Oscars Surprises: Unexpected Nominations and Snubs Unveiled

Mon Feb 02 2026 15:52:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

This year's Oscar nominations brought a mix of surprises and snubs, reflecting both notable performances and unexpected omissions, with the vampire film 'Sinners' leading the pack.

The announcement of the 2026 Oscar nominations was filled with surprises, including unexpected recognitions and notable snubs. 'Sinners' dominated with a record-breaking 16 nominations, while high-profile names like Paul Mescal and Chase Infiniti were left out. Notably, Elle Fanning's nomination for 'Sentimental Value' set a lively tone. The nominations highlighted the prominence of British talent, with Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku nominated for their roles in 'Sinners'. Timothée Chalamet emerged as a frontrunner for Best Actor, potentially on his way to Oscar glory.

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 recognised, but its breakout star Chase Infiniti missed best actress despite being a red-hot contender. It was an admittedly competitive category.

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.

The fact that it had enough momentum to propel it into best picture was a real show of strength - especially without other major nominations in best director or the acting categories.

3. Sinners were the big winners

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

Ryan Coogler's vampire horror has done particularly well to maintain its momentum with voters, considering it was released last spring.