The 98th Academy Awards are just six days away, and Hollywood is buzzing with anticipation. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O'Brien, takes place on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, airing on ABC and streaming on Hulu. This year's Oscars is shaping up to be one of the most historic ceremonies in Academy history.
Sinners: A Historic Juggernaut With 16 Nominations
Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads all films with a staggering 16 nominations — the most in Oscar history, surpassing the previous record of 14 shared by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016). The film also broke the record for the most Black individuals nominated for a single film, earning widespread praise for the Academy's embrace of both Black cinema and the horror genre.
Best Picture Race: Sinners vs. One Battle After Another
The Best Picture race is widely viewed as a two-horse contest. Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another has dominated the guild circuit, winning the Producers Guild of America Award and racking up prestigious precursor wins. Sinners staged a major comeback at the Actor Awards, claiming Best Ensemble. Both films arrive at the Oscars with legitimate claims to the top prize.
Key Category Highlights
In Best Actor, Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) and Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another) are neck and neck. Jessie Buckley has steamrolled to front-runner status in Best Actress for Hamnet. Sean Penn is the favorite in Best Supporting Actor. The night also marks the introduction of a brand-new Oscar category: Best Casting — the first new competitive category since Best Animated Feature debuted in 2001.
