Oscar nominations mornings usually come with one clean question. Who got in, and who got left staring at their phone?
This year has a second one that could scramble the bragging rights. If two frontrunners really are headed for double-digit nominations, can they run past the long-standing 14-nomination ceiling, especially now that the Academy has added a brand-new category?
The Clock Is Set, and the Hosts Are Not Random
The nominees for the 98th annual Academy Awards are set to be revealed Thursday morning, with the live announcement starting at 5:30 a.m. Pacific, 8:30 a.m. Eastern, according to CBS News.
CBS reports that actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman will host. Brooks, CBS notes, was nominated for best supporting actress for The Color Purple. Pullman, the son of actor Bill Pullman, previously appeared in the best picture nominee Top Gun: Maverick.
There is also a pacing trick baked in. CBS says some categories will be revealed at 5:30 a.m., then the remainder will follow after a short break. Translation: two separate adrenaline spikes for publicists, nominees, and anyone trying to screenshot a snub before the second batch lands.
The Films Everyone Is Circling, and Why the Number Matters
CBS says One Battle After Another, Sinners, Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, and Hamnet are all expected to potentially earn double-digit nominations.
The chatter, per CBS, is loudest around One Battle After Another and Sinners, with pundits watching whether the two titles that have “dominated precursor awards this season” can tie or top the all-time nominations record.
That record is 14 nominations for a single film. CBS points to Titanic, All About Eve, and La La Land as the titles sitting at that number. Guinness World Records also lists 14 as the high-water mark for most Academy Award nominations for a film.
In other words, the “14” is not just trivia. It is a marketing weapon. If a movie hits 12, it can brag. If it hits 14, it joins a tiny club. If it hits 15, the club turns into a museum exhibit.
The New Category That Could Juice Totals, or Just Redistribute Them
CBS flags the biggest structural change in the count: a new category for best casting. That matters because records are about totals, and totals are about how many lanes exist.
If our predictions are correct, “Sinners” will take advantage of the new Best Casting category to set a new Oscar record with 15 nominations, while “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet” and “Frankenstein” will also hit double digits.
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The Academy has been clear that casting is getting its own Oscar starting with the 2026 ceremony. In its announcement establishing the prize, the Academy said the award is designed to honor the work behind assembling performances that make a film click, adding that “casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking.” That language comes from the Academy’s announcement creating the Achievement in Casting award.
Still, a new category does not automatically mean a record-breaking avalanche for the same two films. Some movies sweep across the crafts and acting branches. Others are more targeted, with passionate support in one pocket and thin support elsewhere. A casting category could be a bonus nomination for an already dominant title, or it could become a lane where a smaller film finally has a shot to show up on the scoreboard.
What the Shortlists Hint At, and The International Pipeline
Nominations are decided by Academy members, not pundits. But CBS points to one semi-official breadcrumb trail: the Academy’s finalist shortlists for a dozen categories, including documentary feature and international feature.
CBS says the international feature race is expected to include multiple titles that prognosticators believe could spill into top categories, a dynamic the outlet links to the Academy’s push to diversify its ranks through recruiting international industry representatives.
Those international titles, as listed by CBS, include Neon-acquired Cannes picks such as Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, Golden Globe winner The Secret Agent, and Norwegian drama Sentimental Value. CBS also names Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and Oliver Laxe’s Sirat, noting Sirat was shortlisted five times.
If those films truly show up across categories, it adds another layer to the record chase. Every time a “likely nominee” from one corner of the field pops up in cinematography, editing, or screenplay, it takes oxygen away from the would-be nomination pileups at the top.
Why People Care, Beyond the Speeches and the Gowns
Oscar nominations are not just a trophy tracker. They are leverage.
Studios use nomination tallies to sell tickets, boost rentals, land airline deals, and repackage streaming campaigns. Talent reps use them as proof of market for the next contract. Foreign distributors use them as the most portable stamp of legitimacy in the world.
And in an era where Hollywood is obsessed with “moment” content, nominations morning is also a social-media audition. Who speaks on camera well? Who looks surprised? Who knows how to thank 19 people in 12 seconds? Who looks like they were already dressed.
That is why hosting choices matter too. If Brooks and Pullman become the faces of a record-setting morning, even by accident, they end up attached to the storyline for the whole season.
What We Know About Oscar Night, and What Is Still Open
CBS reports the Oscars will be held March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with Conan O’Brien returning as host after taking the role for the first time at the previous ceremony.
CBS also notes last year’s top winner: Anora took best picture, with Sean Baker winning best director, Mikey Madison winning best actress, plus wins for screenplay and editing.
What remains open is the part that keeps this whole machine loud. Whether the likely leaders actually convert predictions into nominations, whether international contenders surge into the biggest categories, and whether the new casting prize becomes a genuine kingmaker or just another line in a long list.
What to Watch When the List Drops
Start with the obvious: how many total nominations each top film racks up. Then check the seams, especially whether international titles show up beyond their home categories.
Finally, watch the recorded talk itself. If any movie lands at 13 or 14, the new casting category will immediately become part of the argument. Did it help, did it change anything, or did it simply reveal that the Academy has more ways to say “we like this film” than it used to?
One line from CBS captures the whole pre-drop tension: “The nominees for the 98th annual Academy Awards are being announced Thursday morning.” When that list hits, someone will have a historic number, and someone else will have a historic complaint.
