Hailee Steinfeld and Michael B. Jordan star in “Sinners.” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
By Jade Enos
For most of its history, horror has existed at the Oscars like an uninvited guest — present, influential and impossible to ignore, yet rarely welcomed. Horror is one of the most popular film genres, using writing, visual effects, sound and editing to reflect society’s deepest fears. Yet when awards season arrives, its achievements are often dismissed.
This year felt different.
The 2026 Oscar nominations marked a major shift for the genre. Rather than a single acting nomination or a courtesy nod for makeup and hairstyling, one horror film received more nominations than any film in Oscar history.
“Sinners” earned 16 nominations.
Released April 3, 2025, Sinners was met with widespread acclaim for its visual storytelling, writing and score. The film holds a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $368.3 million worldwide. Despite its critical and commercial success, there was still some doubt over whether the Academy would embrace the film at all.
That skepticism was rooted in history. The Academy’s relationship with horror has long been complicated. While films such as “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Get Out” broke through in rare moments, many celebrated horror films and performances were overlooked. Toni Collette received no recognition for her performance in Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” (2018). Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” (1980), adapted from Stephen King’s novel, was never nominated for adapted screenplay. Demi Moore was nominated for “The Substance” but won no awards. “Nosferatu” (2024) received nominations for cinematography, production design, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling but left empty-handed.
Despite offering actors opportunities to demonstrate range and allowing filmmakers to excel in sound, production design, visual effects and screenplay. The Academy continues to reduce horror down to gore and jump scares.
The 2026 nominations signaled a shift — not because horror changed, but because the Academy did.
Even so, the nominations were not without controversy. “28 Years Later” missed nominations for production design, cinematography and supporting actor for Ralph Fiennes. While Amy Madigan earned a surprise nomination for “Weapons,” the film was overlooked for best original screenplay.
What made the 2026 nominations significant was not simply the presence of horror films, but their placement. Horror appeared across major categories such as acting, directing and screenplay, while technical achievements — including editing, score and visual effects — were recognized as essential storytelling tools rather than genre excesses.
As Oscar night approaches, the hope remains that these nominations will represent more than symbolic progress.
My Predictions (nominees listed with predicted winner in bold):
Best Picture
“Bugonia”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams”
Best Director
Chloe Zhao, “Hamnet”
Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
Best Actress
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” “Kate Hudson”
Emma Stone, “Bugonia”
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”
Best Actor
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
Timothee Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”
Snubs: Oscar Isaac, “Frankenstein; Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”
Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
Snubs: Odessa A ‘Zion “Marty Supreme”; Mia Goth, “Frankenstein”
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
Delroy Lindo, “Sinners”
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
Stellan, Skarsgaard, “Sentimental Value”
Snub: Ralph Fiennes, “28 Years Later”
Adapted Screenplay
“Bugonia”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“One Battle After Another”
“Train Dreams”
Original Screenplay
“Blue Moon”
“It Was Just and Accident”
“Marty Supreme”
“Sinners”
“Sentimental Value”
Best Casting
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sinners”
Best Original Score
“Bugonia”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Sinners”
“One Battle After Another”
Best Cinematography
“Frankenstein”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams”
Snub: “Mickey 17”
Best Editing
“F1”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
Snub: “Mickey 17”
Best Animated Feature
“Elio”
“Arco”
“Kpop Demon Hunters”
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”
“Zootopia 2”
Snubs: “Demon Slayer Infinity Castle”, “Chainsaw Man, The Reze Arc”
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Frankenstein”
“Kokuho”
“Sinners”
“The Smashing Machine”
“The Ugly Stepsister”
Best Sound
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirat”
Snub: “Mickey 17”
Best Visual Effects
“Avatar”
“F1”
“Jurassic World: Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”
Snubs: “Mickey 17,” “Superman”
Best Costume Design
“Avatar”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“Sinners”
Best Production Design
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
Snub: “Mickey 17”
Best Documentary
“The Perfect Neighbor”
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin”
“The Alabama Solution”
“Cutting Through Rocks”
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
Best Original Song
“Dear Me” From “Diane Warren: Relentless”
“Golden” From “Kpop Demon Hunters”
“I Lied to You” From “Sinners”
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” From “Viva Verdi!”
“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”
