Vampire horror film Sinners has made awards-season history after becoming the most-nominated movie in Oscars history, earning a record 16 nominations at this year’s Academy Awards.
The film breaks the long-standing record of 14 nominations previously shared by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land, and has outpaced its closest rival this season, Leonardo DiCaprio’s thriller One Battle After Another, which secured 13 nods.
Leading the accolades is Michael B. Jordan, who received a Best Actor nomination for his dual role as twin brothers. He is joined by British co-stars Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo, both of whom also earned acting nominations and are now considered among Britain’s strongest Oscar hopes this year.
Other notable contenders include Timothée Chalamet, who is chasing his first Oscar win after two previous nominations, and Irish actress Jessie Buckley, widely tipped to take home Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet. However, her co-star Paul Mescal, who portrayed William Shakespeare opposite Buckley, was surprisingly left off the nominations list.
In one of the season’s biggest shocks, Wicked: For Good was completely shut out, with stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande failing to secure nominations.
This year’s most-nominated films:
Sinners – 16
One Battle After Another – 13
Marty Supreme – 9
Frankenstein – 9
Sentimental Value – 9
Hamnet – 8
Sinners’ success is particularly striking given the Academy’s historical reluctance to embrace horror films, a genre rarely rewarded in major categories.
Director Ryan Coogler features prominently among the nominees, earning nods for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Producer. The film is also in contention for the Academy’s top prize, Best Picture.
Film synopsis
Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore, who return home after working for the Chicago mob. Using their savings, they open a juke joint meant to be a sanctuary for music, freedom and community.
As opening night unfolds, old relationships resurface and the blues music inside the club takes on an almost supernatural force, electrifying everyone present. The celebration soon descends into terror when vampires, drawn by the life force of the music, surround the juke joint.
What follows is a desperate fight to survive until dawn, marked by sacrifice, loss and impossible choices. By morning, only a few remain, and the events of that night leave a haunting legacy that echoes across decades through music and memory.
The Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Hollywood on March 15.