The 2026 Oscar nominations are sure to have the Hollywood group chats blowing up.
Every year, the Academy hands out a mix of obvious picks, surprise shout-outs, and “wait… what?” omissions that instantly launch a thousand debates.
And this year is no different! Some beloved films and performances showed up exactly where expected (including some Aussies!) while others were mysteriously left standing outside the Dolby Theatre, pressing their faces against the glass.
Here are the biggest snubs that have everyone talking this year:
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good)
The overlooking of Ariana and Cynthia at this season’s Oscars is truly Wicked.
The fan-favourite film got close to no nominations at all… that’s got to hurt.
Paul Mescal (Hamnet)
Paul Mescal’s absence from the acting categories is particularly puzzling given Hamnet’s across-the-board success.
When a film earns nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Casting, it raises a fair question: how can an ensemble be celebrated if one of its most vital pieces goes unrecognised?
Odessa A’Zion (Marty Supreme)
Actor Odessa A’Zion is the emotional anchor in Marty Supreme, shining as Marty’s childhood confidante and romantic counterpart.
And for a movie singled out for Best Casting, her absence from Best Supporting Actress feels like one of the most glaring oversights- especially for someone fast becoming 2025’s defining It Girl.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
For the first time, James Cameron’s Avatar franchise failed to crack the Best Picture line-up.
While the cultural grip of Avatar may be loosening, it’s still a shock to see the saga completely side-lined.
Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein)
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein got nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
However, the past Oscar winner whose vision and directing brought it to life, was overlooked.
No Other Choice
It’s almost unbelievable that filmmaker Park Chan-wook remains Oscarless.
Despite global acclaim for films like Joint Security Area, Oldboy, and Decision to Leave, the Korean master was once again ignored.
His latest, No Other Choice, a razor-sharp anti-capitalist satire, failed to register anywhere- even in International Feature Film, where it seemed like a natural fit.
The Smashing Machine
If awards campaigning were a sport, Dwayne Johnson would already have a gold medal.
Unfortunately for his dramatic pivot in Benny Safdie’s gritty biopic, the Academy wasn’t buying it- leaving the film with just a Make-Up and Hairstyling nomination.
Who was nominated for an Oscar 2026?
Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle after Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
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
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
Actress in a Supporting Role
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle after Another
Animated Feature Film
Arco – Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas and Natalie Portman
Elio – Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina and Mary Alice Drumm
KPop Demon Hunters – Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago and Henri Magalon
Zootopia 2 – Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Yvett Merino
Animated Short Film
Butterfly – Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens
Forevergreen – Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears
The Girl Who Cried Pearls – Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
Retirement Plan – John Kelly and Andrew Freedman
The Three Sisters – Konstantin Bronzit
Casting
Hamnet – Nina Gold
Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
One Battle after Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
The Secret Agent – Gabriel Domingues
Sinners – Francine Maisler
Cinematography
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
One Battle after Another – Michael Bauman
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso
Costume Design
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Deborah L. Scott
Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
Hamnet – Malgosia Turzanska
Marty Supreme – Miyako Bellizzi
Sinners – Ruth E. Carter
Directing
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
Marty Supreme – Josh Safdie
One Battle after Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Documentary Feature Film
The Alabama Solution – Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman
Come See Me in the Good Light – Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro and Stef Willen
Cutting through Rocks – Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni
Mr. Nobody against Putin – Nominees to be determined
The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu and Sam Bisbee
Documentary Short Film
All the Empty Rooms – Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo
Children No More: “Were and Are Gone” – Hilla Medalia and Sheila Nevins
The Devil Is Busy – Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir
Perfectly a Strangeness – Alison McAlpine
Film Editing
F1 – Stephen Mirrione
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
One Battle after Another – Andy Jurgensen
Sentimental Value – Olivier Bugge Coutté
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver
International Feature Film
Brazil – The Secret Agent
France – It Was Just an Accident
Norway – Sentimental Value
Spain – Sirāt
Tunisia – The Voice of Hind Rajab
Live Action Short Film
Butcher’s Stain – Meyer Levinson-Blount and Oron Caspi
A Friend of Dorothy – Lee Knight and James Dean
Jane Austen’s Period Drama – Julia Aks and Steve Pinder
The Singers – Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt
Two People Exchanging Saliva – Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata
Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Kokuho – Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
Sinners – Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
The Smashing Machine – Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein
The Ugly Stepsister – Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg
Music (Original Score)
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
Hamnet – Max Richter
One Battle after Another – Jonny Greenwood
Sinners – Ludwig Goransson
Music (Original Song)
Dear Me – Diane Warren: Relentless; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
Golden – KPop Demon Hunters; Music and Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon and Teddy Park
I Lied To You – Sinners; Music and Lyric by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson
Sweet Dreams Of Joy – Viva Verdi!; Music and Lyric by Nicholas Pike
Train Dreams – Train Dreams; Music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; Lyric by Nick Cave
Best Picture
Bugonia – Ed Guiney & Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone and Lars Knudsen, Producers
F1 – Chad Oman, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers
Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber, Producers
Hamnet – Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, Producers
Marty Supreme – Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas and Timothée Chalamet, Producers
One Battle after Another – Adam Somner, Sara Murphy and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers
The Secret Agent – Emilie Lesclaux, Producer
Sentimental Value – Maria Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Producers
Sinners – Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Ryan Coogler, Producers
Train Dreams – Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer and Michael Heimler, Producers
Production Design
Frankenstein – Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
Hamnet – Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
Marty Supreme – Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
One Battle after Another – Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
Sinners – Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne
Sound
F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta
Frankenstein – Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern
One Battle after Another- José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor and Steve Boeddeker
Sirāt – Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas
Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
F1 – Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington and Keith Dawson
Jurassic World Rebirth – David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan and Neil Corbould
The Lost Bus – Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and Brandon K. McLaughlin
Sinners – Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Bugonia – Screenplay by Will Tracy
Frankenstein – Written for the Screen by Guillermo del Toro
Hamnet – Screenplay by Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
One Battle after Another – Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
Train Dreams – Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Blue Moon – Written by Robert Kaplow
It Was Just an Accident – Written by Jafar Panahi; Script collaborators – Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian
Marty Supreme – Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Sentimental Value – Written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Sinners – Written by Ryan Coogler
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