Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' makes history as first film to score 16 Oscar nods
LOS ANGELS, CALIFORNIA: 'Sinners', Ryan Coogler’s critically and commercially acclaimed supernatural thriller, has become the most-nominated film in Academy Awards history, securing an unprecedented 16 nominations.
The film, which stars Michael B Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers opening a blues club in 1930s Mississippi while confronting racism and vampires, has grossed $368 million worldwide.
Its nominations include best picture, best director, leading actor, supporting actor for British actor Delroy Lindo, supporting actress for British-Nigerian actor Wunmi Mosaku, and the Academy’s inaugural award for casting.
The tally surpasses the long-standing record of 14 nominations shared by 'All About Eve' (1950), 'Titanic' (1997) and 'La La Land' (2016).
Historic firsts for black and female filmmakers
The nominations also marked several historic milestones. Costume designer Ruth E Carter earned her fifth Oscar nomination, making her the most-nominated Black woman in the Academy’s 98-year history.
Meanwhile, Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s nod for cinematography represents only the fourth time a woman has been nominated in that category.
Despite the record haul, expectations are tempered that 'Sinners may convert fewer nominations into wins than past record holders when the ceremony takes place on March 15.
'One battle after another' emerges as key rival
While 'Sinners' leads the field, the countercultural comedy 'One Battle After Another' remains its closest challenger with 13 nominations.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, long regarded as an Oscars perennial bridesmaid with 11 previous nominations but no wins, the film is widely tipped to take both best picture and best director. Supporting actress Teyana Taylor is also seen as a frontrunner.
The film earned acting nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, though Chase Infiniti was a surprise omission from the leading actress category. Kate Hudson did secure a nomination for Song Sung Blue.
Strong showing for 'Hamnet' and director Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao’s 'Hamnet' also performed strongly, picking up eight nominations. Jessie Buckley is widely considered the frontrunner for best actress, though Paul Mescal was unexpectedly snubbed in the supporting actor category.
Zhao who became the second woman and first woman of colour to win best director for Nomadland in 2021 is this year’s only female directing nominee.
She also edited, executive produced and co-wrote Hamnet, and is Anderson’s main rival in the original screenplay race, though Coogler is favoured in that category.
Timothee Chalamet favored but mixed fortunes for big names
Timothée Chalamet is the favourite for best actor for his role as a table tennis hustler in 'Marty Supreme', which secured nine nominations overall. A win would make the recently turned 30-year-old the second youngest best actor winner in Oscar history, behind Adrien Brody.
However, the film delivered disappointment for Gwyneth Paltrow, whose return to cinema after a decade-long hiatus failed to earn a nomination.
Other notable omissions included Dwayne Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, George Clooney and Cynthia Erivo.
'Wicked for Good' underperformed dramatically, receiving no nominations despite expectations of a supporting actress nod for Ariana Grande. Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly also went home empty-handed.
International films set new benchmarks
This year’s nominations underscored the Academy’s growing international outlook. Subtitled films including 'Sentimental Value', 'The Secret Agent', and 'It Was Just An Accident' received multiple nods.
'Sentimental Value' emerged as a standout with nine nominations, including four acting mentions and best picture and director nods for Joachim Trier.
Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian nominated for best actor for 'The Secret Agent', which also landed nominations for best picture, casting and international feature. Acting nods for Moura and several non-English performances set a new record for foreign-language acting nominees.
