We’re Crossing Our Fingers for a Sinners’ Oscars Sweep: All the New Records That Could be Made Sunday
By Elizabeth Paige Richardson | March 11, 2026 | Best TV Shows, Celebrity & Culture
Pictured: The Oscar Awards (Credit: ABC/THE ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS)
We’re in the final countdown toward the biggest and most coveted event in awards season, the Oscars. This year seems to have brought a renewed sense of energy to the usual buzz around the glitzy ceremony, thanks in no small part to the vocal film fans that are rooting as loud as possible for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
Of course, part of that wave started the minute nominations were announced: Sinners broke the record for the most nominated film in Oscars’ history (a fabulous 16). We should keep in mind that awards season is rife with surprises and that nominations don’t mean anything is set in stone.
No matter who gets up when the presenters announce “and the Oscar goes too…” we’re all in for a treat. We can’t wait to see the glamorous red carpet looks that Wunmi Mosaku, Michael B. Jordan, and the Cooglers turn out for photographers. The film’s original song “I Lied to You” is set to be performed live at the ceremony, which will no doubt send the audience into a frenzy.
But in a perfect world where Coogler’s film pulls off a “Sinners Sweep” of every category, what other records would it be setting?
The most Oscar wins by a single film
This year feels like a close race between Sinners and political action thriller One Battle After Another. The two highly praised films are fighting each other for dominance in 11 different categories, including the coveted Best Picture award.
If Sinners does sweep the awards and picks up all the trophies it’s nominated for, it will break the record for the most Academy Awards won by a single film by the time the ceremony comes to a close. The current record, 11, is held by three different movies: 1959’s Ben-Hur, 1997’s Titanic, and 2003’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
The second horror film to win Best Picture
Another feat that the vampire film will pull off if it wins all its nominated categories is becoming the second horror film to win the coveted Best Picture award. The first scary film to claim that prize was Silence of the Lambs, when the classic won all “big five” awards at the 1992 Oscars ceremony. That’s right, it’s been a 34-year dry spell for horror movies in the Best Picture race—but Sinners has the chance to end it.
Although the film certainly has a fair stake in the horror genre, the win would be extra sweet considering the screenplay’s masterful blend of Black southern storytelling and modern-day reflection.
The first film to ever win Best Casting
This year also brings a brand new category to the 98th Academy Awards, with multiple casting directors hoping for a chance to accept the Best Casting award. Sinner’s stellar casting choices—from Miles Caton’s charming Sammy to Michael B. Jordan pulling off the roles of Smoke and Stack—were made by Francine Maisler. It goes without saying that if she wins, her name will go down in the history books.
The 98th Academy Awards will be aired live Sunday, Mar. 15, at 7 p.m. on ABC and Hulu.
