Oscar History Is Made as a 2025 Horror Film Becomes the Most-Nominated Movie Ever

A horror movie has just changed Oscar history. The vampire film Sinners is now the most-nominated movie of all time at the Academy Awards. The news comes from the official nominations announcement for the 98th Academy Awards, released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Sinners received a total of 16 nominations. That number breaks the long-standing record of 14 nominations, which was previously shared by classic films like All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. One reason the record was possible this year is the addition of a new Oscar category for best casting. Even with that change, the achievement is still massive, especially for a horror movie, a genre that is often ignored during awards season.

The film’s closest competitor is One Battle After Another, a thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. That movie earned 13 nominations, making it the second most-nominated film this year. While Sinners focuses on racism in the American South, One Battle After Another tells the story of a rebel fighting back against a powerful U.S. government.

Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers who return to Mississippi in the 1930s. Their plan to open a music club quickly turns dark when vampires begin attacking their community. Jordan received a nomination for best actor. Wunmi Mosaku earned a nod for best supporting actress, and director Ryan Coogler was nominated for best director. The film is also in the race for best picture, the biggest award of the night.

One Battle After Another also did well with acting nominations. DiCaprio is up for best actor, while Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor were all nominated in supporting categories. Director Paul Thomas Anderson also earned a nomination for his work on the film.

Other well-known names appeared on the list too. Timothée Chalamet received another best actor nomination for Marty Supreme, marking his third time in the category. Jessie Buckley is currently seen as the favorite to win best actress for Hamnet. Her co-star Paul Mescal, who played William Shakespeare, was noticeably left off the list.

Not every movie had a good morning. Wicked: For Good failed to receive a single nomination. Its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, were completely shut out, making it one of the biggest snubs of the year.

Even with its record-breaking total, Sinners is not guaranteed to win best picture. History shows that having the most nominations does not always lead to the top prize. Over the past 21 years, the most-nominated film has only won best picture six times. Many experts still believe One Battle After Another is the frontrunner.

The nominations are also a big win for Warner Bros., which produced both of the top films. This success comes as the studio is reportedly in the middle of a potential sale, possibly to Netflix.

The final results will be revealed soon. The 2026 Oscars ceremony will take place in Hollywood on March 15, where one of these films will officially take home the biggest award of the night.

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