Ryan Coogler just rewrote Oscar history with his vampire epic Sinners. The film snatched 16 nominations Thursday morning, smashing the all-time record and putting Black excellence front and center at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Michael B. Jordan scored his first Oscar nomination for playing dual roles in the Warner Bros. supernatural thriller. The actor joins an impressive lineup of Black talent getting recognition this year, with Sinners alone producing 10 Black nominees.
That ties the record for most Black artists nominated from a single film.
The previous record holder was Judas and the Black Messiah back in 2021, which also recognized 10 Black creatives across various categories.
Coogler becomes only the third Black person nominated in the same year for producing, directing and screenwriting.
Jordan Peele did it with Get Out and Spike Lee achieved the feat with BlacKkKlansman. Now Coogler joins that exclusive club with his genre-bending masterpiece.
The Sinners nominations span every major category. Delroy Lindo earned a supporting actor nod alongside Jordan’s lead actor recognition. Wunmi Mosaku grabbed a supporting actress nomination for her powerful performance in the film.
Behind the camera, the representation runs deep.
Hannah Beachler becomes the only Black woman ever nominated twice for production design after winning for Black Panther in 2018. Autumn Durald Arkapaw makes history as the first woman of color nominated for a cinematography Oscar.
Ruth E. Carter extends her own legacy with a costume design nomination, becoming the most-nominated Black woman in Oscar history. The legendary designer previously won for Black Panther and Coming 2 America.
Teyana Taylor brings her revolutionary energy to the supporting actress category for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. The multi-talented artist earned praise for her steamy performance in the political satire, which has garnered multiple nominations.
Coogler’s wife and producing partner Zinzi Coogler enters the record books as the first Filipina producer nominated for Best Picture.
The diversity extends beyond Sinners into other major films. Wagner Moura breaks ground as the first Brazilian nominated for Best Actor with The Secret Agent. Chloé Zhao becomes the first person of color nominated twice for best director with Hamnet.
This year marks 30% of acting nominees coming from underrepresented communities. Six of the 20 acting slots went to actors from diverse backgrounds, showing the Academy’s continued evolution toward inclusion.
The Academy recognized 74 women nominees this year, setting a new record. The previous high was 71 women nominated in 2023, showing continued progress in gender representation.
The nominations announcement was made at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated actress Danielle Brooks and actor Lewis Pullman revealed all 24 categories, including the new casting category.
Conan O’Brien returns as host for the second consecutive year. The ceremony takes place March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, airing live on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
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