Recommended Free Tools
The biggest 2026 Oscar nomination shock was the contrast between a record-setting haul for Sinners and a total shutout for Wicked: For Good. Other notable surprises included Delroy Lindo earning his first Oscar nomination for Sinners and Kate Hudson landing in the best actress field for Song Sung Blue. “Snub” and “surprise” are critical judgments, not official Academy terms; the Academy’s nominee list confirms who made the cut, while the Associated Press’s nomination-day analysis explains why some results stood out.
What made the 2026 nominations notable?
The Academy announced nominations for the 98th Oscars on January 22, 2026. The field covered 24 award categories. Academy members in 19 branches voted in their respective categories; Best Picture had 10 nominees, while each other category had five. Nomination ballots came from 88 countries, according to the Academy announcement.
Sinners led the nominations with 16, setting a new Academy record and breaking the previous 14-nomination benchmark. One Battle After Another followed with 13. Those totals frame the most striking contrast of the announcement: a historic high for one film and a complete shutout for a prominent sequel.
The biggest film-level snub: Wicked: For Good
Wicked: For Good received no nominations, and Ariana Grande was left out of the supporting actress field. That result stood out because the first Wicked film received 10 nominations. The Associated Press identified both the sequel’s shutout and Grande’s omission as major disappointments relative to expectations.
#1 Best Overall
- EASY-TO-PLAY: Test your cinema knowledge and take a trip down memory lane as you reflect on favorite box office hits, Oscar winners, and classic movie quotes. Movie Trivia is an easy to learn game making it perfect to play with family and friends.
- FAMILY FAVORITE: Movie Trivia spans the Hollywood classics to modern day movies. Teens to adults will enjoy answering these trivia questions.
- TRIVIA CATEGORIES: Movie Trivia Game includes the following categories: Comedy/Animation, Action/Adventure, Drama/Musical, and Horror/Sci-Fi.
- INCLUDES: 110 Double-sided cards (880 questions), Score pad, Pencil, Instructions.
AP noted the sequel’s critical reception as a possible factor in the gap between expectations and the result, but the Academy has not stated why voters made their choices. The nomination outcome is clear; a specific explanation for it is not.
Unexpected acting nominations
Delroy Lindo for Sinners
Delroy Lindo earned a supporting actor nomination for Sinners, his first Oscar nomination. AP singled him out as a surprise selection. His place in the final five meant another contender did not make the category, but voters have not disclosed their reasoning, and the available sources do not establish a single expected nominee he replaced.
Rank #2
- How to Play: Compete with your friends to identify popular movies from the most convoluted movie summaries possible. Has your mom ever tried to explain a film that she just watched? Did it make one ounce of sense? Of course not–and that’s precisely the inspiration for this game. For example: A goose suddenly dies and it makes everyone really depressed. Psst, it’s 'Top Gun’.
- Package Includes: Features 125 game cards–each featuring a uniquely-terrible description of a movie. Includes instructions for two distinct ways to play (competitive & casual). Suitable for 2 to 8 players.
- Perfect for parties: Brass Monkey’s “Poorly Explained Movies Game” is the perfect party game to make sure everyone has a great time, bring it to your next college dorm game night, happy hour, or even bachelor/bachelorette party and see for yourself.
- Gift Ideas: Ideal gift for birthdays, graduation, holiday gifts, and Christmas
Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue
Kate Hudson made the best actress lineup for Song Sung Blue. AP described her inclusion as a surprise; the Academy’s nominee list confirms she was among the five selections.
Amy Madigan for Weapons
Amy Madigan’s supporting actress nomination for the horror film Weapons was another unexpected inclusion in AP’s analysis. It offered a counterpoint to the year’s other genre-related conversation, but one nomination is not evidence of a broad change in Academy voting habits.
Rank #3
- FUN FOR ALL AGES: Soundtrack Trivia is a perfect party game for family and friends or gift for movie lovers, offering hours of fun, excitement, and memorable moments that even kids will love!
- COMPATIBLE WITH MOST DEVICES: Play on the included Soundtrack Trivia app on your iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, or any PC browser. App updates are provided so you won’t need to buy a new game to stay current. The Soundtrack Trivia app is currently available for download and play in the United States only.
- FEELS FRESH PLAY AFTER PLAY: Includes a companion app with thousands of hints from a wide variety of movie titles, you'll always be challenged, ensuring endless music trivia combinations and replayability.
- CUSTOMIZABLE GAME EXPERIENCE: Select movie ratings, genres, and decades of questions according to your preference. Play with up to 8 players or use the team mode to play with up to 8 teams. You can also practice using the unique lightning mode.
