What surprised and disappointed me most in the 2026 Oscar nominations

At this time of year, when talk of the Oscars, nominations, and predictions grows ever louder, I feel particularly sentimental because it connects me to my beginnings at Vogue Adria. The main ceremony took place during my very first day at work, or rather, night; I had no idea whether I was coming or going, blessed or cursed beneath a mountain of names, titles, and speeches, wondering how much of a fanatic you had to be to predict and follow all of this so closely. A year later, here stands the fanatic before you. Like some kind of cinematic oracle, I predicted most of the nominations on this year’s list, from Hamnet, through One Battle After Another, to Sentimental Value, because all of the films were watched diligently and, whenever possible, on the big screen. Still, a few twists ultimately fell short of my expectations. Below, I reveal the biggest surprises and disappointments among the nominations for the 2026 Oscars, which will take place on March 15.

Related: The 2026 Oscar nominations are out

Sinners breaks a historic record

Seventy five years after All About Eve set the Oscar record with 14 nominations, a number later matched only by Titanic and La La Land, it has finally been broken. The introduction of the Oscar for casting helped Sinners gain additional momentum and secure a record breaking 16 nominations. The film received more acting nominations than expected: Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo were nominated for supporting roles, while Michael B. Jordan earned a nomination for Best Actor. In addition, there are nominations for Best Picture, as Sinners is also in the running for directing, original screenplay, casting, cinematography, costume design, production design, sound, makeup and hairstyling, song, score, and editing.

Warner Bros.

Guillermo del Toro without a directing nomination

Members of the Academy adore Guillermo del Toro, a former Oscar winner for Best Director for The Shape of Water. This year, however, that affection was not enough to translate into a personal nomination. Although Frankenstein received as many as nine nominations, the film did not earn one for directing. Instead, the slot widely expected to go to del Toro was taken by Sentimental Value director Joachim Trier. Was the absence of a nomination in the visual effects category a sign that, while voters admire del Toro, they still have certain reservations?

Elle Fanning receives her first ever nomination

Believe it or not, Elle Fanning has only now received her first Oscar nomination. Congratulations! Last year she was overlooked for A Complete Unknown, with the recognition going instead to her co star Monica Barbaro. As the Best Supporting Actress category became increasingly competitive, it seemed that Elle might once again fall out of the race, but fortunately she made it in thanks to her subtle and emotionally resonant performance in the Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier. The film earned an impressive nine nominations, including Best Picture.

MUBI

F1 enters the Best Picture race

I admit it, I watched F1 without blinking, partly because of Brad Pitt and partly because of the music, effects, twists, and adrenaline that felt especially overwhelming in the cinema, even though, objectively, I was fully aware the entire time that this was a typical blockbuster. For that reason, it is not a major surprise that F1 received nominations in technical categories such as sound and visual effects, as well as editing. The racing scenes are truly outstanding. However, the nomination for Best Picture was one of the bigger surprises. That tenth slot in the Best Picture category was completely open, and F1 managed to secure it ahead of competitors like It Was Just an Accident, Sirat, and Wicked: For Good.

Paul Mescal without a nomination for Hamnet

Hamnet returns on a wave of success following the recent Golden Globes, where it edged out Sinners at the last moment in the Best Drama category. In the Oscar race, it secured a very strong eight nominations, but one crucial element was missing. It was not nominated for Best Cinematography or Editing, with the editing nomination often serving as an important indicator of a Best Picture win. Paul Mescal was also left without a nomination, despite having been considered a sure thing for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the sullen William Shakespeare. Still, the Irish audience favorite has been nominated before, for Aftersun in 2023, and there is no doubt that many more opportunities await him in the future. After all, he will soon be playing Paul McCartney. As for the film itself, this outcome may suggest that Sinners is now pushing into second place in the Best Picture race, just behind One Battle After Another, while Hamnet slips into third.

Agata Grzybowska / 2025 Focus Features LLC

Kate Hudson is also nominated

Kate Hudson was last nominated for an Oscar as many as 25 years ago, for Almost Famous, in the Best Actress category. The latest musical Song Sung Blue, inspired by a Neil Diamond tribute band, has emerged as an unexpected favorite among Academy members, even though there had been whispers that Kate might make the shortlist, especially since she was already nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award. Still, seeing her name among the official Oscar nominees is surprising.

Jennifer Lawrence is not nominated for her role in Die My Love

At the age of 25, Jennifer Lawrence became the youngest actress in history to accumulate four Oscar nominations, an extraordinary run that included a win for Silver Linings Playbook. Since then, however, she has not received a single new nomination, and not even her widely praised performance as a frustrated young mother in Die My Love brought her back to the Oscars, although she fully deserved it. We hope that her return to the Academy’s spotlight will come with What Happens at Night by Martin Scorsese, which she is filming this year alongside the unstoppable Leonardo DiCaprio.

Kimberly French, Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival