The Oscars 2026: Eight Surprises from the Nominations Announcement

Sat Jan 24 2026 03:58:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

From unexpected nominations to snubs, the 2026 Oscars have revealed surprising insights that are stirring discussions across Hollywood. Here's a breakdown of what caught everyone off guard.

This year's Oscar nominations began with an unexpected surprise, highlighting nominations and notable omissions that sparked conversations. Key highlights include Elle Fanning's nod for Best Supporting Actress, unexpected absences in the acting categories, and the record-breaking nominations for 'Sinners.' The British actors Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku made their mark amid fierce competition. The newly added casting category also featured significant discussions, as did actress-driven films which carried their respective nominations. With Timothée Chalamet poised for a potential win, the Oscars promise to be an eventful affair.

Awards pundits were taken by surprise from the first two words spoken at the Oscar nominations on Thursday.

Elle Fanning, for Sentimental Value, said hosts Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman, as they kicked off the nominations with the best supporting actress category. Fanning's appearance got things off to a spicy start - she had received praise for her performance in the Norwegian family drama, but few had predicted a nomination.

The opening category set the tone for a string of snubs and surprises, which started coming thick and fast. Here are eight of the big takeaways.

1. Some hot favourites missed out

Although Hamnet and One Battle After Another did well, both had a slightly softer showing than expected in the acting categories.

Paul Mescal missed out on a supporting actor nod for Hamnet - a surprising omission, although we're confident it won't have much impact on his co-star Jessie Buckley's frontrunner status for best actress. Meanwhile, four big actors from One Battle After Another were recognized, but its break-out star Chase Infiniti missed best actress despite being a red-hot contender.

Other actors who had momentum but ended up missing included Jesse Plemons for Bugonia and Joel Edgerton for Train Dreams. But both of those movies made it into best picture - so the Academy clearly liked them overall.

2. F1 is a comfort-food movie

F1, which stars Brad Pitt as a racing driver brought out of retirement, was the biggest surprise in the best picture category. It wasn't exactly an outsider - many awards pundits expected it to pick up several below-the-line nominations for its impressive technical achievements.

3. Sinners were the big winners

Sinners scored a record-breaking 16 nominations, flying way past the previous joint record holders La La Land, Titanic, and All About Eve, which got 14 each.

4. Wicked did not bewitch the Academy

The first Wicked film received 10 Oscar nominations and went on to win two. So it's an extraordinary fall from grace for its sequel to have got zero.

5. The Brits showed up

Sinners didn't just score the highest number of nominations, it also delivered the only two Brits to be nominated in the acting categories.

6. Several actresses carried their films to a nomination

Three actresses nominated on Thursday ended up being the only recognition their film received.

7. New category is a mixed bag

The newly introduced casting category overlapped with many of the general frontrunners.

8. Timothée is even closer to greatness

At the SAG Awards last year, Timothée Chalamet spoke about his desire to eventually be considered 'one of the Hollywood greats'. He's a big step closer to that with the likelihood that he will win his first Oscar this year, as the clear frontrunner in best actor for table-tennis drama Marty Supreme.