- EASY TO PLAY: Simply listen to a 15-second song hint from a movie's soundtrack, use your "Cut Cards" for additional clues, and guess the movie to advance around the board.
Notable acting omissions
AP also highlighted several performers who missed nominations:
- Paul Mescal was left out of the acting field for Hamnet, despite being viewed by AP as a seemingly likely nominee.
- Chase Infiniti missed an acting nomination for One Battle After Another.
- Amanda Seyfried was omitted for The Testament of Ann Lee.
- Jesse Plemons did not receive an acting nomination for Bugonia.
These are omissions from individual acting categories, unlike the film-wide result for Wicked: For Good. The sources establish AP’s expectations framing, not a measurable consensus about which omissions were the most consequential.
Rank #4
- CINEMA TRIVIA GAME: This game is for the movie buff, testing everyone’s knowledge of comedy, cartoon, action, adventure, drama, musicals, sci-fi, and horror movies.
- MOVIES TRIVIA CONTENTS: For 2 or more players ages 12 years and up, Movies Trivia is a fun game that includes 880 questions and answers with 4 categories on each card.
- QUIZ QUESTIONS: Besides having the benefits of improving and expanding your knowledge, trivia games are also a fun way to get everyone involved at any game night or party.
- FAMILY FUN: The rules are easy to learn and the game is difficult to stop playing, it’s that much fun! It’s the perfect game for families that allows the kids, teens, and parents to all get involved.
- TRAVEL ACTIVITIES: This compact, portable game can easily fit in a purse or backpack, making it perfect as an on the go activity for long road trips in the car and long waits at the restaurant.
Guillermo del Toro’s directing omission for Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro was not nominated for directing Frankenstein, even though the film received nine nominations elsewhere. AP called the omission surprising and contrasted it with Joachim Trier’s directing nomination for Sentimental Value. The contrast makes the result notable, but it does not reveal why Academy voters chose one director over another.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.It Was Just an Accident earned recognition without a top-field place
Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident received nominations for original screenplay and international feature, but not for Best Picture or directing. AP noted the split between those category recognitions and the film’s absence from the two high-profile fields. Those nomination facts are separate from discussion of Panahi’s political circumstances, which do not establish why voters made their choices.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Best Value
- 🎬 You do not need to be a movie buff to jump in. I’M Your Movie turns games for adults and family into a fast mix of trivia, acting and movie challenges that get 4+ players talking, guessing and laughing from the first round.
- 🍿 One deck moves through movie trivia, acting, spoilers, casting and soundtrack challenges instead of repeating one task. That variety gives adult card games a more active feel, with 200 cards keeping 4+ players switching gears.
- 🎭 A typical game lasts about 30 minutes, giving 4+ players enough time to move through different movie challenges without making the night drag. It fits games for adults and family that need a clear, lively session length.
- 🎁 Made for movie lovers, families and groups of friends ages 14+, I’M Your Movie works well among games for adults and family, giving 4+ players the same mix of trivia, acting, guessing and movie-based challenges
- ⏱️ Inside the box are 200 cards and 1 die, giving the group a broad mix of movie prompts and challenge types to work through. That tangible content helps adult card games feel varied across a 30-minute session for 4+ players.
How to interpret “snubs” and “surprises”
There is no objective ranking of the biggest snubs in the available reporting. A useful way to compare the results is to distinguish the scale of a film’s overall showing, whether an omission affected one person or an entire film, and whether the expectation behind a “snub” label comes from a named critic’s analysis. A surprise nomination can also draw attention because it changes the makeup of a five-person category, without proving whom voters had in mind instead.
AP film writer Lindsey Bahr captured her interpretation of the horror-related selections this way: “Oscar voters hate to be boxed in, and apparently this year they heard the cries about biases against horror movies.” That is Bahr’s reading of the nominations, not an Academy statement or a measured account of voters’ motivations.
Quick Recap
2026 nominations at a glance
| Film or nominee | Result | Why it stood out |
|---|---|---|
| Sinners | 16 nominations | A record-setting total, as reported by the Associated Press. |
| One Battle After Another | 13 nominations | The second-highest total, as reported by the Associated Press. |
| Wicked: For Good | 0 nominations | A film-wide shutout; Ariana Grande also missed supporting actress. |
| Delroy Lindo, Sinners | Supporting actor nomination | His first Oscar nomination; AP called the selection a surprise. |
| Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue | Best actress nomination | AP identified her inclusion as a surprise. |
Sources
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: 98th Oscars nominations announced
- Associated Press: Oscar nominations snubs and surprises
- Associated Press: 2026 Oscar nominations list
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
