The 2026 Oscar Nominations Confirm An Academy Awards Trend, And It’s Been A Long Time Coming

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The announcement of the 2026 Oscar nominations, like every year, has brought a mix of excitement and disappointment to the film world. As the biggest and most glamorous event of awards season, the nominations always get people talking – fans are passionate about who they want to see recognized for their work in movies, acting, and directing.

Film fans are passionately debating this year’s Oscar nominations, with many surprised by the Academy’s choices. Several highly anticipated films, including Sorry, Baby, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, were notably left out of the running.

As a movie critic, I have to say the 2026 Oscar nominations really threw me for a loop – in the best way possible! Horror films were everywhere, and that’s huge. For years, the Academy has largely ignored the genre – it’s honestly been a running joke among fans like myself – so seeing so many nominations felt like a long-awaited shift. It even broke a record for the most horror representation ever, which is fantastic news for the genre and its fans.

Sinners Has Become The Most Nominated Movie In Oscars History

Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners, has been a major topic of conversation in Hollywood for almost nine months. But the recent awards season has brought even more attention to it, and it’s now being hailed as a landmark achievement for the film industry. Horror movies don’t often get recognized by the Academy Awards, but Sinners is a clear exception to that rule.

It’s not the first time a horror movie has broken through at the Oscars – The Substance received five nominations last year, including Best Picture. However, with an incredible 16 nominations, Sinners now holds the record for the most nominations ever received by a film in any genre at the Academy Awards.

The movie Sinners made history at the Oscars by receiving nominations in every single category it qualified for – a feat no other film has ever accomplished. This is fantastic news for horror fans, as it marks a truly exceptional moment for the genre at awards shows.

Frankenstein Is Netflix’s Big Movie At The Oscars In 2026

Netflix has become an increasingly important player at the Academy Awards in recent years, particularly since the early 2020s. This push for Oscar recognition began in 2019 with Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, which won three Oscars, including Best International Feature Film. But it was from 2020 onward that Netflix really started to see multiple films competing for major awards.

Netflix has been trying to produce more films recently, but always prioritizes a few key projects. This year, they focused on Frankenstein, a new adaptation of the classic novel by Guillermo del Toro. Although Frankenstein reflects the current trend of remakes in Hollywood, it’s encouraging that a major studio supported a horror film that ultimately received nine award nominations.

Amy Madigan Is Nominated For Best Supporting Actress For Weapons

Horror movies depend heavily on strong acting. If the actors don’t fully commit to the story and seem to genuinely believe in it, the audience won’t be scared. However, for a long time, performances in horror films were often unfairly considered over-the-top and not worthy of serious awards, leading to actors being overlooked at the Oscars.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out was a groundbreaking horror film that brought a new level of social commentary to the genre and even received an Academy Award nomination. However, its success led to a period where more purely entertaining, mainstream horror movies were often overlooked. This year, things are changing with Amy Madigan’s Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Weapons, a genuinely fun horror film that doesn’t try to be overly intellectual.

The Ugly Stepsister Is A Surprise Nomination At This Year’s Oscars

I’ve always believed the scariest moments in horror come from incredible practical effects – things you can see and feel. Think about characters like Ghostface, Freddy Krueger, Jason, Leatherface, and Michael Myers – those looks weren’t created with computers! It took a ton of work from the makeup and costume teams to bring those icons to life, and honestly, they rarely get the credit they deserve. It’s frustrating to see their amazing contributions overlooked.

Things are shifting even now. The Academy Awards have nominated The Ugly Stepsister for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, a testament to the massive popularity of horror films in 2025. This nomination acknowledges horror’s influence beyond just mainstream Hollywood. As a reimagining of Cinderella with a darker tone, the film relied heavily on its costumes to tell the story, and this recognition is well-earned.

The 28 Years Later Snub Is Disappointing But Unsurprising

While the many Oscar nominations for Sinners might seem like a major shift in how the Academy views horror, it’s possible the change isn’t as significant as it appears. For example, Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, a critically acclaimed horror film from 2025, is visually striking, boasting both sweeping scenery and genuinely frightening imagery, according to its fans.

It’s tough to say who deserves the Best Director award this year, given how many talented filmmakers are in the running. However, it’s a shame that 28 Years Later wasn’t nominated for Best Cinematography. It seems horror films still have to work hard to get the recognition they deserve.

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2026-01-26 17:01