American filmmaker Ryan Coogler has redrawn the Oscars map as his bold, genre-defying film, Sinners, stormed the 98th Academy Awards race with a record-breaking 16 nominations, making it the most-nominated supernatural horror with blues, history, and social commentary.
Sinners is set in the Jim Crow–era American South and features Michael B. Jordan in a striking dual role. The film’s daring fusion of music, mythology, and survival narratives has not only captured the imagination of audiences but also eclipsed the long-standing 14-nomination benchmark once shared by Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve.
The Academy’s recognition spans the full spectrum of top honours. Sinners landed nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Coogler, alongside major acting nods for Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and Wunmi Mosaku—underscoring the film’s strength across performance, storytelling, and technical craft.
Industry watchers say the film’s dominance was further amplified by the Academy’s newly introduced Best Casting category, which broadened the scope of recognition and worked in favour of ensemble-driven productions like Sinners.
While strong contenders such as One Battle After Another followed with 13 nominations, Coogler’s film has emerged as the clear front-runner ahead of the March 15 Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Beyond the numbers, Sinners has ignited wider conversations about the Academy’s growing openness to genre films—especially those that merge horror, history, and music into layered, emotionally charged cinema.
With its unprecedented nomination haul, Sinners is no longer just an awards favourite; it has positioned itself as a defining cultural moment of the 2026 Oscars season.
