The 98th Academy Awards are set to light up Hollywood this Sunday, March 15, 2026, and for fans following the journey of African talent on the global stage, there is plenty to cheer for. This year, the spotlight shines brightly on Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku, who has earned a prestigious nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Mosaku’s standout performance in the film Sinners has placed her in the middle of a highly competitive race. She is not alone in representing the film’s powerful cast, as her co-stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo have also picked up nods for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another are the two heavyweights leading the pack this year, dominating many of the major categories.
The ceremony will see the return of Conan O’Brien as host, guiding viewers through a night that celebrates the very best in cinema. From the high-stakes battle for Best Picture to technical categories like Cinematography and Sound, the diversity of stories being honored this year is truly remarkable.
The nominations for Best Picture reflect a wide array of cinematic experiences, featuring titles such as Bugonia, F1: The Movie, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams.
In the acting categories, the competition is equally fierce. The Best Actor race includes Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent. On the other side, the Best Actress nominees are Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, and Emma Stone for Bugonia.
The supporting categories are filled with seasoned veterans and rising stars. Joining Wunmi Mosaku in the Best Supporting Actress category are Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, Amy Madigan for Weapons, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another. For Best Supporting Actor, the nominees alongside Delroy Lindo include Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn for One Battle After Another, Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, and Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value.
The directorial vision behind these films is also being celebrated, with Ryan Coogler, Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloé Zhao, Josh Safdie, and Joachim Trier all in the running for Best Director. Beyond the main spotlight, the Academy is recognizing excellence in writing, with nominees in Original and Adapted Screenplay categories ranging from the imaginative Marty Supreme to the poignant Hamnet.
International and animated features are also getting their due. In the International Feature category, films from Brazil, France, Norway, Spain, and Tunisia are competing for the top prize. Meanwhile, animated favorites like Zootopia 2 and Elio are vying for the Animated Feature trophy.
As the industry prepares for the big night, technical masters in editing, cinematography, and score are being acknowledged for their role in bringing these worlds to life. From the visual effects of Avatar: Fire and Ash to the original music in Sinners, the 2026 Oscars promise to be a night of historical wins and unforgettable moments.
