2026 Academy Award Nominations

The Academy Awards have been around for nearly 100 years and have been used as a way to shine a light on people’s hard work and achievements in the cinematography industry. Starting in 1929, they recognized these people through the original five categories from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The categories included actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. 

However, as of the 2026 Academy Awards, these categories have been expanded to over 19 branches intended to recognize the film industry as it continues to evolve. These branches now include CGI, technological and animated feats, all of which did not exist outside of the limited scope when the awards first started. 

Initially, the Academy Awards, dubbed as the Oscars, used to announce the winners three months in advance in newspapers, while the actors and filmmakers would attend a private, non-televised ceremony. The year 1953 was a huge milestone for the Oscars because it was the first time that they were televised and had Conrad Nagel and Bob Hope, both huge movie stars for the time, as the first-ever-hosts to present these awards.

Today, the Oscars have been responsible for setting numerous records in cinema. With 22 wins and four honorary awards, Walt Disney is the record holder for the most awards of all time. Titanic (1997), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and Ben-Hur (1959) each have the record for most wins for a single film, tying with 11 statues each. 

The 98th Academy Awards have made history with the film, Sinners leading with 16 total nominations, the most for a single film in history, breaking Titanic’s records, including for best picture. The film has great cinematography, features Michael B. Jordan as the lead, and has an intriguing plot based on everything going wrong in a small town. Other submissions include Marty Supreme, a creative film about a man playing ping-pong with a much deeper subtext,  and The Secret Agent, a unique and thrilling crime film. 

Top contenders for best actor this year include Michael B. Jordan for his work in Sinners, Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Timothée Chalamet in his portrayal of Marty Supreme and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent. 

No doubt, no matter who is the best actor or who wins best picture, the latest batch of Academy Awards will bring recognition and attention to cinema to come. At its core, these films are an amazing way for the world to see the beautiful art that is filmmaking.