By Will Coffman, Local & National News Editor

The 2026 Oscar Nominations have been announced and feature some expected names, some surprises and some snubs. 

Perhaps the biggest winner of the nomination announcements was Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” setting the record for most Academy Award nominations for a film with 16. This broke the previous record, a three-way tie of 14 held by 1950’s “All About Eve,” 1997’s “Titanic” and 2016’s “La La Land.”

Coogler’s work on the film “Sinners” earned him a nod for Best Director. Likewise, Michael B. Jordan, who starred as twin brothers protecting their home from vampires, earned his first Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Actor. Jordan was joined by fellow actors Delroy Lindo, who picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Wunmi Mosaku for Best Supporting Actress. 

“Sinners” also received a nomination for Best Picture, joined by a strong list of films, such as Paul Thomas Andersen’s “One Battle After Another” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and “Hamnet” with Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare. 

DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor, while “Hamnet” star Jessie Buckley was nominated for Best Actress. Buckley is the likely favorite to win, having secured the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Rose Byrne, who captured the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy was also recognized in the Best Actress category and is likely Buckley’s strongest competition. 

Mescal not receiving a nomination for his performance as Shakespeare was a surprise to many, as was “Wicked: For Good” being completely excluded from the nominations. Although the sequel to 2024’s “Wicked” was less successful critically and commercially, many expected a nod for Ariana Grande in the Best Supporting Actress category, perhaps even a win after being nominated last year. Grande’s castmate Cynthia Erivo was considered a contender for the Best Actress category, a spot, like Grande, where she earned a nomination for her performance last year.

When it comes to Best Picture and Best Actor, who wins in the two categories is anyone’s guess. Best Picture has a strong lineup of 10 films, including “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another,” joined by “F1,” “Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Marty Supreme” and “Train Dreams.” The likely winner is “Sinners” or “One Battle After Another.”

The Best Actor category is also strong with some of Hollywood’s most iconic stars in the lineup this year. The five nominations went to Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for “Blue Moon,” Jordan for “Sinners” and Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent.” Moura and Chalamet won the Golden Globe acting awards for Drama and Musical or Comedy respectively, but it is just as easy to imagine Hawke, Jordan or DiCaprio taking home the Academy Award. 

Joining Lindo in the Best Supporting Actor category are Benicio Del Toro for “One Battle After Another,” Jacob Elordi for “Frankenstein,” Stellan Skarsgård for “Sentimental Value” and Sean Penn, alongside Del Toro for “One Battle After Another.” 

Mosaku is joined in the Best Supporting Actress category by Teyana Taylor for “One Battle After Another,” Amy Madigan for “Weapons,” and Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, both for “Sentimental Value.”

These nominees have a bit of a wait before they hope to hear their names on March 15, when the Dolby Theater hosts the 98^th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.