The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026, and they certainly lived up to the reputation of delivering massive shocks. While Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic Sinners made history with a record-breaking 16 nominations, many sure things were left entirely out of the race.
Here are the biggest snubs and surprises from the 2026 Oscar nominations:
The biggest snubs
Paul Mescal (Hamnet): Paul Mescal was shockingly left out of the Best Actor/Supporting Actor race for his performance as a bereaved and paternal William Shakespeare, in what many are calling the tragedy of the year. Despite being a frontrunner at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, the Academy overlooked him, even as his co-star Jessie Buckley secured a Best Actress nod.
Ariana Grande and Wicked: For Good: After the first Wicked dominated last year, the sequel was completely shut out. Ariana Grande, who was widely expected to land a Supporting Actress nomination for her return as Glinda, was the most notable omission. The film also failed to secure any craft or original song nominations.
George Clooney and Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly): Both George Clooney and Adam Sandler were left out of the acting categories for their work in Noah Baumbach’s star-studded Netflix film, Jay Kelly. Despite the high-profile cast and Baumbach’s history with the Academy as a crowd favourite, the movie failed to pick up momentum or fanfare. Ultimately leading to the exclusion of it’s incredible performances in the nomination categories.
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another): Chase Infiniti, whose performance as a teen Willa was highly acclaimed both critically and commercially for One Battle After Another was notably missing among the nominations for Best Actress. Even though the film itself did very well in other categories, the 25-year-old breakout star missed out on a nomination. Some industry insiders think this may have been due to a very crowded field of contenders, or perhaps a lack of clarity on whether her performance should have been campaigned as a lead or supporting role.
Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee): Despite receiving critical acclaim and nominations at both the Gotham and Critics Choice Awards, Seyfried was surprisingly left out of the Best Actress category. Many felt her visceral performance as Shaker founder Ann Lee was a career-best, making her omission one of the morning’s biggest talking points.
The biggest surprises
Delroy Lindo (Sinners): In a ‘career-best’ moment that had everyone cheering, the veteran actor secured his first-ever Oscar nomination for his role as Delta Slim. This was a true underdog story, as Lindo had been largely absent from the major precursor awards like the Golden Globes.
Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue): Hudson surprised many by landing a Best Actress nomination for her role as half of a Neil Diamond tribute band. While her co-star Hugh Jackman was snubbed, Hudson’s performance clearly resonated with the Academy’s actors’ branch.
Amy Madigan (Weapons): In a truly heartwarming surprise, 75-year-old Amy Madigan secured a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her terrifying role as Aunt Gladys. This marks her first Oscar nomination in 40 years (since 1985’s Twice in a Lifetime), setting a new record for the longest gap between nominations for an actress.
F1’s Best Picture nod: The high-octane racing drama F1 managed to speed into the Best Picture lineup. While Brad Pitt missed out on an acting nomination, the film’s inclusion in the top category was a major win for the technical and producing teams.