The 12 Biggest Snubs & Surprises From The 2026 Oscar Nominations

Awards season is in full swing, which means it’s time for Oscar nominations. On Jan. 22, actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announced the nominees for the 2026 Academy Awards before sunrise in Los Angeles. As expected in a competitive year with many acclaimed films, there were some lovely surprises and major snubs on the nominations list.

Sinners not only topped the Oscars leaderboard but became the most-nominated film in Oscars history with an astounding 16 nominations. One Battle After Another also had an impressive showing with 13 nominations. Sentimental Value followed behind with nine nods, and Hamnet received eight noms, with all four leading contenders competing for Best Picture.

The 2026 Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15, at Hollywood’s iconic Dolby Theatre, with Conan O’Brien hosting for the second year in a row. Read on for the most shocking snubs and surprising noms this year.

Justice For Glinda

Despite getting nominations at many other awards shows and receiving an Oscar nomination for Wicked last year, Ariana Grande was snubbed from the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in Wicked: For Good.

Actually, Justice For Wicked

Although Wicked was a frontrunner at the 2025 Oscars, the sequel Wicked: For Good wasn’t “Popular” with voters, as it completely missed out on nominations this year.

Elle Fanning Surprises

After being snubbed at the Actor Awards and BAFTA Award longlists, Elle Fanning bounced back and earned her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Sentimental Value.

The Marty Supreme Girls Lose Out

While the Academy loved Marty Supreme, it wasn’t enough for stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion to receive nods in Best Supporting Actress.

Paul Mescal Misses

Despite earning nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and Actor Awards, Paul Mescal missed out on a widely predicted Best Supporting Actor nod for Hamnet.

Delroy Lindo Makes It

While Mescal missed, Delroy Lindo surprised in the Best Supporting Actor category, earning his first-ever Oscar nomination for his performance in Sinners.

The Oscars’ First Casting Category

Two years after announcing that the Academy would introduce an award for Best Casting, the Oscars presented their first-ever nominees in the category, with Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Sinners all sharing the honor.

Miley Cyrus Doesn’t Get Her Flowers

Cyrus’ dream of an Oscars performance sadly won’t happen this year, as her new song for Avatar: Fire and Ash, “Dream As One,” wasn’t nominated for Best Original Song, despite receiving a Golden Globe nomination earlier this year.

Kate Hudson Reigns Again

Twenty-five years after receiving her first Oscar nomination for Almost Famous, Kate Hudson finally landed her second nom this year, landing a Best Actress nod for her performance in Song Sung Blue and surprising many Oscar pundits.

Maybe Next Time, Chase Infiniti

While One Battle After Another was one of the most nominated films this year, Chase Infiniti was left out of the Best Actress category, marking one of the most shocking snubs of the 2026 Oscars.

F1 Somehow Gets Best Picture

While the Academy largely ignored major blockbusters like Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Fire and Ash, they apparently loved Brad Pitt’s racing movie F1, which surprised many by getting nominated for Best Picture (meaning Pitt himself was nominated as a producer).

Sinners Makes History

Sinners was expected to do well at the 2026 Oscars, but the Ryan Coogler-directed film managed to make history. After earning 16 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and multiple acting nods, Sinners is now the most-nominated film in Oscars history, breaking the record held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land, which had received 14 nods each.