The Oscar nominations delivered shocks and talking points on Thursday, even as Sinners led the field with a record 16 nods ahead of the March 15 ceremony.
The biggest talking point was Ariana Grande’s absence. After a supporting actress nod for the first Wicked film, she failed to land a nomination for Wicked: For Good, despite her larger role. The sequel drew no nominations at all, a sharp contrast to the original’s 10 nods and two wins.
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) and Paul Mescal (Hamnet) also missed out, while Delroy Lindo (Sinners) and Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value) delivered surprise supporting nominations.
Warner Bros claimed an enviable position with the two leading contenders. Sinners topped the list with 16 nominations, followed by One Battle After Another with 13. The success comes as the studio faces a possible sale, with Paramount, Skydance, and Netflix among those circling.
The Academy set a new high with four non-English-language acting nominations, including three Norwegians from Sentimental Value and Brazil’s Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent. Director Chloe Zhao became only the second woman, after Jane Campion, to earn multiple directing nominations.
The Oscars introduced a best casting category for the first time since 2002. The nominees largely matched the best picture frontrunners, including Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Sinners.
Timothée Chalamet earned his third best actor nomination for Marty Supreme, adding a producing nod for the same film. With nine nominations overall, including best director for Josh Safdie, the film’s strong showing positions Chalamet as a serious contender heading into March.
