The Academy unveiled the 2026 Oscar nominations this week, and a notable highlight is the strong showing by newcomers. This year’s list features 11 first-time acting nominees, with names like Jacob Elordi, Elle Fanning, Michael B Jordan and Teyana Taylor marking major career milestones.
Michael B Jordan earned his first-ever Oscar nomination for his performance in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which emerged as the biggest contender of the year. The film shattered records with 16 nominations, the highest ever for a single title, including nods for lead actor, director and original screenplay.
Sinners also brought first-time Oscar recognition for its supporting cast. Wunmi Mosaku received a nomination for best supporting actress, while Delroy Lindo landed a nod for best supporting actor.
Another major contender, Frankenstein, secured the third-highest number of nominations this year, including Jacob Elordi’s debut Oscar nod in the best supporting actor category.
Elordi now finds himself competing against fellow first-time nominees Delroy Lindo and Stellan Skarsgård in the same category. Skarsgård was recognised for his role as Gustav Borg in Sentimental Value, adding to an already successful awards season that saw him recently win his second Golden Globe.
Sentimental Value matched Frankenstein with nine nominations overall. The film also delivered first Oscar nods for Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, both competing in the best supporting actress category. Notably, four of the five nominees in that category are first-timers, including Fanning, Lilleaas, Mosaku and Teyana Taylor.
Taylor earned her nomination for portraying Perfidia Beverly Hills in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which ranked as the second most-nominated film of the year with 13 nods. Her Oscar recognition follows closely on the heels of her first Golden Globe win.
In the lead acting categories, several fresh faces also broke through. Alongside Jordan, Wagner Moura received his first Oscar nomination for The Secret Agent, which also secured a best picture nod. Moura’s recognition comes shortly after his Golden Globe win for best drama actor.
The best lead actress race welcomed debut nominees Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. Byrne recently won the Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy.
The 98th Academy Awards will be hosted by Conan O’Brien and broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 15.