The announcement of the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards took place on Thursday morning, with the movie “Sinners” making history by securing 16 nominations. This achievement surpassed the previous record held by films like “All About Eve,” “Titanic,” and “La La Land.” The movie received recognition for various aspects such as Ryan Coogler’s writing and direction, and Michael B. Jordan’s performance, earning nominations in categories ranging from directing to acting, including Jordan’s first Oscar nomination, as well as a nomination for best picture.
Another notable mention was the strong performance of “One Battle After Another” and the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value.” The latter received a total of nine nominations, a remarkable feat for a non-English language film. Foreign language films have been competing for the best picture category for the past eight years, with both “One Battle” and “Sentimental Value” also being nominated for the Oscars’ newly introduced category after 25 years: achievement in casting.
The first nominations were revealed for best performance by an actress in a supporting role, including Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas from “Sentimental Value,” Amy Madigan from “Weapons,” Wunmi Mosaku from “Sinners,” and Teyana Taylor from “One Battle After Another.”
The ceremony culminated with the announcement of the nominees for the best picture category, which included films like “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Sinners,” and “Train Dreams.”
While the list of nominees largely aligned with expectations from previous award shows, there were a few surprises. “Wicked: For Good” was notably absent from the nominations this year, and Delroy Lindo from “Sinners” secured a spot for supporting actor instead of the expected nominee, Miles Caton.
Jesse Plemons and Paul Mescal missed out on the best actor nods, while Apple’s “F1” garnered attention with four nominations, including one for best picture. On the other hand, James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” only received two nominations in technical categories.
“One Battle After Another” came close to breaking an Oscars’ record with four acting nominations, just one short of the five needed to match a record set back in 1976 by “Network.” Kate Hudson’s nomination for best actress in a leading role for her performance in “Song Sung Blue” was considered an unexpected upset.
Following closely behind were “Hamnet” and “Marty Supreme” with eight and nine nominations, respectively. The odds-on favorite for winning best actress is Jessie Buckley from “Hamnet,” who has already clinched the award at the Critics Choice and Golden Globes. Timothée Chalamet, the lead in “Marty Supreme,” is a strong contender for best actor, a category he won at the Golden Globes.
The competition was fierce at this year’s Oscars, with “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” leading the pack and delivering a remarkable showing for Warner Bros. Amidst the buzz, Netflix’s potential acquisition of the studio is causing a stir, with Paramount Skydance launching a bid to acquire it, which could potentially reshape the film industry.
Canadians also have a promising chance at winning awards, with Domee Shi and Maggie Kang, directors of “Elio” and “KPop Demon Hunters,” respectively, receiving nominations for best animated feature. “KPop Demon Hunters” seems poised for success, while France’s “Arco” is also generating significant critical acclaim in the same category.
Additionally, Canadian filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski were nominated for best animated short film for “The Girl Who Cried Pearls,” and Alison McAlpine’s documentary short film “Perfectly a Strangeness” earned a nomination as well. The Canadian teams behind “Frankenstein” also received nominations for makeup and hairstyling, sound, and production design.
The 98th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Conan O’Brien hosting the event.