Oscar Nominations 2026: 7 Biggest Snubs And Surprises From This Year's List
The nominees for the upcoming Oscars have been announced – and the cast and crew of Sinners have plenty to celebrate this year, leading the way with a record-breaking 16 nominations.
As ever, the shortlist of nominees immediately generated a lot of conversation when it was unveiled on Thursday afternoon, both from movie fans sharing their top picks to take home that coveted golden trophy in March, and those who didn’t make the cut this year.
Indeed, there are some pretty note-worthy absentees from this year’s Oscar nominations, while there are a fair few others we were pleasantly surprised to see make their way into their categories.
Here are our seven biggest snubs and surprises of the 2026 Oscar nominees…
SNUB
Wicked: For Good
Let’s start with the biggie, shall we?
In 2025, the first Wicked movie racked up a hefty 10 Oscar nominations, including acting wins for both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and wins in the Best Production Design and Best Costume Design categories.
However, neither actor has been recognised at this year’s event – and, in fact, Wicked: For Good failed to pick up a single Oscar nomination in something of a blow for the musical sequel.
Worst of all, without a nod in the Best Original Song category, we were subjected to those new additions to the soundtrack for nothing…
SNUB
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
One Battle After Another, remarkably, marked Chase Infiniti’s first time on the big screen, with her performance in the Paul Thomas Anderson movie earning her nominations at both the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards and recently-renamed Actor Awards.
Surprisingly – and, we have to say, disappointingly – this did not translate to an Oscar nomination for the young star, who will next be seen in Niki Byrne’s coming-of-age drama The Julia Set.
SNUB
Paul Mescal (Best Supporting Actor)
As expected, Hamnet had plenty of love when it came to this year’s Oscar nominations, with lead actor Jessie Buckley the current favourite to scoop Best Actress and Chloe Zhao receiving Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nods.
While many expected that Paul Mescal would rack up his second nomination for his performance as William Shakespeare, it turned out there was not enough room for him in the stacked category after all.
SURPRISE
Kate Hudson (Best Actress)
As the date of the Oscar nominations announcement drew nearer, we’d heard rumblings that Kate Hudson might make her way into the Best Actress category, but we weren’t sure whether she’d actually manage it.
Turns out, she did!
Kate plays tribute singer Claire Sardina in the musical drama, earning her first Oscar nomination in 25 years for her work in the movie (she was last nominated in 2001 for her breakout role in Almost Famous).
SURPRISE
Delroy Lindo (Best Supporting Actor)
After Delroy Lindo was overlooked at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards and Actor Awards for his performance as Delta Slim in Sinners, we came to the sad conclusion that the comic relief character wouldn’t be getting any love from the major awards bodies this year.
Imagine our delight, then, when he managed to make his way into the Best Supporting Actor category at the Oscars, one of three acting nods for the film (which has shattered the record for the most nominations in history) at the upcoming Academy Awards.
SURPRISE
Amy Madigan (Best Supporting Actress)
To be fair, after winning a Critics’ Choice Award and earning recognition at the Golden Globes, we’re not sure we can really call Amy Madigan’s nomination for her performance in Weapons a surprise anymore.
Still, when we cast our mind back to the first time we were introduced to Aunt Gladys last year, we never thought that Amy would land herself in the running for an Oscar for her role, and given the Academy’s history with horror movies, it’s great to see her getting the recognition she deserves so much.
SNUB
No Other Choice
Like Wicked: For Good, many were shocked that Park Chan-wook’s satirical drama No Other Choice didn’t get a single Oscar nomination – despite its acclaim from both critics and audiences, and the fact that until recently it held a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What we’re hoping is that the conversation around this snub, paired with its rave reviews, are enough that when it hits UK cinemas later this week, audiences flood to see it.