The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards have revealed more than a race for cinematic glory-this year's slate reflects a subtle but persistent spiritual resonance woven throughout many of the most acclaimed films. While few nominees are explicitly "religious," a number of them grapple with themes of meaning, morality, suffering, identity, and redemption, inviting audiences to confront the human condition in ways that echo enduring questions of faith.
Leading the pack is Sinners, which set a record with 16 nominations and uses powerful genre storytelling to explore human brokenness, legacy, and hope. Films such as Hamnet and One Battle After Another delve into grief, love, moral ambiguity, and consequence, sparking reflection on the depths of what it means to be human. These narratives - though secular in form - carry a spiritual weight reminiscent of age-old theological concerns.
Together, the 2026 nominees show that the spirit of inquiry that undergirds religious experience remains alive in mainstream cinema: it's less about creed than about the universal quests for truth, justice, restoration, and human flourishing.
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Full List of 2026 Oscar Nominees
Best Picture
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Directing
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Best Actress
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Original Screenplay
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or The Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
International Feature Film
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
Sentimental Value
Sirât
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Documentary Short
All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Children No More: Were and Are Gone
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Animated Short
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Live Action Short
Butcher's Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen's Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Casting
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Costume Design
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Film Editing
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Makeup & Hairstyling
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Production Design
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Original Score
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Original Song
"Dear Me" (Diane Warren: Relentless)
"Golden" (KPop Demon Hunters)
"I Lied To You" (Sinners)
"Sweet Dreams of Joy" (Viva Verdi!)
Train Dreams (Train Dreams)
Sound
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirât
Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
