2026 Oscar Nominations: Surprising Snubs and Highlights, from Wicked and Paul Mescal to Kate Hudson’s Standout Moment

Ariana Grande WICKED: FOR GOOD; Paul Mescal HAMNET; Kate Hudson SONG SUNG BLUE.
Credit :

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures; Agata Grzybowska/Focus Features; Sarah Shatz/Focus Features

NEED TO KNOW

• The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced on Thursday, Jan. 22.
• Highlights included Kate Hudson’s nomination for Song Sung Blue and Ariana Grande being overlooked for Wicked: For Good.
• Conan O’Brien is set to host the Oscars live on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on Hulu.

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards have unveiled a list rife with surprises and notable omissions.

This year, Sinners made headlines by breaking an Oscars record with an impressive 16 nominations, while Wicked: For Good was entirely excluded from consideration.

Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked For Good.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Snub: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

Co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo from Wicked: For Good were absent from the nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress. Both actresses received acclaim last year for their performances in Wicked. Grande’s exclusion is particularly surprising given her series of nominations in earlier awards. Additionally, the sequel to the musical was entirely overlooked, in stark contrast to the first Wicked, which garnered ten nominations last year.

Snub: Paul Mescal

Paul Mescal, who had been racking up nominations for his role in Hamnet, did not receive an Oscar nomination this year, marking a shocking oversight. The Irish actor previously earned a Best Actor nomination in 2023 for Aftersun.

The Smashing Machine.

A24

Snub: Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt

Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine was expected to be a contender this awards season but failed to secure nominations. Both Johnson and Blunt, whose performances received praise at the Golden Globe Awards, did not receive recognition from the Academy following a lackluster box office performance.

George Clooney is Jay Kelly.

Netflix

Snub: George Clooney and Adam Sandler

Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly failed to engage Academy voters, with both lead actor George Clooney and supporting actor Adam Sandler not receiving nominations. Their absence at the Oscars echoes similar shortcomings at The Actor Award nominations.

Surprise: Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson has earned her second Oscar nomination for her role in Song Sung Blue, marking her first nomination for Best Actress. She previously earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress 25 years ago for her performance in Almost Famous.

Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Snub: Chase Infiniti

Chase Infiniti, the standout star of One Battle After Another, was unexpectedly excluded from the Best Actress nominations despite her film’s strong performance in the awards season.

Delroy Lindo in Sinners.

Warner Bros.

Surprise: Delroy Lindo

Delroy Lindo received his first Oscar nomination for his performance in Sinners, marking a significant achievement as his film also made history. Lindo’s nomination comes as a surprise, especially with predictions favoring Paul Mescal of Hamnet for the category.

Conan O’Brien will host the Oscars live on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC, with plans to transition to YouTube in 2029.