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98th Oscar Nominations Announced; Warner Bros. Leads with Record-Setting 'Sinners' and Dual Best Picture Campaigns

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The 98th Oscars: 'Sinners' Leads with Record 16 Nominations as Warner Bros. Ties All-Time High

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the nominations for the 98th Oscars, with the film 'Sinners' leading the field with a record-setting 16 nominations.

Warner Bros., the distributor for 'Sinners' and 'One Battle After Another,' received a total of 30 nominations, tying its all-time record. The awards season is progressing towards the final voting period and the ceremony, which will include new ballot rules for the Academy's 11,000 members.

Nomination Highlights and Record Breakers

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced, confirming predictions for several leading films and studios.

'Sinners' garnered 16 nominations, establishing a new record for a single film and surpassing the previous record of 14, shared by 'All About Eve' (1950), 'Titanic' (1997), and 'La La Land' (2016).

'Sinners' received nominations in all viable categories.

Following 'Sinners,' 'One Battle After Another' secured 13 nominations. Other films receiving multiple nominations included 'Frankenstein,' 'Marty Supreme,' and 'Sentimental Value,' each with nine nominations.

Key Films and Notable Omissions

While 'Sinners' achieved broad recognition, other top contenders experienced specific nomination omissions:

  • 'One Battle After Another': Did not receive a nomination for best actress.
  • 'Hamnet': Missed nominations for best supporting actor, cinematography, and film editing.
  • 'Frankenstein': Did not secure nominations for best director or visual effects.
  • 'Marty Supreme': Missed makeup/hairstyling.
  • 'The Secret Agent': Missed original screenplay.

Initial projections had anticipated 'Sinners' for 15 nominations, 'One Battle After Another' for 12, and 'Frankenstein' and 'Hamnet' for 11 each.

Studio Dominance: Warner Bros. Ties All-Time Record

Warner Bros. led all studios and distributors with a total of 30 nominations for films including 'Sinners,' 'One Battle After Another,' 'F1,' 'Weapons,' and 'Superman.'

This figure ties the studio's all-time record and positions it as a major force in the awards season. In 2025, Warner Bros. released 11 films, with nine opening at number one at the domestic box office and seven consecutive releases grossing over $40 million. The studio's films collectively held the top domestic box office spot for 15 weeks and globally for 16 weeks, contributing three titles to the year's top 10 highest-grossing films and achieving over $4 billion in worldwide revenue.

Other Major Contenders

Other company projections for nominations included:

  • Netflix: 19 nominations for films such as 'Frankenstein,' 'Train Dreams,' 'KPop Demon Hunters,' and 'The Perfect Neighbor.'
  • Neon: 17 nominations for 'Sentimental Value,' 'Sirat,' 'The Secret Agent,' and 'It Was Just an Accident.'
  • Focus: 15 nominations for 'Hamnet' and 'Bugonia.'

Evolving Academy and Influencing Trends

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences now comprises approximately 11,000 members, with 25 percent residing outside the U.S.

This expanded international membership is cited as a factor influencing nomination accuracy and leading to increased recognition for non-English-language films.

It is also noted that nominees not associated with Best Picture contenders may face a more challenging awards season, a trend potentially influenced by an influx of younger voters who may prioritize a smaller selection of highly visible films.

Awards Season Precursors Shape the Race

Prior to the final Oscar voting, several precursor awards provided insights into the competitive races:

  • Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards: 'One Battle After Another' received top honors at these ceremonies, establishing it as a strong contender for Best Picture.
  • Spirit Awards (February 15): 'Train Dreams' won Best Feature, Best Director (Clint Bentley), and Best Cinematography (Adolpho Veloso). Rose Byrne received Best Lead Performance for 'If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.' 'The Secret Agent' was awarded Best International Film, and 'The Perfect Neighbor' won Best Documentary Feature.
  • BAFTA Awards (February 22): 'One Battle After Another' secured six awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Wunmi Mosaku won Best Supporting Actress for 'Sinners.' Robert Aramayo ('I Swear') won Best Actor, though he is not Oscar-eligible.

Current projections for some Oscar races include Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson ('One Battle After Another'), Best Actress for Jessie Buckley ('Hamnet'), and Best Original Song for "Golden" from 'KPop Demon Hunters.' However, approximately 21 categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor/Actress, remain competitive.

Historically, over the 16 seasons using a preferential ballot for Best Picture, the film with the most nominations (or tied for most) has won Best Picture in six instances.

Warner Bros.' Dual Best Picture Strategy

Warner Bros. is managing concurrent Oscar campaigns for two leading Best Picture contenders: Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' and Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners.' This situation requires the studio to balance its promotional efforts to ensure equitable support for both films among Oscar voters, including aligned budgets, balanced screening calendars, and evenly distributed publicity. Campaign budgets for both films are estimated to be between $14 million and $16 million each.

This scenario, where a single studio champions two top contenders, is rare but has historical precedent, such as Searchlight Pictures with 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' and 'The Shape of Water' in 2017, and Paramount Pictures with 'The Godfather Part II' and 'Chinatown' in 1974.

The studio's co-CEOs, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who partnered in 2020 at MGM before moving to Warner Bros. in 2022, have overseen a successful 2025 following earlier reports of potential replacements. Their contracts were extended in October 2025. They secured the rights reversion deal for 'Sinners,' which had been pursued by other studios.

The awards-season success has been noted by insiders as a morale boost for Warner Bros., particularly amid the studio's impending sale to Netflix.

Final Voting Underway with New Rules

The final round of Oscars voting commenced on February 26 and will conclude on March 5. The Academy's 11,000 members are utilizing a ballot with several new elements:

  • A "best casting" category has been introduced, bringing the total number of categories to 24.
  • All categories now list the individuals personally eligible for the award, rather than solely the nominated film titles. This change may benefit well-known nominees.
  • Voters are now required to have seen all nominees in a category to cast a vote for that category.

The 98th Oscars ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, is scheduled for March 15. Upcoming events prior to the ceremony include the Producers Guild Awards and the Actor Awards (formerly SAG Awards).