Oscar Nominations 2026: Snubs, Surprises, and the Frontrunners

The 2026 Oscar nominations are here! While film buffs dissect acting nods, we're diving into the music. Let's unpack the surprises, snubs, and frontrunners in Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

First up, Diane Warren secured her 17th nomination for Best Original Song. The nominated song is "Dear Me," sung by Kesha and featured in the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless. Will this be the year she finally wins? Unlikely.

If Warren loses, she’ll break a tie with sound mixer Greg P. Russell for most nominations without a win. (Russell was nominated 17 times, but his nod for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi was rescinded for a violation of campaigning rules in 2017; apparently he called members of the Sound branch during the nominations period.)

The favorite to win is "Golden," from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. KPop Demon Hunters is also vying for Best Animated Film.

A strong contender is "I Lied To You" from Sinners, co-written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson. This marks Saadiq's second nomination, while Göransson already boasts two wins in Best Original Score and a previous nomination for Rihanna's "Lift Me Up."

Nick Cave and The National's Bryce Dessner earned nominations for "Train Dreams," featured in the film of the same name. This is a first-time nomination for both. UK composer Nicholas Pike also received his first nod for "Sweet Dreams Of Joy," from Viva Verdi!

Snubs include the Wicked: For Good songs, Nine Inch Nails' "As Alive As You Need Me To Be," Ed Sheeran's "Drive," and Billy Idol's "Dying To Live," all of which made the Oscar shortlist.

In Best Original Score, Daniel Lopatin, aka Oneohtrix Point Never, was snubbed for his Marty Supreme score. Instead, nominees include past winners Ludwig Göransson and Alexandre Desplat, for Sinners and Frankenstein, respectively. Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood is nominated for One Battle After Another, while Jerskin Fendrix is recognized for Bugonia. Max Richter earns his first nomination for Hamnet.

Bryce Dessner (Train Dreams), Hildur Guðnadóttir (Hedda), and Hans Zimmer (F1) were shortlisted but didn't make the final cut. Göransson is likely to win his third Oscar, but Fendrix's Bugonia score is a strong contender.

"Golden" and Sinners swept Best Song and Best Score at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, signaling a potential Oscar trend.

Teyana Taylor received a Best Actress In A Supporting Role nomination for One Battle After Another, while Kate Hudson is nominated for Best Actress In A Leading Role for Song Sung Blue. Ethan Hawke is up for his role as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon. Sinners leads with 16 nominations, followed by One Battle After Another with 14.

The full list of nominees is available here. The Conan O'Brien-hosted Oscars will air on ABC and stream on Hulu on March 15. The ceremony will be available on YouTube in 2029.

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