Oscar Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Breaks Record With 16
With 13 nods, “One Battle After Another” came in close behind. Michael B is one of the acting nominees. Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, Kate Hudson, and Jordan The most endangered species in Hollywood—highly original, studio-made films with substantial budgets—dominated the Oscar nominations. “Sinners,” a horror fantasia set in the 1930s and rooted in Black culture, and “One Battle After Another,” a primal scream about authoritarianism and citizen resistance, emerged as films to beat by securing nominations in most major categories, including picture, director, actor, supporting actress, supporting actor cinematography and screenplay.
The total number of nominations for “Sinners,” which earned $368 million in ticket sales, is greater than that of any other film in Academy Award history. There were 13 nominations for “One Battle After Another,” which grossed $206 million worldwide. Warner Bros., the company that Paramount Skydance and Netflix are vying to acquire, produced the two films. Studios have mostly stopped making these kinds of movies, instead pursuing spectacle-driven sequels with the potential for $500 million or more in box office returns. (In fact, Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy, Warner Bros. executives, were widely anticipated to lose their jobs for supporting “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Now they look shrewd.)
Hollywood has been notably close-mouthed about politics over the past year, with many liberal stars afraid to land in the cross hairs of President Trump and his followers. However, by rallying behind these two (extremely well-reviewed) films, one an allegory about racism and cultural appropriation and the other about rising fascism and societal division, the film industry sent out clear political messages. Before the outstandingly strong showing by “Sinners,” three movies held the record for the most Oscar nominations. “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land” each received 14.
On the other end of the spectrum, little-seen and low-budget specialty films made up the majority of the other films that received numerous nominations on Thursday. This group included the devastating “Hamnet,” which received eight nominations and has earned $30 million worldwide, and the Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value,” which received nine nominations and has earned $16 million. They competed with “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” for the title of best picture.
The Brazilian crime drama “The Secret Agent,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” the absurdist “Bugonia,” the racing blockbuster “F1: The Movie,” the bouncy period sports drama “Marty Supreme,” and the slow-moving rumination on loss all received nominations for the top prize. The academy expanded the best picture field to 10 in 2022. Prior to that, there were as few as five slots and a sliding number. The changes were presented by the academy as a component of a broader focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hollywood will continue to pay close attention to which films and contributions were overlooked. “Wicked: For Good” was shut out entirely.
Voters also rejected “Jay Kelly,” despite the pedigree of its star, George Clooney. Dwayne Johnson waged an extensive campaign to gain recognition for “The Smashing Machine,” but he was unsuccessful. And del Toro, considered a best-director candidate for “Frankenstein,” was also left out, although the effects-driven Netflix picture picked up nine nominations in total.
Both Ryan Coogler (Sinners) and Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), whose films are currently leading the Oscar race, have received nominations for their roles as directors. Josh Safdie landed a slot for his first solo directing effort, “Marty Supreme,” which received nine nominations overall. The category was completed by Chloé Zhao (Hamnet), a previous winner, and Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), a director nominated for the first time.
The five contenders for best actress include two actresses exploring facets of motherhood: Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet” and Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” They will compete against Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve for her role as an enraged daughter in “Sentimental Value,” two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone for her role as a kidnapped executive in “Bugonia,” and Kate Hudson for her role as a Neil Diamond cover musician in “Song Sung Blue.” The best actor race features Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”) for his titular role as the abrasive, single-minded table tennis player. He became the youngest actor to receive three nominations in his career with this achievement. (He’s 30.)
He will compete against Leonardo DiCaprio, who played a burned-out revolutionary in “One Battle After Another.” Michael B also submitted a nomination. Jordan, playing the twins Smoke and Stack in “Sinners”; Ethan Hawke for his portrayal of the lyricist Lorenz Hart in “Blue Moon”; and Wagner Moura, who becomes the first Brazilian man to be nominated for an Oscar, for his role in “The Secret Agent.”
Teyana Taylor, who was honored for her performance as a steamy revolutionary in “One Battle After Another,” and Wunmi Mosaku, who was honored for her performance as a hoodoo healer in “Sinners,” were among the supporting actress nominees. Amy Madigan (“Weapons”), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (“Sentimental Value”) and Elle Fanning (“Sentimental Value”) rounded out the category.
Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro both received supporting actor nominations for their torrid performances in “One Battle After Another.” Stellan Skarsgard, who won a Golden Globe for his supporting role in “Sentimental Value,” also received a nod, as did Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”) and Delroy Lindo (“Sinners”).
Original screenplay nominations went to “Sinners,” “Sentimental Value,” “Marty Supreme,” “It Was Just an Accident,” and “Blue Moon” in the writing category. The field of adapted screenplays included “One Battle After Another,” “Bugonia,” “Hamnet,” “Train Dreams,” and “Frankenstein.” With 30 nominations, Warner Bros. dominated the morning, but indie film company Neon stood out with 18 nominations. (16 Netflix viewers) Neon, the company behind the previous best picture winners “Parasite” and “Anora,” garnered two best picture contenders with “The Secret Agent” and “Sentimental Value.”
It also dominated the international film category, giving films it bought from festivals this year four of the five slots. In the Spanish-French co-production “Sirat,” it received four acting nominations and a sound nomination. The Oscars is expanding by one category: casting directors (up to two per film) are now eligible for a trophy. The academy chose to honor those from “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent” and “Sinners” for its inaugural class. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last added a competitive category (animated film) in 2001.
Yes, this probably means that the broadcast will be longer still. The performance last year lasted three hours and fifty minutes. ABC and Hulu will both broadcast the Oscars ceremony on March 15. In order to avoid clashing with live sporting events, the date is set later than usual. Conan O’Brien will once again host the Oscars. O’Brien received high marks for his work as the M.C. of the 97th Oscar telecast, which delivered a five-year ratings high for ABC. About 19.7 million people tuned in, up from 19.5 million. As recently as 2019, though, the Oscars attracted 30 million viewers.
The Academy has scrambled to find ways to keep the Oscars relevant as audience numbers have decreased for almost all award shows, with the Game Awards, which honor video games, being a notable exception. The Oscars, for instance, will move to YouTube starting in 2029, ending a run on ABC that started in 1976.
