The opposition and pro-government outlets agree that nominations for the 98th Academy Awards have now been formally announced in Los Angeles by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with the ceremony set for Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre and broadcast on ABC. Both sides highlight Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners (Grešnici) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another (Jedna bitka za drugom) as the leading titles of the season, with Sinners emerging as the top nominee overall and One Battle After Another closely behind, and they concur that major acting, directing, and best picture categories feature these films prominently alongside a broader slate of high-profile contenders.

Coverage from both opposition and pro-government sources situates the nominations within the long-established framework of the Academy Awards as a central American film institution that shapes global cinematic prestige and industry trends. They share the context that this year’s race is historically significant for the Academy because of the unusually high nomination tally for Sinners, the strong showing of One Battle After Another, and the continued expansion and evolution of the awards structure, including the introduction of a new casting category that reflects the industry’s efforts to modernize and more comprehensively recognize filmmaking craft.

Points of Contention

Framing of Sinners’ record. Opposition-aligned outlets frame Sinners’ landmark nomination haul as a still-hypothetical breakthrough, emphasizing its potential to surpass the historic record of 14 nominations and casting the achievement as a looming milestone rather than a done deal. Pro-government media, by contrast, present the record as already secured, repeatedly describing Sinners as the absolute favorite with 16 confirmed nominations and foregrounding this as the defining statistic of the year’s race.

Emphasis on industry politics. Opposition coverage links the nominations to broader industry power shifts, stressing that the extraordinary success of Sinners and One Battle After Another could drive a record-breaking year for Warner Bros. at a moment when the studio is reportedly facing a possible acquisition by Netflix. Pro-government outlets largely omit or downplay such corporate and ownership angles, instead focusing narrowly on the list of nominees, category tallies, and red-carpet spectacle, portraying the awards as an apolitical celebration of cinema rather than a battleground of media consolidation.

Innovation and categories. Opposition sources draw attention to structural changes at the Academy, particularly the introduction of a new casting category, framing this as part of a broader reform trajectory in how the institution values behind-the-camera work and inclusivity in recognition. Pro-government reporting mentions category structures only insofar as they relate to who is nominated, concentrating on traditional headline races such as best picture, director, and acting awards and treating institutional reforms as secondary or implicit rather than a story in their own right.

Tone toward the awards. Opposition-aligned media adopt a more analytical, sometimes skeptical tone, presenting the Oscars as both a cultural event and a reflection of deeper industrial and commercial dynamics, and hinting that this year’s nomination patterns may be as much about positioning studios and streamers as about pure artistic merit. Pro-government outlets maintain an upbeat, celebratory tone, highlighting national interest in star nominees and box-office hits, and treating the 98th Academy Awards primarily as a glamorous entertainment event with little critical interrogation of the forces shaping the outcomes.

In summary, opposition coverage tends to treat the 98th Academy Awards nominations as a historic and commercially strategic moment layered with industrial subtext and ongoing institutional reforms, while pro-government coverage tends to present them as a finalized, record-breaking slate headlined by Sinners and framed as a straightforward, prestigious celebration of global cinema.