Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Dylan Sulcer)
On Jan. 22, 2026, two of last year’s biggest stars, Lewis Pullman (‘Thunderbolts*’) and Danielle Brooks (‘A Minecraft Movie’), presented the nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards.
The ceremony was presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and broadcasted by ABC. After an introduction involving some casual banter, Pullman and Danielle began listing the nominees for every category.
The nominations for ‘Actor In A Leading Role’ were: Timothée Chalamet (‘Marty Supreme’), Leonardo DiCaprio (‘One Battle After Another’), Ethan Hawke (‘Blue Moon’), Wagner Moura (‘The Secret Agent’) and Michael B. Jordan (‘Sinners’). This will likely be a highly debated contest among fans.
While the nominees were being listed, the in-person audience cheered the loudest for Moura and Jordan. In accordance with the crowd’s reaction, the decision for the winner will likely come down between those two. While all were phenomenal performances that received critical acclaim, only one can take home the award.
The actresses nominated for the ‘Actress In A Leading Role’ category were: Rose Byrne (‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’), Jessie Buckley (‘Hamnet’), Kate Hudson (‘Song Sung Blue’), Renate Reinsve (‘Sentimental Value’) and Emma Stone (‘Bugonia’).
Of the five, Buckley and Stone received the most praise from critics and audiences alike. Stone’s powerful acting in ‘Bugonia’ makes her a standout in the competition, but Buckley’s portrayal of a grieving mother in ‘Hamnet’ makes it all the more enticing to see who the Academy will decide is the winner.
During the ceremony, the record for “most nominated film” at the Oscars was shattered by none other than Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’. With an astronomical 16 nominations, ‘Sinners’ became undeniable as a standout film for 2025. Coogler became one of the largest names in modern cinema after directing such well-received projects like ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Creed’.
Now, with ‘Sinners’ breaking this record, Coogler is one step closer to reaching the legendary status of directors such Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. The effort that cast and crew alike put into this project has paid off in the best way. Their dedication to the film not only allowed it to break this record, but also helped it become a contender for best picture.
The nominees for ‘Best Picture’ were: ‘Bugonia,’ ‘F1,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Marty Supreme,’ ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sentimental Value,’ ‘The Secret Agent,’ ‘Sinners’ and ‘Train Dreams.’ Out of the many impressive films that were released last year, the Academy decided that these ten were most worthy of the title of ‘Best Picture.’ From the eerie ‘Bugonia’ to the gothic ‘Frankenstein,’ these films have all carved their place into the decade as perfect representations of peak cinema in modern day Hollywood.
With the Oscars closing in on Mar. 15, 2026, tensions rise in fans and critics alike to see who the Academy decides was the best of the best in 2025. The ‘98th Academy Awards’ ceremony will undoubtedly be an exciting watch.
