The time of the year where people’s voices are the loudest has begun. The 2026 Oscar nomination announcements were made on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” received 16 nominations, surpassing “Titanic,” “La La Land” and “All About Eve,” which are tied with 14 nominations, for the most nominations ever. This was not one I was left entirely surprised on as I suspected it would land in the running for quite a few awards. Many enjoyed the cinematography, score and many other aspects of the film.
“F1: The Movie” being nominated for best picture did not surprise me either. Its excellent visual effects and efficient editing to enhance every race scene did not escape the notice of viewers or the Academy. However, there were some viewers who did not seem to anticipate this film to receive enough appreciation from the academy for it to land in a nomination. Some did not care for this film but others grew to love the Formula 1 sport because of it.
While both of these landed unsurprisingly in the best picture nomination, there were quite a few snubs in other categories that took a lot of people by surprise.
The snub that caught my attention more than the rest of the controversy with this year’s nominations was Guillermo del Toro missing the best director category, despite his film “Frankenstein” securing a best picture nomination. This in particular did not sit well with people.
What’s the problem with this? The film is still getting recognized, so why raise this as an issue?
This is why: the Academy has forgotten the people who make the art happen.
While yes, it is a good thing that “Frankenstein” got a nomination, there was no rightful recognition given to del Toro himself for the art he made. Though he was not the originator of this story, he was the one who brought this adaptation of the iconic novel after the many versions that have been made.
This begins to raise a multitude of questions towards the Academy’s perspective on what art is and those who make it.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” was another film that was able to snag the best picture nomination. Anderson did receive a nomination for best director. However, what took me by surprise again was the snub of lead actress from Chase Infiniti, who starred in the film.
It was this missed landing of a nomination that made me sit up in greater attention to not just the Academy but the reactions of the media.
This brings me back to my point of the Academy forgetting who actually makes the art. It is not just the directors who are fully responsible for making a movie successful — it is also the actors who bring the film to fruition.
A film can have a successful plot, but it still relies on actors to be able to carry the story to its fullest potential. It is through performances that actors give depth and tell the story well.
But this begins to go deeper than having an aggravation towards the Academy for robbing directors and actors of nominations. People’s desire for art to be properly recognized is not anything new. It has always been a recurring theme beyond the Academy.
But as people’s frustration with the Academy’s nominations grows every year, the demand for recognition of art increases as well.
