January 22, 2026
‘Sinners’ Makes History Scoring First-Time Nominations For Many Gifted And Black Talents
The Ryan Coogler-directed vampire horror was recognized in every category for which it was eligible.
The nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were announced Jan. 22, with a broad slate of films recognized across acting, directing, and technical categories. Sinners emerged as the most nominated film of the year, earning a historic 16 nominations.
The total marks the most nominations ever received by a single film in Oscar history. The Ryan Coogler-directed vampire horror was recognized in every category for which it was eligible. The film captured audience attention upon its release, with Coogler’s meticulous visual approach and intentional use of IMAX technology drawing a strong response. Sinners has grossed $365 million worldwide at the box office and has earned several cast and crew members’ first-time Academy recognitions.
Categories Include:
Best Picture
Lead Actor, Michael B. Jordan
Supporting Actor, Delroy Lindo
Supporting Actress, Wunmi Mosaku
Cinematography
Costume design
Film Editing
Original Screenplay
Original Score
Original Song
Sound and Visual Effects
MakeUp and Hairstyling
Production Design
Veteran actor Delroy Lindo earned his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Delta Slim, a blues musician haunted by the violence and hatred of the Jim Crow era. Lindo has worked steadily across film and television since the 70s and despite a career spanning more than five decades, had not previously been recognized by the Academy.
British actress Wunmi Mosaku also received her first Academy Award nomination for her role as Annie, a voodoo priestess who serves as a stabilizing force amid the film’s chaos. Mosaku was previously honored as Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Gotham Film Awards.
Michael B. Jordan earned a Best Actor nomination for his triple performance in “Sinners,” portraying Smoke, Stack, and Vampiric Stack. From his early work as Wallace on The Wire to leading roles in the Creed franchise, Jordan has steadily built a career that now places him among the industry’s most recognized actors.
Coogler, already an Academy nominee as a producer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Judas and the Black Messiah, received his first Best Director nomination for Sinners. He became the third Black filmmaker to earn nominations in the Best Director, Original Screenplay, and Producer categories, following Spike Lee and Jordan Peele.
Ruth E. Carter has also made history at the Academy Awards. As the winner of two awards for her work in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Carter was nominated for her fifth total award. Her work in building the beauty of Sinners makes Carter the most-nominated Black woman in Oscar history.
With 16 nominations, Sinners dethroned La La Land, with 14 nominations, as the most nominated film of all time. While the Oscars are notorious for snubbing Black talent, the extreme popularity of the film is hard to ignore. The care in research, history, Blues music, niche spiritual practices, as well as moving portrayals from the cast of characters, will hopefully allow the film to prevail in many categories. In the words of Issa Rae: “I’m rooting for everybody Black.”
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