are the period pieces with the most support.
Production Design
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
With all its love, how did Sentimental Value miss? The other cast member in that film might as well be the house. Another category that feels boring because it’s the same five movies once again. You guys know there were a ton of movies that came out last year, right?
Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
No F1?! Once again, Claudio Miranda misses for a Joseph Kosinski movie. First, he put IMAX cameras in fighter jets, then he put them in F1 cars. What more do you want? At least Claudio has an Oscar.
I’m glad Train Dreams is here, one of, if not the most beautiful film from 2025. I guess Frankenstein looked nice? I don’t think it needed a nomination here. Sinners’ aspect ratio changes definitely earned its spot here. As well as One Battle After Another’s highway chase.
Film Editing
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Another category where there are plenty of worthy films. I do and don’t get the F1 nom here. I hope One Battle After Another can come through here. Weapons really deserved a nomination here.
Live Action Short Film
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Documentary Short Film
All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renuad
Children No More: Were and Are Gone
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Animated Short Film
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Cannot wait to catch these in the theater like every other year!
Documentary Feature Film
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
I’ve only seen The Perfect Neighbor, which is upsetting. I need to watch The Alabama Solution. I would’ve liked to have seen Predators here.
Animated Feature Film
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
I have not seen Arco or Little Amelie. I do believe KPop Demon Hunters will win this category and be a 2x winner. I know it wasn’t eligible, but Predator: Killer of Killers deserved to be here.
International Feature Film
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Still need to see The Voice of Hind Rajab. A few months ago, I thought It Was Just an Accident was a lock here. But Sentimental Value seems to be the frontrunner. I’m glad Sirat got in here; it’s one of my favorite foreign language films of last year.
Park Chan-wook once again misses, twice short-listed, and can never get nominated by the Academy. That’s ok, he doesn’t need an Oscar nomination to prove he is a master craftsman.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow
It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi; Script Collaborators – Nader Saivar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Blue Moon is a welcome surprise, a great screenplay brought to life by Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke. However, the next four feel like chalk. Like, no risks or interesting choices were made. No, Sorry, Baby by Eva Victor is a travesty. One of the year’s best scripts from a new voice. How do you mess this up?
I knew it was a longshot but Zach Cregger for Weapons missing also sucks. It’s an incredibly structured script, like one you could teach in film school. I guess it gets to remain that cool film/script that didn’t get nominated for an Oscar.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Bugonia – Will Tracy
Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro
Hamnet – Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley & Greg Kewdar
No surprises here, especially with how the nominations went. Some great adapted scripts would’ve been worthy here and will make my nominations. If Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t at least win here, I may have to be done with the Oscars. For a brief period.
Directing
Chloe Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Josh Safdie actually got in. There was a lot of speculation that multiple international directors would get in for foreign films. Joachim got that lone nomination. Jafar Panahi deserved to be in here, but alas. Pretty solid group, I don’t love Hamnet, but I get the nomination.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Idsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
The opening shocker this morning: No Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good. I knew that film was in trouble. The other shocker is Elle Fanning getting in, and Sentimental Value getting two nominations here. Especially over a personal favorite, Odessa A’Zion for Marty Supreme, who should have that top spot, sorry, Elle.
I’m glad Amy Madigan actually secured that nomination. Her being the lone nominee for her film makes me wonder if she’ll actually win. Teyana is the other potential winner, but One Battle doesn’t seem as strong as it once was.
Congrats to Wunmi, that’s a really cool and deserved nomination!
Actor in a Supporting Role
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
In a shocker, no Paul Mescal?!?! del Toro, Elordi, Penn, and Skarsgard were locks. Mescal seemed like the fifth lock, except the support for Sinners is clearly stronger than Hamnet’s. This allowed the great Delroy Lindo to finally earn his first Oscar nomination! A welcome surprise this morning.
Happy for the other four, Elordi is one of my favorite young actors, and I cannot wait to see where his career goes. Stellan finally earning his first is awesome. Penn and del Toro are earning another nomination under their storied belts.
Actress in a Leading Role
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
NO CHASE INFINITI?!?!?!?! What worries me most is that it is showing that One Battle After Another is not as strong as it once was. Maybe Kate Hudson is just really loved within the industry?
I liked Song Sung Blue and will defend that film, but Chase should be here. I suspect that’s why Elle Fanning and Kate Hudson were both nominated over worthy newcomers (Odessa and Chase).
No complaints or surprises for the other four nominees. I actually think Emma’s turn in Bugonia is better than either of the previous roles she won for.
Actor in a Leading Role
Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
The only category without a single surprise. Possibly the best category at this year’s Oscars. Many, if not all, of the actors here are turning in career-defining works. Just great stuff, no notes.
Best Picture
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
No “bad” films, at least in my opinion. Yet, there are several films that I just don’t believe are among the ten best films of 2025. In fact, only four of these films will/have made my top ten of the year.
Which, as of recent standards, is pretty good for the Academy. I really don’t understand F1 here. I think for a big blockbuster, you could have Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Or Sinners could be your blockbuster spot, and you could’ve had It Was Just an Accident, truly one of the best films of the year.
I think this year I am a little more down on the nominations than in recent years. With the support of Sinners and Sentimental Value, I worry it won’t be Paul Thomas Anderson’s year, yet again. The Academy has done so many bad makeup Oscars.
They finally have the chance to anoint one of the industry’s great filmmakers for one of his best films, and I’m worried they’ll screw it up. I guess the one consolation will be that PTA doesn’t need that validation; he’ll still be one of our great working filmmakers, arguably the best currently working.
