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Horror Devours Oscars 2026: ‘Sinners’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Weapons’, and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Stake the Competition
The blood ran thick on the red carpet as Horror haunted the 2026 Academy Awards in an historic night.
With a record-breaking 16 nods, Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners staked four essential wins: Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Original Screenplay for writer-director Ryan Coogler; Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson (his third Oscar win and second with Coogler); and Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who became the first woman to win the award and the first woman of color to be nominated.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein stormed off with three creative wins, specifically Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Hair and Makeup.
Elsewhere, Amy Madigan kicked off the night’s festivities by winning Best Supporting Actress for Weapons in a tough-as-nails category.
While, to no one’s surprise, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters staked Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song for “Golden,” all in the wake of its recent sequel announcement.
Below is the full slate of the genre’s nominees in bold with winners in red.
Best Picture:
BugoniaF1FrankensteinHamnetMarty SupremeOne BattleSecret AgentSentimental ValueSinnersTrain Dreams
Winner: One Battle After Another
Best Director:
Chloé Zhao, HamnetJosh Safdie, Marty SupremePaul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After AnotherJoachim Trier, Sentimental ValueRyan Coogler, Sinners
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Actress in a Leading Role:
Jessie Buckley, HamnetRose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick YouKate Hudson, Song Sung BlueRenate Reinsve, Sentimental ValueEmma Stone, Bugonia
Winner: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Actor in a Leading Role:
- Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
- Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Winner:
- Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Actress in a Supporting Role:
- Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
- Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Winner:
- Amy Madigan, Weapons
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After AnotherJacob Elordi, FrankensteinDelroy Lindo, SinnersSean Penn, One Battle After AnotherStellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Winner: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Adapted Screenplay:
BugoniaFrankensteinHamnetOne Battle After AnotherTrain Dreams
Winner: One Battle After Another
Original Screenplay:
- Blue Moon
- It Was Just an Accident
- Marty Supreme
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
Winner:
- Sinners
Costume Design:
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- Sinners
Winner:
- Frankenstein
Achievement in Casting:
HamnetMarty SupremeOne Battle After AnotherThe Secret AgentSinners
Winner: One Battle After Another
Makeup and Hairstyling:
- Frankenstein
- Kokuho
- Sinners
- The Smashing Machine
- The Ugly Stepsister
Winner:
- Frankenstein
Original Score:
- Bugonia
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
Winner:
- Sinners
Animated Feature Film:
- Arco
- Elio
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
- Zootopia 2
Winner:
- KPop Demon Hunters
Cinematography:
- Frankenstein
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
Winner:
- Sinners
Film Editing:
F1Marty SupremeOne Battle After AnotherSentimental ValueSinners
Winner: One Battle After Another
Original Song:
- “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
- “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
- “I Lied to You” from Sinners
- “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdi
- “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams
Winner:
- “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
Production Design:
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
Winner:
- Frankenstein
Sound:
F1FrankensteinOne Battle After AnotherSinnersSirat
Winner: F1
Visual Effects:
Avatar: Fire and AshF1Jurassic World RebirthThe Lost BusSinners
Winner: Avatar: Fire and Ash
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war, but it was a cheerful illustrator from England who helped to define the terrifying war-torn imagery that inspired what we now know as Grimdark (a hybrid genre combining horror with sci-fi/fantasy).
Unfortunately for fans of Warhammer 40,000, Trench Crusade and countless other sources of Grimdark thrills, veteran artist John Blanche passed away this week after struggling with health issues for the past few years.
While the artist retired back in 2023, he leaves us with an enormous legacy of iconic artwork that continues to inspire gamers and storytellers around the world to this very day.
The news is especially gloomy as it was only last year that Daniel Lowman and Napoleon Dynamite himself Jon Heder released The Grim & the Dark: The Search for John Blanche, a documentary following Heder’s exploration of the Grimdark genre culminating in a heartwarming encounter with Blanche in his own home.
Below is one of my favorite pieces by Blanche, his highly influential depiction of Warhammer 40k’s God-Emperor of Mankind on his Golden Throne.
We send our deepest condolences to John Blanche’s family, friends, and fans.
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