Sinners becomes first film ever to receive 16 Oscar nods

Ryan Coogler’s genre‑bending hit, starring Michael B Jordan, breaks Academy Awards record

Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners has made Oscar history by earning 16 Academy Award nominations, becoming the first film ever to reach that milestone and surpassing the long‑standing record of 14 nominations previously held by classics like Titanic and La La Land.

The vampire‑themed period film, which stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers confronting racism and other horrors in 1930s Mississippi, led all contenders in this year’s nominations for the 98th Academy Awards.

Among its nods are major categories such as Best Picture, Best Director for Coogler, and Best Original Screenplay, as well as a Best Actor nomination for Jordan, his first Oscar nod. Supporting acting nominations went to Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku.

Sinners’ nominations also span technical and creative achievements, reflecting the film’s broad excellence. The movie received nods for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song for “I Lied to You,” Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and the Academy’s new Best Casting category. This wide-ranging recognition helped Sinners achieve its historic record total of 16 nominations.

Despite its unprecedented achievement, some awards-season attention also focuses on rival films such as Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which earned 13 nominations, along with standout performances in Hamnet, Frankenstein, and Marty Supreme.

The Oscars ceremony, hosted once again by Conan O’Brien, is scheduled for March 15, 2026, where Sinners will look to convert its record nominations into historic wins and potentially redefine awards-night expectations.