‘Sinners’ Is Officially The Most Nominated Film In Oscar History With Record-Breaking 16 Nominations, Including Best Picture
Written by b87fm on 01/22/2026
The 2026 Academy Award nominations are officially in—and after weeks of speculation, the Academy delivered a historic surprise that many film fans were hoping for.
Ryan Coogler’s horror epic Sinners earned a coveted Best Picture nomination and shattered records in the process, racking up an unprecedented 16 nominations. The achievement surpasses the long-standing record of 14 nominations previously held by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016).
In addition to Best Picture, Sinners secured nominations across nearly every major category, including Best Director (Ryan Coogler), Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku), Best Supporting Actor (Delroy Lindo), and Best Original Screenplay (Coogler). The film was also recognized for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design (Ruth E. Carter), Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song (“I Lied To You” by Miles Caton), Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and the newly cemented category of Best Casting.
While Coogler is no stranger to Oscar recognition, Sinners marks a milestone moment: he and his wife become the first Black couple nominated together in the Best Picture category. The film’s ensemble cast is also celebrating major firsts, with Jordan, Lindo, Mosaku, and breakout performer Caton each earning their first Academy Award nominations for their roles in the Mississippi Delta blues vampire horror film.
Beyond Sinners, several other high-profile films received notable attention. One Battle After Another, starring Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and Regina Hall, landed multiple nominations, while F1, featuring Damson Idris, also made a strong showing.
Fresh off her first Golden Globe win, Taylor earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for One Battle After Another. Should Taylor or fellow nominee Mosaku win, they would join an elite group of Black actresses honored in the category, including Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Mo’Nique, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong’o, Viola Davis, Regina King, Ariana DeBose, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s Best Actor nomination carries its own historic potential. If he takes home the award for his dual performance portraying twins, he would become just the sixth Black man to win in the category, joining Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.
As previously reported by theGrio, Sinners has dominated the awards circuit this season and currently leads nominations for the upcoming NAACP Image Awards—cementing its status as one of the most celebrated films of the year.
