Oscars 2026 Nominations: 10 Biggest Snubs & Surprises

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The nominations for the 2026 Oscars are out! This year’s list included some expected omissions and a few surprises. Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman revealed the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards, with the film Sinners receiving a record number of nominations and One Battle After Another earning the most recognition overall.

Although most of the Oscar nominations were expected, the Academy Awards always include a few surprises. This year’s nominations are no different – some highly anticipated films were left out entirely, while others exceeded expectations with unexpected nominations. A few films didn’t perform as well as predicted, resulting in notable snubs.

Here are the biggest snubs and surprises from the latest Oscar nominations.

10. Wicked: For Good Received Zero Oscar Nominations

Image via Universal

Following the success of the stage production Wicked at the Oscars – with 10 nominations and 2 wins – many anticipated its film adaptation, Wicked: For Good, would also be a major contender this year. However, after the movie received a less enthusiastic reception, its chances decreased. Despite this, people still expected a few nominations, potentially including one for Ariana Grande as Best Supporting Actress.

It was surprising that Ariana Grande wasn’t nominated, especially since Wicked: For Good received no Oscar nominations at all. The film was expected to be recognized for categories like Best Original Song, Production Design, and Costume Design, but ultimately didn’t receive any. This year, Oscar voters didn’t seem as captivated by the return to the world of Oz.

9. F1 Received A Best Picture Nomination

As awards season progressed, it became evident that the film F1 was gaining momentum, particularly after receiving a nomination from the Producers Guild of America. While a Best Picture nomination wasn’t expected by many, it ultimately happened – F1 is now one of the ten films competing for the award.

The film achieved a major success by surpassing other popular movies like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wicked: For Good to earn a nomination. It also received three more nominations for Best Sound, Best Editing, and Best Visual Effects, making it a standout contender.

8. Guillermo del Toro Snubbed In Best Director

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein received nine Oscar nominations, a major success for the film. While the film’s strong showing was expected, many were surprised that del Toro himself wasn’t nominated for Best Director, especially after receiving recognition from the Directors Guild of America.

Guillermo del Toro is a highly respected director and previously won an award in this category for The Shape of Water. Many expected him to be nominated again this year for Frankenstein, but Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) or Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value) ultimately took his likely place.

7. Delroy Lindo & Wunmi Mosaku Get Supporting Nominations

A major factor in Sinners’ record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations was its success in categories where it wasn’t initially expected to be a strong contender. For example, both Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively – a pleasant surprise for many.

While Mosaku’s nomination wasn’t entirely unexpected given his previous recognition from the Actor Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, and BAFTA, Lindo’s nomination was a genuine surprise as he only appeared on the BAFTA longlist. However, both nominations highlight the strong appreciation and support for the show, Sinners.

6. Paul Mescal Snubbed In Best Supporting Actor

The play Hamnet received eight nominations and was likely to get a ninth, thanks to Paul Mescal. For months, many people predicted he would be nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and it seemed almost certain.

Paul Mescal received nominations for major awards like the Golden Globes, Actor Awards, CCA, and BAFTA – similar to Jacob Elordi, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn, who were all nominated for Oscars. It’s likely that Mescal wasn’t nominated for an Oscar because Michael Lindo unexpectedly received a nomination instead.

5. Kate Hudson Secured A Best Actress Nomination

The Best Actress category was expected to have an unexpected outcome, and Kate Hudson’s nomination for Song Sung Blue certainly fits that description. Despite receiving nominations from the Golden Globes, Actor Awards, and BAFTA, she wasn’t considered a sure winner, as many predicted Renate Reinsve from Sentimental Value would be nominated instead.

Kate Hudson has earned her second Oscar nomination thanks to this recognition. She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2001 for her role in Almost Famous. Now, after 25 years, she’s back as the sole nominee from Song Sung Blue. It’s a bit surprising, as the film didn’t receive any other Oscar nominations.

4. Chase Infiniti Snubbed In Best Actress

It’s often harder for young actors to get noticed by the Oscars, and 25-year-old Chase Infiniti, the star of One Battle After Another, faced that challenge. However, many people expected her to be nominated for Best Actress, especially after she received nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, Actor Awards, and BAFTA.

I was really shocked to see her name missing from the nominations, especially because One Battle After Another was such a huge contender with thirteen nominations! Honestly, I think she’s been completely overlooked, and she’s probably the most deserving actor or actress left out of all the categories.

3. Sentimental Value Received Two Best Supporting Actress Nominations

A surprising development for the 2026 Oscars was the double nomination for Sentimental Value‘s Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in the Best Supporting Actress category. While both actresses were considered potential award winners earlier in the season, many thought they might be overlooked, especially after being absent from the Actor Awards and BAFTAs.

The nominations of Fanning and Lilleaas demonstrate the strong support Sentimental Value has among Academy voters, who are becoming more diverse internationally. With Wicked: For Good potentially hurting Ariana Grande’s nomination chances and Odessa A’zion from Marty Supreme failing to gain enough momentum, the actors from Sentimental Value successfully secured their nominations.

2. No Other Choice Blanked

While few predicted Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice would win big at the Oscars, many thought it had a good chance of being noticed. The most common expectation was a nomination for Best International Feature Film, and some believed it could also have been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The latest film from the South Korean director received no Oscar nominations, continuing a pattern of the Academy overlooking his work. Films like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Decision to Leave also didn’t receive any nominations in the past.

1. Jurassic World Rebirth Surprises In Best Visual Effects

It was a bit surprising to see Jurassic World Rebirth nominated for Best Visual Effects. The Jurassic Park franchise previously won this award with the original film and received another nomination for The Lost World, but hadn’t been recognized by the Oscars since.

The short film Rebirth has made history as the first Jurassic World installment to receive an Academy Award nomination. While it’s unlikely to win at the 2026 Oscars, the nomination itself highlights the impressive effort to recreate the style and atmosphere of the original Jurassic Park movies.

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2026-01-22 18:24